You might be worn out from trying to do everything perfectly and keep everyone happy. Or you go quiet in a room so no one will notice you, and a small moment can set off a reaction that feels bigger than it should. Patterns like these often start when we’re young, when they help us stay safe or stay close to the people we need. Years later, they can get in the way of the life you want.

You don’t have to call what happened trauma for it to matter. Your parents may have done their best, and you still may have missed something you needed.

Hand-drawn leafy sprout with a curved line
Hand-drawn leafy sprout with a curved line

Trauma and EMDR
therapy in Tullahoma

Person in a gray sweater holding EMDR hand tappers while seated in an armchair

I’m LeeAnn Childers, a counselor at Pearl Counseling in Tullahoma. I’m trained in EMDR, and trauma work is some of my favorite work. Even when clients come in for something else, early experiences tend to come up as part of what we’re working through.

When something hard happens, our brain stores it differently. It stays close to the surface, ready to protect us, so a moment that looks even a little like the old one can send us into fight or flight. EMDR helps your brain process that memory so you can look at it from where you are today and recognize you’re not in danger now.

In an EMDR session, you’ll bring a memory to mind while following eye movements or holding small tappers. These keep you grounded in the present while your brain processes the memory. You stay in the driver’s seat, and you don’t have to tell me every detail for it to work. Before we start processing, we’ll spend time building up a sense of calm and safety you can come back to.

What happened to you can leave you believing something about yourself, like you’re not likable or you have to be perfect to be loved. EMDR works on those beliefs, and it doesn’t depend on anyone else changing.

One of my older clients told me she’d always believed she just wasn’t very likable. Her parents were good parents, and they didn’t give much praise. Her brother was the outgoing one. Blending in had kept her from getting hurt, and over time it became her default. EMDR can help bring a belief like that into the light, where you can decide whether it’s true.

You can bring your hard stuff here. I’ve heard hard things before, and you won’t be met with judgment.

If you’re wondering whether EMDR could help, let’s talk. The first call is free and takes about 15 minutes.

Start Here

  • EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. It helps your brain process a memory that’s stuck in fight or flight so you can look at it from where you are today.

  • No. Your brain leads the process, and I’m there to keep you grounded and help you through it.

  • EMDR can help with physical or sexual trauma, along with experiences that are harder to name, like neglect or growing up without the support you needed. If something from your past still shapes how you feel today, it’s worth talking about.

  • Not always. I’ve seen it work extremely well, and I’ve seen it be a slower fit for some people. We’ll talk about how it’s going and adjust together.

  • No. You can come in for anxiety, stress or relationship struggles. If earlier experiences turn out to be part of it, we can work on them together.

  • Sessions are $120. I offer a sliding scale, and I’m not accepting insurance at this time.