You don’t have to stay stuck in painful memories from the past
EMDR Therapy in Purcellville, VA
Services available virtual through the state of VA
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a specialized, evidence-based therapy designed to help you process traumatic memories that feel “stuck” in your mind and body. When experiences are not fully processed, they can continue to show up as emotional triggers, anxiety, or distress in daily life.
Through EMDR, I help your brain reprocess these memories so they become less emotionally charged—allowing you to feel more grounded, safe, and in control of your emotional responses.
Does This Sound Like You?
EMDR Therapy Can Help If You:
Have memories that still feel painful or overwhelming
Experience strong emotional triggers that feel hard to control
Notice repeated patterns that you can’t seem to break
Feel anxiety, fear, or distress connected to past experiences
Feel like something from your past is still “stuck” in your system
EMDR Therapy in Purcellville, VA Can Help!
What if you could go from…
Feeling stuck in painful memories
Feeling emotionally free
Strong emotional triggers
Calm and neutrality
Replaying the past
Feeling present and grounded
Emotional overwhelm
Regulation and control
Carrying distress daily
Feeling lighter and more at peace
My Approach to EMDR Therapy
Step 1.
We’ll start with history taking to understand the goals and changes you wish to see through EMDR Therapy.
Step 2.
Then, we’ll start working on practical skills to manage anxiety, regulate your nervous system, more grounded and in control to strengthen your emotion regulation muscle.
Step 3.
We’ll begin developing a plan to understand which negative core beliefs and experiences have shaped your current beliefs, body distress, thought patterns, etc.
Step 4.
Finally, we’ll start processing the memories and events that are keeping you “stuck”.
About Me
Meet Your Purcellville
EMDR Therapist Kellie Tucker Boyle
Hi, I’m Kellie, a Licensed Professional Counselor who helps adults and children heal from trauma and PTSD through EMDR therapy. I’m passionate about helping people feel safer in their own minds and bodies, more connected to themselves and others, and more like themselves again.
Maybe you’ve gotten really good at holding it all together. On the outside, you may look like you’re doing just fine, but inside, you’re exhausted. You might feel constantly on edge, guarded, disconnected, or overwhelmed by things that seem like they shouldn’t affect you as much as they do. Maybe you’ve even wondered, “Why am I still struggling with this? It happened so long ago OR “why is this so difficult for me?”
If that sounds familiar, I want you to know that there’s nothing wrong with you. Sometimes our minds and bodies hold onto experiences long after we’ve told ourselves we should be “over it.” Sometimes events can occur that we have little recollection on or don’t even realize that its affected us.
This is where EMDR can help. EMDR gives us a way to gently work through experiences or beliefs that may still feel stuck, without requiring you to repeatedly retell every detail of what happened. Together, we’ll create a space where you can feel supported and safe while your brain and body begin to process what you’ve been carrying.
I believe healing isn’t about forgetting what happened or pretending it didn’t hurt. It’s about making sense of your experiences, having compassion for the ways you’ve learned to cope, and helping you feel less controlled by the past.
Kellie Tucker Boyle, LPC,
EMDRIA Certified Therapist in Purcellville, VA.
EMDR for Couples
EMDR is not just for individuals. EMDR can be helpful for couples whose trauma or unresolved experiences are showing up inside the relationship. If its more than just a communication challenge, EMDR can be a great fit for couples with deeper emotional wounds, patterns, and triggers.
EMDR for couples can help for those dealing with:
Trauma that affects the relationship
Past abuse, neglect, betrayal, difficult family experiences, or other traumatic events that influence how partners connect.
Infidelity and betrayal trauma
Helping partners process the emotional impact of betrayal, reduce intrusive thoughts and triggers, and work toward rebuilding safety and trust.
Recurring conflict patterns
When couples keep having the same arguments and one or both partners become triggered, defensive, shut down, or overwhelmed.
Attachment wounds
Experiences of abandonment, rejection, inconsistency, or feeling emotionally unsafe that can make closeness difficult.
Emotional reactivity
When a partner’s words, tone, distance, or behavior feels disproportionately threatening because it activates something from the past.
Difficulty trusting or feeling safe
Especially when previous relationships or life experiences have made vulnerability feel risky.
Sexual intimacy concerns related to trauma
When past experiences, shame, or trauma interfere with physical or emotional intimacy.
Shared traumatic experiences
Such as a miscarriage, infertility, serious illness, accident, loss, or other event that both partners experienced but may have processed differently.
Parenting and family stress
When each partner’s own history gets activated by parenting challenges or disagreements.
Reprocess Therapy
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How does EMDR work? The Eights Phases of EMDR.
- History Taking: I’ll ask you about your story, influences, and what you’d like to work on. We’ll always go at a pace that is right for you.
- Preparation/Resourcing: You’ll learn calming tools and grounding techniques to help you feel safe and supported. These are tools you can use in everyday life. This is the start of the “rewiring” of the brain.
- Assessment: We’ll identify a target memory and the thoughts, feelings, images, and body sensations connected to it.
- Desensitization: Using bilateral stimulation (like eye movements, tapping, or handheld buzzers), we begin processing the memory so it feels less distressing.
- Installation: We strengthen a positive belief to replace the old, limiting one tied to the memory, also using bilateral stimulation.
- Body Scan: We check in with your body to notice and release any leftover tension or activation.
- Closure: Each session ends with grounding and care to make sure you leave feeling stable and supported. We’ll check in on any insights you gained during the session.
- Reevaluation: We check in at the next session to make sure the shifts are sticking and continue the work.
2. Who is a good candidate for EMDR Therapy?
It is a common misconception that EMDR is only used to treat people with PTSD or severe trauma. EMDR can also be helpful for those experiencing anxiety, depression, fears, confidence issues, relationship distress, anger, betrayal trauma, grief, mid-life transitions, amongst others.
EMDR may also appeal to:
- Someone who may have been to traditional therapy and didn’t quite get the results or lasting change they were hoping for.
- Someone wanting to use EMDR as an adjunct to their current therapy; in order to break down more deeply embedded barriers.
- Someone who does not have the time to commit to weekly therapy for several months or years.
3. What does EMDR feel like?
Many clients describe EMDR as mentally intense but deeply relieving. You might notice images, emotions, body sensations or other memories pop up as we work. It’s like your brain is getting a software update- and it’s got to sort through some things (reprocess them) and file them back in a more organized/helpful way.
Some clients have said that EMDR has helped them feel that certain memories are less daunting and don’t illicit the normal reaction as it once did. They can think of the memories more rationally and objectively.
After reprocessing sessions, clients often feel tired for the first 24 hours, sometimes a little more agitated. This is where self-care and good rest come in!
4. How many sessions will I need of EMDR?
Every client is different, and it will depend on your goals and other factors such as your caretaker environment in childhood and the complexity of your trauma(s). Some people will report some relief after one session but for others it can take multiple sessions.
Other Resources for EMDR Therapy
EMDR Therapy in Purcellville, VA Can Help You
EMDR helps your brain naturally reprocess distressing experiences so they no longer carry the same emotional intensity. Over time, you can begin to feel less reactive, more stable, and more connected to your present life instead of being pulled back into the past.