Three EMDR-Trained Clinicians
EMDR therapy in Houston for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and the memories that keep intruding on the present. Three EMDR-trained clinicians deliver reprocessing inside a structured outpatient plan at Heights Behavioral Health, so preparation, pacing, and support are never an afterthought.
01Three EMDR-Trained Clinicians
02Trauma-Focused Care
03Inside a Full Treatment Plan
04Private Pay · Superbills
What It Is
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing works on a simple premise: some memories never finished processing. They stay stored with the original images, body sensations, and beliefs attached, which is why an ordinary trigger can produce an overwhelming reaction years later.
In EMDR, you hold a piece of that memory in mind while following a repeated back-and-forth cue, usually eye movements, tapping, or sound. That bilateral stimulation appears to help the brain file the memory properly. The event does not disappear. It stops carrying the same charge.
You are not required to narrate the trauma in detail. For many people that is the difference between starting treatment and avoiding it.
The Evidence
EMDR is recognized as an effective treatment for PTSD by the American Psychological Association, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense clinical practice guidelines, and the World Health Organization. It is among the most studied trauma treatments available.
What the research does not support is a guaranteed timeline. Some people notice change within a handful of sessions. Others, particularly those carrying complex or repeated trauma, need longer and need stabilization work first. Any program that promises you a number before assessing you is guessing.
Who It Helps
A crash, an assault, a medical event, or a loss the nervous system has not moved past.
Repeated experiences, often beginning in childhood. This usually calls for stabilization before processing.
When substance use or compulsive behavior became the coping strategy, the driver has to be addressed.
Where a specific event sits underneath the symptom you live with now.
Insight without relief often means a memory was discussed but never actually processed.
Particularly sudden or traumatic loss that stays frozen rather than moving.
The Protocol
01
Mapping target memories and building grounding skills before any processing begins.
02
Eye movements or tapping while holding the memory lightly, so the brain can refile it.
03
Linking the memory to the belief you want to carry instead of the one trauma wrote.
04
Checking what the body still holds and ending every session regulated, not raw.
What To Expect
A first EMDR session is not processing. It is history, goals, and building the grounding skills you will use to stay steady. Your clinician will not begin reprocessing until you have somewhere stable to land.
Processing sessions follow a structure: identify the target memory, the belief attached to it, and where you feel it in your body. Then short sets of bilateral stimulation, pausing between each to notice what shifted. Sessions end with grounding so you leave regulated, not raw.
Feeling tired afterward is common. So is material continuing to settle between sessions, which is why EMDR works best inside a program where someone is tracking how your week is actually going.
Where It Fits
EMDR is available across our levels of care. The right intensity depends on how much support you need between sessions.
In Individualized Intensive Programming, EMDR can be scheduled at higher frequency and paired deliberately with nervous-system work. In PHP and IOP, it runs alongside group and skills work so you are never processing trauma without structure around it.
When the nervous system is too activated to process safely, we often begin with Somatic Experiencing or neurofeedback to build a steadier baseline first. This page sits alongside our trauma and PTSD treatment program.
Who Delivers It
Three clinicians at Heights Behavioral Health are EMDR trained. All are master’s-level and licensed, and several hold additional trauma training, including Somatic Experiencing.
Clinical care is led by Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSAT, who has been licensed for more than 37 years and specializes in trauma and co-occurring conditions.
Guides and Resources
Plain-language articles from our clinical team on trauma, PTSD, and how EMDR fits into a coordinated outpatient plan.
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: What Actually Happens at the Ranch Internal Family Systems: Why Therapists Keep Talking About Parts Somatic Experiencing: Trauma Treatment That Starts in the Body Ready When You Are
One confidential call connects you with admissions and an honest read on whether EMDR fits your situation.
Start Confidentially
Tell us a little about what is going on and the best way to reach you. A member of our admissions team will follow up personally and walk you through next steps. Please do not include sensitive medical details in the form.
Common Questions
If you do not see your question here, call our admissions team at (877) 549-5102 and we will walk you through it.
Heights Behavioral Health is a private-pay, out-of-network practice. We provide superbills so you can pursue out-of-network reimbursement if your plan offers it, and we can verify your benefits before you commit. See our admissions page.
No. EMDR does not require detailed narration. You need to be able to bring the memory to mind, but you control how much you say out loud. For many people that is the reason they can begin at all.
Readiness is a clinical judgment, not a preference. If your nervous system is highly activated, or you are in active withdrawal or crisis, we stabilize first. Beginning processing too early can make things harder, and we will tell you honestly where you are.
It varies widely. Single-incident trauma can move relatively quickly. Complex trauma takes longer and includes preparation work. We will not quote you a number before an assessment.
Yes. EMDR can be delivered by telehealth in Texas and many clients do it that way. Whether it suits you depends on your stability and on having a private, uninterrupted space during sessions.
Often yes, and frequently that is the point, because trauma is a common driver of substance use and compulsive behavior. Timing matters, so processing is sequenced against where you are in recovery.
The first sessions are preparation, not processing. Your clinician takes a full history, explains how EMDR works, and builds grounding and stabilization skills with you. Reprocessing begins only once you have the resources to handle what comes up, which is part of why EMDR at Heights is delivered inside a structured treatment plan.
Our admissions team answers seven days a week, from 8:00 am to 7:30 pm Central Time. Call (877) 549-5102 to talk with a real person about what is going on, your schedule, and whether our programs are the right fit. If you reach out after hours, leave a message or send the consultation form and we will return your call as soon as we open. If this is an emergency, call 911. If you or someone you love is in a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
Clinical Review
Written by Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSAT, CEO of Heights Behavioral Health, and clinically reviewed by Deborah Darnell-Drake, LCSW-S, ACSW, LMFT, Chief Clinical Officer. Heights Behavioral Health provides licensed outpatient behavioral health care for adults in Houston, Texas, delivered by master’s-level clinicians and licensed professionals. This page is intended to explain HBH services and does not replace an individualized clinical assessment. Last reviewed October 2026.
Explore Heights
Every program, condition, and specialty at Heights connects to one coordinated outpatient team in the Houston Heights. Start wherever fits your situation, or call admissions and we will point you to the right place.
Verified reviews from clients and families who have been through our programs. Read them in full on Google, or add your own.
“From my very first interaction, I felt welcomed, respected, and genuinely cared for. The staff took the time to listen, answer my questions, and create a treatment plan that fit my needs.”
“Heights offered treatment three evenings a week, which made it possible for them to work during the day and still get consistent support.”
“Our family was scared and unsure where to turn. From the first conversation with Jeff and Beckie to walking through the doors, we felt genuinely cared for.”
Contact Admissions
One confidential call, an honest assessment, and a plan that says whether EMDR is the right place to start.
Crisis Notice: Heights Behavioral Health is not an emergency service. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911. If you are in a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
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