EMDR Therapy in Spokane, Washington
At Spokane Counseling Hub in Spokane Valley, Washington, Tracey Sutton, LCSW, LICSW, trained in EMDR at both Level I and Level II, offers EMDR therapy to help adults find relief from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and related concerns.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR is a therapy approach that uses bilateral stimulation — such as guided eye movements, gentle taps, or alternating sounds — while you briefly focus on aspects of a disturbing memory, image, or belief.
This process supports your brain’s natural ability to heal and integrate experiences that were too overwhelming when they first occurred.
Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro, Ph.D. in the late 1980s, EMDR is now recognized as one of the most rigorously studied trauma treatments in the world and is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychological Association (APA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA/DoD), and others. You do not have to go into graphic detail about your trauma for EMDR to be effective.
With careful preparation, EMDR can help reduce emotional intensity, shift negative beliefs about yourself, and ease physical reactions like exaggerated startle response or body tension.
The Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model
- EMDR is grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which proposes that psychological symptoms arise when traumatic or distressing memories become “stuck” in the nervous system.
- These unprocessed memories retain the emotions, physical sensations, and negative beliefs present at the time of the experience and can be triggered by present-day events.
- EMDR facilitates the brain’s natural processing system to finally metabolize what has remained unresolved.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work? The Eight Phases
EMDR follows a carefully structured eight-phase protocol
Tracey will walk you through each phase in plain, understandable language so the process never feels intimidating. Early phases focus on getting to know you, building trust, and developing coping skills — so you feel equipped before approaching the most difficult material.
During reprocessing phases, you bring a specific memory or linked set of experiences to mind while engaging in bilateral stimulation.
Tracey guides you through sets of eye movements or other bilateral methods, pausing regularly to check in about what you’re noticing.
Over time, the memory often becomes less distressing, and new, more empowering beliefs begin to emerge.
Phase 1 — Getting to Know You
Tracey gathers a thorough personal history, learns about your life experiences and current concerns, and collaboratively develops a treatment plan — building the foundation for everything that follows.
Phase 2 — Building Safety & Skills
You learn about EMDR in plain language, build trust, and develop grounding and coping resources — including a safe/calm place exercise — so you feel prepared and supported before approaching difficult material.
Phase 3 — Choosing What to Work On
Together you identify target memories, current triggers, and the negative beliefs they carry about you (e.g., “I am to blame”). You also identify a more truthful belief you’d like to hold instead (e.g., “I did the best I could”).
Phase 4 — Processing the Memory
While holding the target in mind, you follow bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or tones). Tracey pauses regularly to check in. Over time, the memory’s emotional charge typically reduces — and new insights often emerge on their own.
Phase 5 — Strengthening New Beliefs
The more adaptive belief you identified earlier is strengthened and connected to the processed memory using additional bilateral stimulation — reinforcing a more empowering truth about yourself.
Phase 6 — Listening to Your Body
You scan your body for any remaining physical tension or discomfort related to the memory. Any residual somatic distress is processed until your body feels clear and settled.
Phase 7 — Closing & Stabilizing
Every session ends with grounding and stabilization. If processing wasn’t complete, Tracey helps you contain the material safely. You receive guidance on what to notice or journal between sessions.
Phase 8 — Checking In Over Time
At the start of each new session, Tracey checks in on how the work has settled, what has shifted, and what still needs attention — ensuring nothing is left incomplete and every step forward is acknowledged.
The intention of EMDR is not to erase your memories.
It is to help them feel more like “something that happened” — rather than “something that is still happening” — in your body and mind.
Your history remains yours; it simply loses its power to hijack your present.
- Inside Window
The client is guided to notice their internal experience and identify the eye position that corresponds most directly to their somatic activation. This frame prioritizes the client’s felt sense. - Outside Window
The therapist observes visible physiological responses — blinking, swallowing, shifts in breathing or facial expression — to identify the relevant brainspot. Useful when the client has limited interoceptive awareness. - Gazespotting
The client naturally gazes to a comfortable resting spot while processing. The therapist simply holds the space. This frame is often used with highly sensitive clients or in later stages of therapy.
Types of Bilateral Stimulation
Used in EMDR
Bilateral stimulation — alternating left-right sensory input — is the defining active ingredient of EMDR. Tracey will work with you to identify which form feels most comfortable and effective.
- Eye Movements
— following the therapist’s moving fingers or light bar from side to side - Tactile Tapping
— alternating taps on the client’s hands, knees, or shoulders - Auditory Tones
— alternating tones delivered through headphones, one ear at a time
Who Can Benefit from EMDR Therapy in Spokane?
EMDR is appropriate for adults and adolescents.
It can be adapted for those with complex trauma histories (C-PTSD or developmental trauma), where a longer preparation phase ensures adequate stabilization before trauma processing begins. Tracey will work with you to determine whether EMDR is the right fit right now, or whether another approach — such as IFS or Brainspotting — should come first to build additional safety and stability.
Many clients who have struggled in talk therapy — who understand their trauma intellectually but cannot shift the emotional or physical distress — find EMDR to be the missing piece. It works at a different level than insight or narrative alone.
EMDR may be a good option if you experience:
- continue to be triggered by reminders of past events
- conflicting inner voices pulling in different directions
- nightmares or flashbacks
- intense emotional reactions that feel out of your control
- carry deep self-blame or shame about things that happened to you
- want a structured, evidence-informed way to work with trauma without having to retell your story over and over
What the Research Says
Clinical research consistently demonstrates that EMDR can produce significant symptom reduction in fewer sessions than many other therapies for trauma.
Studies show that 77–90% of single-trauma PTSD patients no longer meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD after as few as three 90-minute sessions.
For complex trauma, treatment is longer, but outcomes remain robust.
EMDR Is Well-Suited for…
- Single-incident traumas (accidents, medical events, assaults)
- Complex or developmental trauma, including childhood abuse or neglect
- PTSD — the most researched application of EMDR
- Anxiety and panic disorder
- Phobias and intense fears
- Depression connected to past experiences
- OCD
- Grief and complicated loss
- Shame and self-blame related to past experiences
- Performance anxiety
- Chronic pain and somatic conditions
- Dissociative symptoms
- Attachment difficulties and relationship trauma
- Negative core beliefs about the self
- Life transitions and adjustment challenges
Meet Tracey Sutton, LCSW, LICSW — IFS Therapist in Spokane, WA
With more than twenty years of clinical experience, Tracey Sutton offers EMDR therapy that is thoughtful, collaborative, and paced to your nervous system. She values consent and choice — she will never pressure you to process memories you do not feel ready to approach, and she checks in consistently about how the work feels for you.
Tracey often integrates EMDR with other approaches such as IFS or Brainspotting, allowing her to address both the emotional and body-based impact of trauma. This integrative approach is especially supportive for clients with complex trauma histories who need more than a single-modality treatment.
Tracey provides in-person EMDR therapy in Spokane Valley and secure telehealth for clients throughout Washington and Idaho. Her MSW training from Smith College, advanced clinical supervision certification, and years leading Therapy Services at Heritage Health all reflect a standard of clinical excellence that every client benefits from directly.
Tracey’s Specialized Training
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- EMDR Therapist (Level I & II)
- Polyvagal and Somatic Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Clinical Supervisor
- Contemplative Clinical Practice
Tracey provides both in-person counseling in Spokane Valley and secure telehealth for adults located anywhere in Washington State. The environment at Spokane Counseling Hub is designed to be warm, respectful, and affirming — with particular care for clients who have had difficult experiences in previous therapy or helping systems.
License: Washington LICSW (SWI.LW.70074199) · Idaho LCSW (LCSW 29825)
EMDR Training: Level I & Level II
Availability: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday (in person) + Telehealth across WA & ID
Rate: $175 per session
Education: Master of Social Work, Smith College
Start EMDR Therapy in Spokane, Washington
If you live in Spokane, Spokane Valley, or the surrounding Eastern Washington communities and are ready to move toward healing from trauma or PTSD, EMDR therapy can be a powerful step forward. Contact Spokane Counseling Hub to schedule a consultation with Tracey Sutton today.
Tracey is currently accepting new clients for EMDR therapy in person in Spokane (Monday, Wednesday & Thursday) and via telehealth throughout Washington and Idaho. Rate: $175 per session