Overview
Dr. Sara Liebert provides EMDR therapy in New York City for adolescents and adults living with trauma, PTSD and distressing memories that have not resolved through talk therapy. Sessions are available in person on the Upper West Side or online across New York and Connecticut. Call 917.782.0405 or schedule an appointment.
What Is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a structured, evidence-based treatment for trauma. Rather than requiring you to talk through a memory in detail repeatedly, EMDR works by activating the memory while introducing bilateral stimulation — usually guided eye movements.
The aim is not to erase what happened. It is to change how the memory is stored, so recalling it no longer produces the same physical and emotional response.
When EMDR Helps
EMDR is most often used for:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Single-incident trauma — an accident, assault or medical event
- Complex and childhood trauma
- Memories that intrude without warning
- Anxiety and phobias with a clear traumatic origin
- Grief that has become stuck
It is particularly useful where someone understands intellectually that they are safe now, but their body has not caught up.
How a Course of EMDR Works
History and preparation. Dr. Liebert takes a full history and establishes coping resources before any reprocessing begins. This phase matters — starting reprocessing without stabilization is how EMDR goes badly.
Assessment. You identify the target memory, the belief attached to it, and where you feel it physically.
Desensitization and reprocessing. Bilateral stimulation while holding the memory in mind, repeated in short sets until distress reduces.
Installation and body scan. A more adaptive belief is strengthened, and residual physical tension is addressed.
Closure and re-evaluation. Each session ends with you stable, and the next begins by checking what has held.
Is EMDR Right for Everyone?
No, and any practice claiming otherwise is overselling it.
EMDR is not appropriate for everyone, and suitability depends on your history, current stability and what you are hoping to address. Dr. Liebert assesses that honestly at consultation and will say if another approach fits better — individual therapy using CBT, or DBT where emotion regulation is the primary difficulty.
In Person or Online
Available in person in Manhattan and online across New York and Connecticut. Virtual EMDR uses the same protocol with adapted bilateral stimulation, and is well established.
The practice is out of network with all insurance plans, with superbills provided for out-of-network reimbursement.
Talk to Dr. Liebert
A licensed clinical and forensic psychologist trained in EMDR, DBT, CBT and TF-CBT, and an NYU adjunct professor. Inquiries answered within 24 hours.
What to Expect at the First Session
Nothing is reprocessed on day one. The first appointment covers your history, current stability and goals, and Dr. Liebert explains exactly how the protocol works before you agree to it.
Clients frequently arrive expecting something strange or uncomfortable. In practice it is structured, collaborative and entirely within your control — you can stop at any point.
Book a free consultation, read about Dr. Liebert, or explore clinical psychology services.