EMDR Therapy in Colorado
When Talking About It Isn’t Enough
Some experiences don’t process the way ordinary memories do. They stay lodged — vivid, charged, close — showing up as flashbacks, nightmares, a body that won’t stop bracing, or a nervous system that treats the present like the past is still happening.
EMDR was designed for exactly this.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is one of the most extensively researched trauma treatments in the world. It is endorsed by the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a first-line treatment for PTSD.
And unlike traditional talk therapy, it doesn’t require you to retell your story in detail to heal from it.
How EMDR Works
Traumatic memories often get stored differently than ordinary ones — fragmented, emotionally charged, and disconnected from the parts of your brain that know you’re safe now. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — typically guided eye movements — to help your brain reprocess those memories the way it processes ordinary experiences.
The result is not forgetting what happened. It’s that what happened no longer has the same grip on you. The memory becomes something that belongs to the past — not something that keeps pulling you back into it.
Sessions are structured and paced to your window of tolerance. You remain in control throughout.
Who Melissa Works With
Melissa Perry, MA, LPC, LCPC has spent more than 20 years using EMDR with trauma survivors, first responders, SANE nurses, ER clinicians, military personnel, and individuals who have tried other forms of therapy and still felt like something was being left unfinished.
She understands the culture of helping professions — the barriers to seeking care, the particular flavor of trauma that comes from witnessing others’ pain, and the courage it takes to finally turn that same care inward.
EMDR sessions are available via telehealth for Colorado, Kansas and Missouri residents.
What EMDR Treats
PTSD and complex PTSD
First responder trauma and moral injury
Sexual assault and childhood trauma
Anxiety and panic disorders
Phobias and performance anxiety
Grief and complicated loss
Medical trauma
Attachment wounds and relational trauma
What makes Melissa genuinely exceptional is the breadth and depth of what she offers in one practice. She provides EMDR for trauma and PTSD, somatic therapy, ACT, CBT, DBT, and ERP for OCD — and she is one of very few licensed providers in the region offering psilocybin-assisted therapy and psychedelic integration services through Colorado's regulated program.
I refer clients to her specifically for treatment-resistant depression, complex PTSD, first responder trauma, moral injury, compassion fatigue, and cases where traditional approaches haven't moved the needle. Her background working with first responders, SANE nurses, ER clinicians, and healthcare workers is extensive, and her clinical instincts are exceptional.”
Google 5 Star Review: May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail during EMDR?
No. EMDR does not require you to narrate your experience the way traditional talk therapy does. You will identify the memory or experience being targeted, but the processing happens through bilateral stimulation — not through detailed retelling.
How many EMDR sessions will I need?
This varies significantly depending on the nature and complexity of what you’re working on. Some people experience meaningful shifts in a handful of sessions. Others with complex or layered trauma work with EMDR over a longer period. Melissa will discuss realistic expectations during your free consultation.
Can EMDR be combined with other therapies?
Yes — and at Soul Yoga Counseling it often is. Melissa integrates EMDR with somatic approaches, ACT, and where appropriate, natural medicine services, to address trauma from multiple angles.
Is EMDR available via telehealth?
Yes. Telehealth EMDR is effective and available to Kansas and Missouri residents. Colorado residents may choose either in-person or telehealth sessions.
I’m a first responder and I’m skeptical about therapy. Is EMDR different?
Many first responders find EMDR more tolerable than traditional talk therapy precisely because it doesn’t require extensive verbal processing. It is structured, evidence-based, and results-focused — which tends to resonate with people who are more comfortable with a clear protocol than open-ended conversation.
Melissa Perry, MA, LPC, LCPC, NMIT | Soul Yoga Counseling | (913) 390-3394