EMDR Therapy in Jackson, TN

Let’s rebuild your nervous system

Rediscover Your Self

“Because talking about it isn’t the same as unlearning it.”

Burn it all down

(the patriarchy, of course)

Are you someone who…

  • Carries work stress, burnout, or trauma in your body

  • Has a history of “pushing through” and doesn’t know how to slow down

  • Feels stuck in patterns you understand but can’t change

  • Notices that old memories and beliefs that no longer serve you are constantly on replay 

  • Is tired of being the Strong One even when your nervous system is overwhelmed

  • Trauma doesn’t have to keep you stuck.

EMDR helps you process the root so you can finally move forward.

You’re a great fit for EMDR if you understand your patterns, but your body hasn’t caught up to the healing you want. If you keep falling back into “be strong and handle it” mode, even when you’re tired, EMDR can help you shift what’s driving those reactions. If you’re carrying workplace stress, burnout, trauma, or old beliefs and memories that keep you stuck, this method helps you get to the root so you can finally feel regulated, rested, and in control again.

What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based, mind–body therapy that helps you heal the experiences your brain and nervous system never fully processed.

Instead of talking in circles about the same story, EMDR helps your brain reorganize the memories, beliefs, and body responses that have been keeping you stuck.

If you’ve ever thought, “I understand why I am this way…but I can’t change it,” EMDR is designed for that exact moment.

Rediscover Your Self

The Approach

My approach combines EMDR with a trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens that honors the stories Black women carry.

The pressure to be strong, the weight of overwork, the impact of racism, and the expectations you never consented to.

Here’s how this method supports your goals:

  • We target the beliefs that keep you stuck, not just the symptoms.

  • We work with the nervous system, so you can feel regulated and grounded again.

  • We interrupt the “push through” reflex that shows up even when you’re tired.

  • We help your brain release old patterns, so you can show up differently in the present.

  • We build safety in your body, so rest, ease, and emotional freedom feel possible.

    Whether your goal is to stop overworking, heal career trauma, sleep better, set boundaries, or simply feel more like yourself — EMDR helps you create real, lasting change from the inside out.

Dr Cecily Moore sits, smiling at the camera, as she leans one arm down on the couch below her, and one arm drapes across her lap

What to Expect With EMDR Therapy

EMDR is an 8-phase, structured therapy model — but it’s also deeply personal. My approach blends clinical precision with a culturally responsive, Womanist lens, so you feel supported, prepared, and never rushed.

Here’s what the process looks like:

  • History + Understanding Your Story (Phase 1)

    We explore what’s brought you here: stress, trauma, overwork, identity-based wounds, and patterns you want to shift.
    This isn’t about retelling every detail — it’s about identifying the moments, messages, and beliefs your nervous system is still holding.

  • Preparation + Building Safety (Phase 2)

    Before we do any processing, we make sure your body feels steady enough for this work. You’ll learn grounding skills, nervous-system regulation tools, and ways to calm your body when survival mode kicks in. This phase is especially important for Black women who’ve been taught to always “push through.”

  • Identifying the Target (Phase 3)

    Together, we map the memory, belief, emotion, and body sensations connected to the issue you want to work on — whether it’s work trauma, chronic stress, burnout, or early experiences that shaped your “strong one” identity.

  • Reprocessing the Memory (Phases 4–6)

    This is the heart of EMDR. Using bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements or tapping), your brain begins to reprocess what got stuck.

    What you may notice during this part:

    - memories moving or shifting

    - emotions changing intensity

    - new insights or beliefs emerging

    - your body starting to relax or release tension

    This is your brain doing the work it was designed to do.

  • Installing the New Beliefs (Phase 5)

    As your brain reprocesses the old material, new beliefs begin to take shape — things like:

    “I don’t have to be strong all the time.”

    “I’m allowed to rest.”

    “I am safe.”

    “I can let myself have ease.”

    We reinforce these until they feel real in your body, not just in your mind.

  • Body Scan (Phase 6)

    Your body often holds the last pieces of a trauma response.
    We check for leftover tension, stress, or activation and help your system fully settle.

  • Closure + Return to Regulation (Phase 7)

    We never end a session with you feeling overwhelmed or open-ended. You’ll leave each session grounded, calm, and with tools you can use outside the therapy room.

  • Reassessment (Phase 8)

    At the start of the next session, we review how things landed.

    We look at what shifted, what feels different, and where your nervous system is now.

EMDR Therapy Can Help You

  • Identify the beliefs and experiences that keep you in “be strong, push through” mode

  • Reduce the emotional weight of old memories, trauma, and workplace stress

  • Shift your nervous system from activated to regulated

  • Rebuild a relationship with rest that feels safe, not guilty

  • Reprocess painful experiences so they stop controlling your reactions

  • Unlearn the Strong Black Woman conditioning you never chose

  • Trust your body’s signals instead of ignoring or overriding them

  • Improve your ability to make decisions from calm instead of stress

  • Develop new beliefs rooted in worthiness, safety, and self-trust

  • Create internal space for joy, pleasure, and peace — not just productivity

Common questions about EMDR

  • A:

    No. One of the benefits of EMDR is that you don’t have to retell every detail of what happened. You only need to share enough for me to understand the memory or belief we’re targeting. EMDR focuses on how the memory is stored in your brain and body — not on retelling the story.

  • Q: A: Not at all. EMDR is effective for both “big T” trauma (assault, accidents, major losses) and “small t” trauma (chronic stress, workplace trauma, racism, emotional neglect, perfectionism, pressure to be strong). Many of my clients come in because of long-term overwhelm and burnout, not one single event.

  • Q: A: My job is to make sure you feel safe and grounded the entire time. We use regulation tools, grounding skills, and a structured EMDR protocol to keep the process manageable. If things feel too intense, we pause, slow down, and help your body return to regulation. You are always in control of the process.

EMDR is especially effective for professional women navigating:

Work & Career-Related Trauma

  • Toxic workplace environments

  • Microaggressions & racialized stress

  • High-pressure helping professions (therapists, educators, caregivers)

  • Leaving or recovering from a harmful job

Strong Black Woman Narrative & Identity-Based Wounds

  • Over-functioning and emotional labor

  • Guilt around rest, slowing down, or asking for help

  • Pressure to be capable, unshakeable, or self-sacrificing

  • Trauma stored in the body from years of over-performance

Trauma From Early Experiences & Family Dynamics

  • Childhood emotional neglect or parentification

  • Attachment wounds

  • Internalized beliefs like “I have to handle everything myself”

Anxiety, Overthinking, & High-Functioning Stress

  • Fear of disappointing others

  • Feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities

  • Difficulty slowing down without feeling guilty

Grief & Loss

  • Complicated grief

  • Loss of identity after leaving a job or role

  • Emotional losses tied to caregiving or burnout

  • Ambiguous loss (losing yourself, losing time, losing ease)

Your wellbeing is worth the time, the care, and the healing you’ve been putting off.

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