EMDR therapy for complex & attachment trauma · Online across Florida
EMDR therapy for adults who learned to handle it all alone.
My practice is built around one method, done carefully: EMDR, paced for complex and relational trauma. We build safety first, then reprocess what still runs your body and your relationships.
Usually replies within 1 business day
Annie Shapiro, MA
EMDR-trained · Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (FL IMH27288) · LGBTQ+ affirming
- EMDR · EMDRIA-trained · Member, EMDRIA
- Clinical hypnosis · Clinical Hypnosis I & II · ASCH
- Ego state therapy · Ego State Therapy I & II · ESTNA
- Supervised by · Caroline Perjessy, LMHC
Why the past still shows up
How early experiences become beliefs, and beliefs become symptoms.
The patterns you struggle with today usually made sense once. Here's the chain EMDR works on.
1 · What happened
Early experiences
Not always one big event. Often it's what happened again and again.
- A parent who was loving one day and unreachable the next
- Love that seemed to depend on being good, easy or impressive
- Being the one who held it together
- Hurt you had to handle on your own
2 · What you concluded
Negative beliefs
A child makes sense of it the only way they can, and the conclusion gets stored as a felt truth, not a thought.
- “I'm not enough.”
- “My needs are too much.”
- “I can't rely on anyone.”
- “I'm not safe.”
3 · How it shows up now
Today's symptoms
Years later, the belief still runs underneath, in your relationships and your body.
- Over-giving, perfectionism, never resting
- Keeping people at arm's length
- Panic, a tight chest, a body that won't settle
- Shame, shutting down in conflict
Why insight alone often isn't enough
These beliefs weren't mistakes. They were how you stayed safe. But the memories they came from were stored with the original fear and body sensations, still unprocessed. So a delayed text, a raised voice or a mistake at work can set them off as if it were happening now. You can know you're enough and still not feel it.
EMDR helps your brain finish processing those memories. When the memory loses its charge, the belief can update to something truer, like "I'm enough as I am" or "I can let people in", and the symptoms it was driving often ease too.
An example
A child whose parent was often overwhelmed learns to need nothing. The belief: "My needs are too much." As an adult she rarely asks for help, over-functions at work, and feels her chest tighten when she has to rely on someone. In EMDR we'd trace that feeling back, reprocess the memories underneath, and strengthen the belief she wants instead.
These aren't labels or diagnoses, just common experiences. Most people recognize a mix. If you're having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988.
The full EMDR protocol, at a pace your system can take.
EMDR has eight phases. With complex trauma, the early ones matter most, so we don't rush to reprocessing.
History & a map
We map the memories, beliefs and body responses that keep the pattern going.
Phase 1
Safety first
Calming tools, resourcing and parts work, so you can stay present when it gets hard.
Phase 2
Reprocessing
Bilateral stimulation, in small pieces, until the memory loses its charge.
Phases 3–7
Check & carry forward
We check what shifted and practise the new pattern in your relationships.
Phase 8
Who I help
High-achieving on the outside. Running on empty underneath.
- You over-give, then resent it
- Closeness feels risky, even when you want it
- Panic, shutdown or a body that never rests
- Talk therapy helped you understand it, not change it
About
I'm Annie.
I work with high-achieving adults carrying complex and attachment trauma: people who are capable, caring, and quietly running on empty. I was an elite athlete, and I live with chronic illness, so I know how good we can get at overriding our own needs.
My work combines EMDR, ego state and parts work, clinical hypnosis, and somatic approaches. Every part of you is welcome here.
More about meFree 15-minute call
Let's see if EMDR with me is a fit.
- 1Send the form. It takes about a minute.
- 2I reply within 1 business day with times.
- 3A 15-minute video or phone call, no pressure.
Online across Florida · $200 / 50 min · $325 / 90 min intensive · Private pay, superbills available