EMDR Therapy San Diego CA | Alexa Hall, LCSW
For Healing Beyond Talk Therapy
EMDR Therapy in San Diego
When Your Mind and Body Will Not Let You Rest
Alexa Hall LCSW EMDR Therapist San Diego
You wake up feeling unsettled and frustrated because your nights are rarely restful. You lie awake, trying to quiet your thoughts, wishing your body would just relax and drift into sleep. But rest feels like a distant memory. When you finally do fall asleep, nightmares or jolts of panic often wake you, restarting the cycle all over again. You move through your days irritated, running on empty, wondering how long you can keep pushing through.
You find yourself trapped in negative thoughts.
Cycles of dizzying pessimism and catastrophizing. Painful memories show up uninvited, leaving you flooded and distracted. You feel disconnected from yourself and the people you care about, like you are watching your own life from the outside. You notice yourself snapping more often, frustrated and short-tempered, then feeling guilty afterward. Family and friends may say you seem distant, not like your old self, and that only adds to your guilt. You want to change that, but no matter what you try, nothing sticks.
Your body tells the same story.
Always tense, always braced for something bad to happen. The headaches, the upset stomach, the sore shoulders that never quite relax, it is like your whole system is still waiting for danger.
You forget things, lose focus, and can not seem to stay organized. You no longer feel drawn to the things that once made you happy.
You have tried talk therapy before, but it did not seem to help.
It felt like rehashing old pain without real change. Sometimes you wonder if this is just who you are now. Anxious, tired, numb, and beyond repair.
But deep down, there is still a part of you that wants more. You want something that actually works, something that helps you finally feel safe in your body and your life. You want a reset, not just coping. You need lasting change and to feel like you again.
EMDR Therapy in San Diego, CA: A Path Through Trauma and Anxiety
Move out of survival mode and into a life of calm
I am Alexa Hall, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (CA #131070), an EMDR Therapist in San Diego. I help adults who have lived through traumatic experiences move out of survival mode and into a life of calm, confidence, and connection.
It’s not all on you to figure it out anymore
Many of my clients come to me exhausted and skeptical. They have tried other forms of therapy and worry nothing will help. In our first session, I often hear thoughts like, “I’ve been in therapy before, but it wasn’t for me. It didn’t really change anything,” or, “I do not know if this person is going to be able to handle all this.” Clients also often say, “I don’t want to be going to therapy for years.” And I agree. That is the beauty of the interventions I use. They are effective and typically faster than traditional talk therapy.
As we begin breaking things down into manageable steps, something shifts.
Clients tell me they feel relieved, like they finally have a place to start.
We begin mapping out where you want to be on day one, and we check your progress weekly to make sure we are moving toward your goals.
I use a bottom-up approach
I help you understand the changes in your brain and nervous system that occurred from your difficult life experiences. Often times, when a traumatic event occurs, our cognitive processing , rational brain shuts off and we are surviving in “reptilian brain” mode. Therefore, the changes that need to occur in order for your brain and body to heal must happen at that level. which is why talk therapy doesn’t shift the meter much for many folks. The work starts in the body. I use somatic techniques that help you shift into safety so you can do the mental and emotional work.
EMDR Therapy and somatic techniques
Which help your brain and body heal without you having to relive the trauma. These evidence-based methods allow us to work directly with your nervous system, helping you reprocess painful experiences safely and gently. The goal is not to erase the past, but to loosen its grip on your present so you can live more freely now.
What happens to the memory?
The story of what happened does not disappear, but it transforms.
The fear, shame, or helplessness that once felt unbearable begin to settle as your brain and body learn that the danger has passed and that you are safe now. Over time, small shifts build into something greater. You start saying no without guilt. You care for yourself as someone who matters.
You remember, but you no longer relive.
Clients often describe the change this way: “The memory is still there, but it feels faded, like an old film reel. It is no longer happening in the here and now.” Another shared, after a recent EMDR session, “It happened. And I can view it from a different perspective. I am experiencing it with my current age emotions and not from when it was actually happening.”
You feel seen, maybe for the first time in a long while, and there is more room to breathe and connect.
Clients describe this transformation as moving from chaos to clarity, from restlessness to calm, from numbness to joy. They rediscover what it feels like to laugh easily, to feel safe in their own skin, and to believe that peace is possible. Memories remain, but they lose their sharpness. Life feels spacious, steady, and connected again.
Begin Your Healing with an EMDR Therapist in San Diego
If you are ready for lasting, sustainable change.
Schedule your free consult to begin moving toward the life you want to live.
You do not have to keep pushing through alone.
FAQs About EMDR Therapy in San Diego
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I offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in San Diego, CA through Trailstone Therapy. I see clients both in person and online throughout California, including La Mesa, Mission Valley, and East County San Diego. If you are not sure whether your location works, feel free to reach out and we can figure it out together.
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I accept Medicare, Aetna and Aetna EAP.
The private pay rate is $200 for a 50-minute session.
Extended EMDR processing sessions are available. Please inquire directly for rates.
I offer a limited number of sliding-scale appointments based on financial need.
I encourage you to reach out to Trailstone Therapy directly so we can talk through your specific situation. Book your free consult today.
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EMDR uses guided bilateral stimulation, like side-to-side eye movements, to help your brain reprocess distressing memories that feel stuck. Over time, those memories lose their emotional charge. I also draw on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) so we are working on both the body's trauma response and the thought patterns that keep anxiety going.
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I primarily use EMDR with adults and older adults who are dealing with trauma and anxiety, including difficult life events, age-related transitions, and memories that still feel raw years later. If something from your past keeps showing up in your present, EMDR is often a good place to start.
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I am a licensed clinical social worker, LCSW 131070, and EMDR is one of my core evidence-based approaches at Trailstone Therapy. I use it alongside CBT so treatment is grounded in what research actually supports. I work specifically with adults and older adults navigating trauma, anxiety, and significant life transitions.
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No. In EMDR, you remain in control at all times. We identify the target memories together, and the reprocessing happens internally. You will not be asked to go into full detail unless you choose to. Healing happens through your brain’s natural ability to process, not through retelling.
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Your first sessions are not about jumping straight into processing. We spend that time building trust, understanding your history, and making sure you have grounding tools in place before we go anywhere difficult. I want you to feel genuinely safe before we move into the EMDR work itself, so we never rush that foundation.
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You can contact me through my website, email Alexa@trailstonetherapy.com or call (619) 688-8303 to schedule a free consultation. In our first meeting, we will discuss your goals, answer your questions, and decide together what next steps feel right for you.