EMDR Theraphy in Bend, Oregon
My name is Sean Downes and I’m a Licensed Psychotherapist in Bend, Oregon offering EMDR Therapy to clients who are looking to heal past trauma, overcome anxiety, or resolve PTSD triggers that may be negatively impacting their daily lives. As a certified EMDR therapist, I’ve seen first hand the power of EMDR to generate healthier relationships, positive life goals and effective choices that turns lives around. Clients often experience a brand new outlook on life. An increase in self-confidence, self-awareness, happiness and joy.
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I am also a Certified Yoga Teacher which enables me to offer a unique and integrative approach that combines talk therapy and mind-body awareness, helping each individual balance their own core energy with their unique brain chemistry.
What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy that uses rapid back-and-forth movement of the eyes (bilateral stimulation) to help make memories of traumatic or stressful events less disturbing. Sometimes instead of eye movements, attention is moved from side to side by using sounds or touch.
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The goal is to reprocess distressing memories. Negative feelings and beliefs associated with these memories are separated and replaced with more positive responses.
How does EMDR Therapy work?
Before starting EMDR, the therapist and client create a treatment plan. Together, they set goals to work toward. Then, memories are reprocessed in a safe, supportive environment. The therapist and client will work through thoughts and feelings as they arise, and repeat the process until the memories no longer cause distress. The therapist then helps the client learn to respond to triggers in a more positive and objective way.
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The brain is naturally wired to help us recover from traumatic events and distressing memories. The healing process involves communication between a variety of brain regions, such as the hippocampus (memory-making center), amygdala (fear center), and prefrontal cortex (behavior center). In some people, events can be so traumatic that the event disrupts the normal flow of neural communication and memories get stuck, making you can feel like you are frozen in time. EMDR therapy helps you get unstuck by restoring the communication process.
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Find out if EMDR Therapy is right for you
EMDR Therapy can be a powerful tool to help you heal from the symptoms of emotional distress, trauma and other experiences that may be hindering your personal growth and happiness.
Psychotherapy Fees:
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Rates are $200 per 55-minute session.
Out-of-pocket expenses are determined by insurance or if you are self-pay.
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All appointments are ONLINE only.
Insurance Accepted:
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I accept PacificSource Commercial, First Choice, PacificSource Community Solutions, OHP and BlueCross / BlueShield. I also do provide Out of Network Billing for other insurance companies. If you are using your insurance benefits, please take the time to understand the nuances of your insurance plan (copays, deductibles, HSA, etc.) on the front end of your psychotherapy treatment.
I have had the pleasure of knowing Sean Dowes for more than ten years. He is a dedicated and compassionate professional whose innovative approach to counseling and therapy—blending talk with movement—has positively impacted the lives of many of my patients. He is an excellent resource and a trusted colleague.
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Dr. Mark Unverzagt
Who Can Benefit from EMDR Therapy?
EMDR is primarily used to treat people suffering from emotional trauma, but it is also being used for people struggling with other conditions. People with the following conditions may benefit from EMDR therapy:
PTSD
Depression
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Eating disorders
EMDR for PTSD?
EMDR can help those with PTSD process their traumatic memories and resolve them in order to relieve themselves of the distress and negative arousal that typically comes with the memories. Using EMDR therapy, a psychotherapist can help the brain heal itself in a natural manner.
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During EMDR therapy, you will be asked to give attention to your distressing memories, as well as the emotions and bodily sensations attached to them. While this is happening, you are asked to focus on external stimuli in the form of hand motions. Through the process of focusing on both your internal memories and external stimuli, you gradually build new associations throughout the course of the session. These new associations are typically positive, allowing you to move from the processing of negative, traumatic memories into dealing with positive ones, weakening the grip of the negative emotions and kick-starting normal brain processes.
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Although the exact way that EMDR affects the neurobiology of the brain is not known, it seems to alter long-lasting, negative memories that drag down the lives of those suffering from PTSD, by allowing the brain to process them in a healthier manner. After therapy is complete, you may no longer be overwhelmed by distressing emotions when traumatic memories are brought to mind—although you will still feel some stress, in the end these memories do not have the same debilitating effect on your emotional state.
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One of the biggest advantages of EMDR therapy is its promising effect on recovery time in those with PTSD. Many studies point to EMDR as being more rapid in its treatment of emotional trauma compared to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
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On its own, EMDR can be extremely effective at helping those with PTSD process their negative memories. However, in combination with other holistic therapies such as yoga and mindfulness meditation, you can create new, positive experiences to help you during the process of coming to terms with your negative emotions and dealing with them in a healthier manner. Other beneficial treatments that can promote positivity and healing during PTSD therapy include yoga, group therapy, and physical fitness classes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in combination with the faster-acting EMDR is also a very effective course of treatment.
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Living in fear of a traumatic past can eliminate the possibility of a healthy, positive future, and can thrust loved ones into a world of worry and hopelessness. As scary as this can be, understanding that the right treatment can help those suffering from PTSD cope with and eliminate this fear is the first step towards getting them help and loosening the grip that their past has on their present.
How is EMDR Different from CBT—and Why Might It Help When CBT Isn't Enough?
Many people are familiar with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It’s a great approach for understanding how our thoughts affect our feelings and behaviors—and for learning new ways to cope. CBT helps you identify negative thought patterns and replace them with more helpful ones.
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But what if you understand your thoughts logically and still feel stuck?
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That’s where EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can make a difference.
What Makes EMDR Unique?
While CBT works mostly through talking and thinking things through, EMDR focuses on how unprocessed memories from past experiences might still be affecting you today—emotionally, physically, and even subconsciously.
EMDR helps you:
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Feel less triggered by old memories
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Release emotional responses that feel “stuck”
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Naturally shift toward more empowering beliefs
How Is It Similar to CBT?
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Like CBT, EMDR is goal-oriented, evidence-based, and focused on helping you feel better in the present.
It also includes identifying negative beliefs (like “I’m not safe” or “I’m not good enough”) and replacing them with more helpful ones.
But EMDR Goes Deeper
Instead of just talking about the problem, EMDR helps your brain reprocess the memory itself—so it no longer causes the same emotional pain, body tension, or mental looping.
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Think of it as healing the root, not just trimming the branches.
When CBT Isn’t Enough...
If you've already tried talk therapy and still feel like:
You know what’s wrong but can’t stop reacting
Old trauma keeps showing up in new ways
You’re exhausted by overthinking
...then EMDR might be the next step in your healing journey.
It’s not about reliving trauma. It’s about releasing it—so you can move forward with more calm, clarity, and confidence.