EMDR Therapy for Adults in California

EMDR Therapy

Virtual trauma THerapy in California

Angel Tang, LMFT is a EMDR-trained trauma therapist. I am trained by Lisa Hayes, MSW, LISW-S at the Institute for Creative Mindfulness.

Whole-Person Healing

I honor your emotions, body, identity, and lived experiences. Together, we explore how trauma has impacted your nervous system, relationships, and patterns of coping. You can expect a space where your experiences are normalized, your body’s responses are met with compassion, and you can build greater body awareness, grounding, self-trust, and connection with yourself.

At your pace

In our work together, we go as deep as you are willing to go. Sometimes the work moves slowly, and sometimes it goes fast. I follow your lead by offering choices, asking for consent, and staying curious about what may be underneath your feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and patterns.
I believe all feelings are valid and meaningful, giving us important information about our needs and experiences. We will work together to trust your process.

Heal, Liberate & Empower

When you’re interested and ready, I also integrate Critical Race Theory, Liberation Psychology, and anti-oppressive and decolonial approaches into our work. These perspectives help us explore how culture, identity, power, racism, and systems of oppression may shape your experiences while supporting authentic self-expression, healthier relationships, social empowerment, and greater life fulfillment.
I believe healing and transformation happen through collaboration, curiosity, and feeling truly seen. I’m honored to walk alongside you and attune to your needs, growth, and healing journey.

EMDR FAQ

What is EMDR?

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a trauma therapy that can help you process experiences that still feel painful, overwhelming, or present—even when you know they happened a long time ago.

You may understand that something wasn’t your fault, yet still carry shame. You may know you’re safe now, but find yourself feeling anxious, guarded, disconnected, or afraid. You may struggle with thoughts like “I’m not good enough,” “I can’t trust myself,” or “Something is wrong with me.”

EMDR can help you gently work through these experiences so they don’t have to continue defining how you feel about yourself or your life.

I practice EMDR from a trauma-informed, decolonial, and anti-oppressive perspective, recognizing that our experiences are shaped not only by what happens to us personally, but also by our relationships, culture, identities, and the systems we live within.

What happens during an EMDR session?

EMDR isn’t about forcing yourself to relive your trauma.
We begin by building safety, getting to know your experiences, and developing ways to stay grounded. When you’re ready, I may guide you to focus on a memory, feeling, body sensation, or belief while using bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements.
You remain in control throughout the process. We can slow down, pause, or stop whenever you need.
You don’t have to push yourself past what feels manageable in order to heal.

How can EMDR help with trauma?

Trauma can change the way we experience safety, relationships, our bodies, and ourselves.

Sometimes the mind knows that the danger has passed, while the body still feels like it needs to protect you. EMDR can help process painful memories, emotions, body sensations, and beliefs that may still be affecting you and process the impacts of trauma that may still affect how they feel, relate, and move through the world.

You may have learned early on to stay quiet, take care of everyone else, avoid conflict, or disconnect from your own needs. You may now struggle with boundaries, people-pleasing, perfectionism, trust, or feeling worthy of care. We can gently explore these patterns without blaming you for the ways you learned to survive.

You don’t have to tell me everything that happened for your experience to be taken seriously. Your pace, boundaries, and sense of autonomy matter.

What does online EMDR look like?

I provide online EMDR therapy throughout California.

We will ensure you have a private and quiet space in our sessions together, and it is important you are in a place where you will not be interrupted during our sessions.

We’ll make sure you have the support and grounding strategies you need before beginning trauma processing, and explore the types of Bilateral stimulation you prefer, which can be guided virtually.

You don’t have to figure it all out before reaching out.

If you’re wondering whether EMDR might be a good fit, I offer a free 15-minute consultation. You can share as much or as little as you’d like, ask questions, and get a sense of whether working together feels right.

Can EMDR help with negative beliefs about yourself?

Trauma can leave us carrying painful beliefs such as:

“I’m not good enough.”
“I’m powerless.”
“I’m unlovable.”
“I don’t matter.”

Sometimes these beliefs come from experiences within our families or relationships. Sometimes they are shaped by racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, or other forms of oppression, which may become internalized and cuase further suffering.

An anti-oppressive approach allows us to gently ask: Where did I learn this about myself? And is it really mine to carry?

EMDR can help you process the experiences connected to these beliefs and begin developing a kinder, more authentic relationship with yourself.

Is EMDR right for everyone?

EMDR can be helpful for many people, but it isn’t right for everyone or at every point in therapy.

Therapy often begins with simply having a safe place to talk, understand what you’re experiencing, and exploring goals for your therapy journey. We may also incorporate mindfulness, self-compassion, Brainspotting, or other approaches depending on what feels supportive for you.

I don’t believe there is one right way to heal. Together, we can explore what healing means for you, taking your culture, identities, values, relationships, and lived experiences into account.

How I can help you...

My approach integrates Brainspotting and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), along with Liberation Psychology, Critical Race Theory, identity and belonging work, and exploration of the intersections of culture, race, gender, and sexuality. I incorporate somatic awareness, mindfulness, and self-compassion to help you notice how stress and trauma can be held in the body, while creating space to process difficult experiences and develop greater awareness of the patterns you may have learned or inherited.

Together, we explore how trauma, racism, oppression, family patterns, cultural experiences, and identities may shape the way you see yourself, relate to others, and experience your body and emotions.

Our sessions together help to put language to your experiences, process and heal trauma, understand intergenerational and learned patterns, challenge internalized oppressive beliefs, and reconnect with your identity and sense of belonging. I support you in developing greater self-compassion, resilience, agency, and liberating yourself to live more authentically—while reclaiming the parts of yourself, your culture, and your story that may have been silenced.

Call to schedule a 15 minutes phone consultation

619-719-5567

angel@crescentshorespsychotherapy.com

I live and work on unceded land of Kumeyaay Nation.
To learn more and join me in supporting Indigenous communities,
visit Native Governance Center, Museum of Us, and Native Lands.