EMDR Therapy in Houston for PTSD and Childhood Trauma
EMDR is a structured, eight-phase approach to reprocessing memories the nervous system never finished filing. At Connect Clinical Services it sits alongside Brainspotting, somatic therapy and neurofeedback in one practice, so the approach can change without you starting over with a new provider.
Private pay, $125 to $225 per session depending on clinician. We do not bill insurance. Superbills provided on request, and what your plan reimburses depends on your coverage.
EMDR trained clinicians
16+ years in trauma work
Before You Call
Whether this is worth your time, stated first
Plenty of practices make you book a call to find out you are in the wrong place. Here is the honest filter, up front, so you can stop reading if the answer is no.
Likely a fit
- You are paying out of pocket, or you are willing to, at $125 to $225 a session.
- Something specific happened, or kept happening, and it still has a grip on you.
- You have done talk therapy, you understand your patterns, and understanding them has not been enough.
- You want the option to move between EMDR, Brainspotting, somatic work and neurofeedback without changing practices.
- You are in or near Houston, or anywhere in Texas if you want to work by telehealth.
Probably not a fit
- You need a practice that bills your insurance directly. We do not, and we will not pretend otherwise.
- You are looking for medication management. We do not prescribe.
- You need same-day crisis care. If you are in immediate danger, call or text 988.
- You want a diagnosis on a first phone call. That call is about fit and options, nothing clinical.
- You are shopping on price alone. There are lower-cost options in Houston and we will name them for you.
The Method
What EMDR actually is, without the hype
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. The short version: some memories get stored badly. The event ends, but the nervous system files it as still happening, which is why a smell, a tone of voice or a date on the calendar can put you back there with your body reacting as though no time has passed.
EMDR pairs brief, focused attention on that memory with bilateral stimulation, usually guided eye movements, alternating tones or taps. You are awake, in control, and you do not have to narrate the event in detail to work on it. The aim is that the memory stops carrying the same charge, not that it disappears.
It is a protocol, not a conversation. There are eight phases, and the first two are preparation, not processing. A clinician who starts reprocessing on session one is skipping the part that keeps you steady.
“What we’re working with is how trauma gets stuck in our nervous system.”
Guy Bender, LPC, Clinical Director
What EMDR is not
It is not hypnosis, it is not a way of erasing memory, and it is not fast for everyone. Single-incident trauma in an otherwise steady adult sometimes moves in a handful of sessions. Complex trauma that started in childhood usually does not, and any provider promising you a session count before meeting you is guessing.
How It Runs
Four stages, and preparation comes first
The formal protocol has eight phases. Grouped into what you will actually experience, it looks like this.
History and targets
What happened, what is happening now, and which memories are carrying the load. This is also where we decide whether EMDR is the right first move or whether something steadier should come first.
Preparation
Regulation skills before any reprocessing. You need a reliable way back to calm before we go anywhere near the material. For some clients this is one session. For others it is several, and that is not a delay.
Reprocessing
Short sets of bilateral stimulation while you hold the target in mind, checking in between sets. You stay in charge of the pace and can stop at any point. Sessions close in a settled state, never mid-processing.
Re-evaluation
Each new session starts by checking what held. Progress is tracked with validated measures such as the PCL-5, PHQ-9 and GAD-7, so you can see what moved rather than take our word for it.
Weekly sessions or an intensive
Standard EMDR runs as a weekly 50-minute session. An intensive compresses the same work into multi-hour blocks over a few days, which suits people who cannot protect a weekly hour or who want to work on one contained event. Intensives are quoted per plan. See how intensives work.
What We Use It For
Where EMDR does the heaviest lifting here
EMDR is not right for everyone and it is not the only tool here. These are the presentations it is most often used for at Connect Clinical Services, and where the research base is strongest.
| What brings people in | How EMDR is used |
|---|---|
| PTSD | The presentation EMDR was developed for and the one with the deepest evidence base. Targets are usually specific: the event, the moment it turned, the aftermath. |
| Complex and childhood trauma | Longer preparation, more attention to regulation, and often a slower sequence. This is where neurofeedback sometimes runs first, so there is enough stability to process at all. |
| Panic and anxiety | When panic traces back to identifiable events rather than free-floating worry, those events become the targets. When it does not, we say so and suggest something else. |
| Sexual assault and relational trauma | EMDR does not require you to narrate the event in detail, which is often the reason people choose it over exposure-based approaches. |
| Grief and loss | Used for the images and moments that will not settle, particularly sudden or traumatic loss. It is not a substitute for grieving. |
| First responder, medical and birth trauma | Events with a clear before and after, often with a shift-work or caregiving context that makes an intensive format more practical than weekly sessions. |
Your EMDR Team
Who does the work, by name and by licence
Every clinician here is named, licensed in Texas, and independently checkable. Associate-level clinicians practice under a named board-approved supervisor, stated on their bio.
Guy Bender, LPC
Clinical Director and Owner
More than 16 years in trauma work, beginning as a trauma specialist at a treatment center in Arizona. He trained with Richard Schwartz, who founded Internal Family Systems, and Peter Levine, who originated Somatic Experiencing.
He is the person deciding what belongs in your plan and in what order, including when EMDR should wait and something steadier should come first.
The rest of the EMDR bench
All EMDR trained, all Texas licensed
Shannon has more than 30 years in the field across research, detox, residential and private practice, and holds a clinical supervisor certification. Marina works from a family-systems lens and built the Recovery Intensive Outpatient Program at The Menninger Clinic. Sarah pairs EMDR with Somatic Experiencing and narrative work. Vanessa combines EMDR with DBT and neurofeedback.
Fees differ by clinician, from $125 to $225. Which of them you see is a matching decision, made on the consult call, not a menu you pick blind.
Tyler Lemmons, LMSW, practices under the clinical supervision of Shannon Tantillo, LCSW-S. See every bio and license →
Cost and Payment
What it costs, printed rather than promised on a call
Connect Clinical Services is private pay. We do not bill insurance, and we would rather you learn that here than on the phone.
| Service | Length | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Initial consultation, phone or Zoom | 15 minutes | No charge |
| EMDR or psychotherapy session | 45 to 50 minutes | $125 to $225 depending on clinician |
| EMDR or trauma intensive | 2+ hours | Quoted per plan |
About superbills
You pay at the time of service and we email you a superbill with the codes your insurer needs. You submit it. What comes back, if anything, depends on your plan’s out-of-network benefit, and that is a matter between you and your insurer. We will not tell you what to expect, because we do not control it. How out-of-network benefits work.
HSA and FSA cards are accepted. A need-based sliding scale exists for limited availability and can be asked about on the consult call. The full per-clinician rate card is published at our costs.
What Our Clients Say
Published reviews from Houston clients
Published reviews from Google. We do not offer anything in exchange for a review, and we never confirm who is or was a client.
“This is a great center for helping people with various issues, utilizing EMDR and other forms of neurofeedback and therapy! Great resource here in Houston.”
EMDR client, Google review
“My mind continues to improve processing abilities and become more efficient with each passing week. I HIGHLY recommend working with Connect Clinical Services and their team! Don’t hesitate, you will not regret it.”
Neurofeedback client, Google review
“Best collegiality ever! I really enjoy going and make a point to put it in my schedule.”
Group therapy client, Google review
4.8 stars from 23+ reviews on Google. Read all reviews
Not sure whether EMDR is the right starting point?
That is what the call is for. Fifteen minutes with a member of our care team. We listen to what is going on, talk through the options, and match you with the clinician best suited to you and your budget. If we are not the right fit, we will say so and point you somewhere better.
(713) 564-5146 • 8100 Washington Ave, Suite 170, Houston TX 77007
What To Expect
Your first step, described honestly
Your first step is a short call with a member of our care team. There is nothing to prepare and nothing to commit to. In about 15 minutes we listen to what is going on, help you understand your options, and match you with the clinician whose training and approach fit your situation. It is not a clinical session, you will not be diagnosed, and you will not leave with a treatment plan. You will leave knowing what we would suggest as a next step.
Practical details
EMDR is available in person at 8100 Washington Ave, Suite 170, on the west end of Washington Ave near Memorial Park, with on-site parking, and by telehealth anywhere in Texas. Connect Clinical Services is private pay and does not bill insurance. We provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement, and what your plan reimburses depends on your coverage.
Session count varies more than any provider can honestly predict in advance. Single-incident trauma sometimes moves in a small number of sessions. Complex trauma that began in childhood generally takes longer, and preparation is part of the work rather than a delay before it.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions about EMDR in Houston
Does EMDR work?
How many sessions will I need?
Do I have to describe what happened in detail?
Do you take insurance?
Can EMDR be done by telehealth?
What is an EMDR intensive?
Is EMDR safe if I have complex trauma?
What happens on the free call?
Start with a conversation, not a commitment
If you have done therapy, you understand your patterns, and the reaction still fires anyway, the missing piece may not be insight. EMDR works on the storage, not the story.
Request a call, and our care team aims to call you back the same business day.
In-person EMDR serving the Washington Corridor, the Heights, River Oaks, West University, Bellaire, Tanglewood, Memorial, Montrose, Upper Kirby, Woodland Heights, Rice Village, Galleria, Braeswood Place and Southside Place. Telehealth EMDR available anywhere in Texas, including Sugar Land, Katy, The Woodlands and Pearland.
Reviewed by Guy Bender, LPC, Clinical Director of Connect Clinical Services, August 2026. This page is educational and is not a substitute for clinical assessment. Individual results vary. If you are in immediate danger or crisis, call or text 988, or go to your nearest emergency room.
