How EMDR Therapy Can Inspire Post-Traumatic Growth
As a trauma therapist practicing in Pasadena, California, I’ve had the honor of walking alongside clients as they process the deep and often overwhelming pain of trauma. But more than that, I’ve witnessed something even more extraordinary—how the human spirit, when given the space and support it needs, can transform that pain into something profoundly meaningful.
This transformation is known as post-traumatic growth—and one of the most powerful tools I use to help clients access this growth is EMDR therapy.
What Is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s an evidence-based psychotherapy originally developed to help people process and heal from trauma. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn’t require clients to recount every detail of a traumatic memory. Instead, it works by activating the brain’s natural healing processes through bilateral stimulation—typically eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones—while the client focuses on distressing memories, thoughts, or sensations.
Through a structured eight-phase approach, EMDR helps to reprocess painful memories so they lose their emotional charge. But beyond symptom relief, something else begins to happen: a shift in identity, in beliefs, in one’s sense of self and possibility. This is where post-traumatic growth begins.
What Is Post-Traumatic Growth?
Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is the positive psychological change that can occur as a result of struggling with highly challenging life circumstances. It’s not about “getting over it” or pretending the trauma didn’t happen. Rather, it’s about integrating the experience in a way that ultimately leads to a deeper appreciation for life, stronger relationships, greater resilience, and a clearer sense of purpose or spirituality.
Some common areas of post-traumatic growth include:
Increased compassion and empathy for others
A greater appreciation for life
Closer, more meaningful relationships
New possibilities or life directions
Enhanced spiritual connection or existential understanding
A deeper sense of inner strength
Not everyone experiences these shifts right away—or even at all—but EMDR can be a powerful catalyst for people who are ready to move from survival to growth.
How EMDR Supports Growth, Not Just Recovery
In my Pasadena practice, many clients come to EMDR feeling broken, stuck, or haunted by experiences they don’t yet have words for. They’ve done their best to cope—sometimes for years. Some have tried therapy before, others are new to it. What they all share is a yearning to feel whole again, even if they’re not sure what that looks like.
What I love about EMDR is that it meets clients exactly where they are. We begin by building internal resources—creating a felt sense of safety, grounding, and self-regulation. We use imagery, breathwork, and somatic awareness to reconnect the mind and body. Only when a solid foundation is in place do we begin processing the trauma.
As the work unfolds, something beautiful happens: a shift from surviving to thriving.
Clients often start noticing subtle changes—less reactivity, more confidence, a sense of peace where anxiety used to live. Old narratives like “I’m not safe,” or “I’m unlovable” begin to soften, making room for new beliefs like “I can trust myself” or “I have value.”
And from this new vantage point, many begin to ask: What’s possible for me now?
That’s the doorway to post-traumatic growth.
A Client’s Story (Shared with Permission)
One of my clients, whom I’ll call Maria, came to me after surviving domestic abuse. She was strong, intelligent, and high-functioning on the outside—but inside, she carried immense fear, shame, and self-doubt. Through EMDR, we worked to process the traumatic memories that kept her locked in a pattern of hypervigilance and self-blame.
With time, Maria began to see the abuse not as a reflection of her worth, but as something she had survived. She reclaimed her voice, redefined her boundaries, and began speaking openly about her experiences in a support group for survivors. Today, she’s applying to graduate school to become a therapist herself.
Maria didn’t just “recover”—she grew. She turned pain into purpose, and EMDR was a major part of that journey.
EMDR and the Pasadena Community
Pasadena is a vibrant, diverse city with a strong sense of community. But like any place, it’s also home to people carrying invisible wounds—whether from childhood trauma, racialized stress, medical trauma, loss, violence, or identity-based harm. In such a fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel like you have to carry your pain alone.
But healing doesn’t happen in isolation. EMDR provides a relational, client-centered framework that honors the whole person—not just the diagnosis or the symptoms. It works with the brain, the body, and the spirit, inviting each to play a role in the healing process.
For residents of Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area who are seeking something more than symptom management—who want to feel empowered, resilient, and transformed—EMDR offers a pathway forward.
You Deserve to Heal—and to Grow
If you’ve experienced trauma, I want you to know this: your story doesn’t end with what happened to you. Healing is possible. Growth is possible. You don’t have to settle for merely coping when thriving is within reach.
Start EMDR Therapy in Pasadena, CA
Whether you’re just beginning your trauma recovery journey or you’re feeling called to explore what’s next, EMDR with Thomas Blake Therapy can help. And if you’re in the Pasadena area and looking for a trauma-informed therapist who sees you not as a problem to be fixed but as a whole human being with unlimited capacity for growth—I’d be honored to walk that path with you. You can start your therapy journey by following these simple steps:
Contact me today to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
Meet with trained therapist Thomas Blake
Start growing from past trauma!
Other Services Offered at Thomas Blake Therapy
At Thomas Blake Therapy, I understand that you may experience concerns with more than one mental health issue. This is why I’m happy to provide support through EMDR Therapy and other services, including LGBTQ -affirming therapy to support and advocate for the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals. I also offer Narrative Therapy, where I will work collaboratively with you to dissect the problematic story of your life and reshape that dialogue. In addition, I’m happy to offer Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy to accelerate healing in patients who have struggled to heal from chronic emotional pain due to treatment resistance. If any of these services resonate with you, please reach out. My online therapy services are offered in California and New Jersey. For more about me and my services, check out my Bio and Blog today!
