Somatic & Attachment-Focused EMDR Therapy | Fort Collins, CO | Heal, Grow, & Thrive Therapy

You know the past is the past. But your body doesn't always get the memo.

A song comes on and your chest tightens. A familiar tone of voice and your stomach drops. A moment of conflict in a relationship and suddenly you're not just reacting to now — you're reliving then. This isn't weakness. This is what trauma does. It gets trapped in the body, stored in the nervous system, and keeps you locked in a loop of reliving the past even when you desperately want to move forward.

EMDR therapy was designed specifically to break that cycle.

I'm Kristen Goltz, LMFT, a trauma therapist in Fort Collins, CO specializing in Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR. I offer EMDR therapy in-person in Fort Collins and virtually throughout Colorado and Florida — helping self-aware adults finally process and release the traumatic memories that have been keeping them stuck.

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WHAT IS EMDR THERAPY?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one of the most extensively researched and effective treatments for trauma available today. Recognized by the World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association, and the Department of Defense, EMDR has helped millions of people worldwide heal from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and relational wounds.

Here's the science behind why it works:

When we experience trauma, the memory doesn't always get processed the way ordinary memories do. Instead of moving into long-term memory storage in the prefrontal cortex — where it can be recalled as something that happened in the past — traumatic memories can become trapped in the amygdala, the brain's alarm system. The amygdala doesn't distinguish between past and present. So when something triggers a traumatic memory, your brain and body respond as if the threat is happening right now. This is why flashbacks feel so real. This is why certain situations send you into fight, flight, or freeze even when you're technically safe.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — typically eye movements, but sometimes tapping or audio tones — to help your brain do what it couldn't do at the time of the trauma: fully process the memory and move it from the amygdala into the prefrontal cortex, where it can be stored as a memory rather than a live threat. The memory doesn't disappear — but it loses its emotional charge. What once made you panic, shut down, or spiral becomes something that happened, no longer hijacking your present life.

WHAT MAKES MY APPROACH DIFFERENT: SOMATIC & ATTACHMENT-FOCUSED EMDR

Not all EMDR is the same. I am trained in Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR — a specialized approach that goes deeper than standard EMDR by incorporating two additional dimensions of healing: the body and your closest relationships.

The Somatic Piece: Trauma Lives in the Body

Somatic therapy recognizes that trauma isn't just stored in our minds — it lives in our bodies. You may not even have words for what happened, but your body remembers. The tension that creeps into your shoulders in certain situations. The pit in your stomach when you're about to have a difficult conversation. The clenching in your jaw when you feel criticized. The way your chest closes off when someone gets too close.

In Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR, we pay careful attention to these body-based signals throughout our work together. Rather than bypassing what's happening physically, we use somatic awareness as a doorway into the trauma — noticing where it lives in your body, how it moves, and when it releases. This body-based approach is especially powerful for clients whose trauma has never fully responded to talk therapy, because we're working at the level where the trauma is actually stored.

The Attachment Piece: Healing Relational Wounds

Attachment-Focused EMDR recognizes something that is central to my practice: the most impactful trauma often happens in our closest relationships. Not always through dramatic single events, but through the accumulated experience of feeling unseen, unsafe, or unworthy in the relationships that were supposed to be our foundation.

This kind of relational trauma — whether from childhood, family dynamics, or adult relationships — leaves lasting imprints that show up in our present-day lives and connections in ways we may not even recognize:

Difficulty trusting yourself or others in relationships
Struggling to communicate your needs without fear of rejection or abandonment
An inner critic that is relentlessly harsh and hard to quiet
A deep sense of shame or feeling like a burden to the people you love
Patterns of attracting relationships that feel familiar but ultimately painful
Shutting down emotionally or becoming overwhelmed when conflict arises

Attachment-Focused EMDR works directly with these relational wounds — not just the memories themselves, but the negative beliefs about yourself that formed alongside them. Beliefs like "I am not enough," "I am unlovable," "I am a burden," or "I cannot trust anyone." Through EMDR processing, we work to replace these negative beliefs with more accurate, positive ones — so that when you remember difficult events, you no longer feel the shame, tension, and pain that have been attached to them. The memory remains, but the charge is gone.

THE 8 PHASES OF EMDR THERAPY

EMDR is a structured, 8-phase treatment protocol — which means our work together follows a clear, thoughtful process designed to create safety before we ever begin processing traumatic memories.

Phase 1: History & Treatment Planning We get to know each other and map out your history, current concerns, and goals for treatment. I begin to understand which memories and experiences are most impacting your present-day life.

Phase 2: Preparation Before any trauma processing begins, we build your capacity to handle difficult emotions and memories. This includes developing internal resources and coping skills, and — because I integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS) into my EMDR practice — making sure all parts of you feel informed and ready for the work ahead. No part of you will be surprised or steamrolled. We move forward only when your whole system is on board.

Phase 3: Assessment We identify the specific memory or experience to process, the negative belief it created about you, and the positive belief you'd like to replace it with. We also notice where you feel it in your body.

Phases 4-7: Processing & Installation This is the heart of EMDR work. Using bilateral stimulation, we help your brain process the traumatic memory — moving it from the amygdala into long-term memory storage where it can rest as the past. As processing occurs, the emotional charge attached to the memory decreases, and the positive belief becomes more true and more felt.

Phase 8: Reevaluation At the start of each new session, we check in on previous work — making sure the processing has held and assessing what to address next.

HOW IFS AND EMDR WORK TOGETHER

One of the hallmarks of my practice is the way I integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy into the EMDR process — particularly in the early preparation phases.

Before we begin processing traumatic memories, I use IFS to work with the parts of you that may be protective, scared, or uncertain about going there. This is important: if a protective part isn't ready, it can block the EMDR process or make it feel overwhelming. By taking the time to meet these parts, understand what they're trying to protect, and get their consent before we proceed, we create a foundation of internal safety that makes EMDR more effective, more comfortable, and more lasting.

Many clients who have tried EMDR before and found it didn't work — or felt too intense — find that this integrated IFS + EMDR approach creates a very different experience. We never rush. Every part of you has a voice in the process.

WHAT EMDR THERAPY HELPS WITH

Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR is particularly effective for trauma rooted in relationships and the body. I work with clients in Fort Collins and virtually across Colorado and Florida on:

Relational & Attachment Trauma The accumulated wounds from relationships where you didn't feel safe, seen, or valued — whether in childhood, family dynamics, or adult partnerships.

Complex Trauma & PTSD Ongoing, repeated trauma over time that has left you feeling stuck in survival mode, disconnected from yourself, or unable to trust.

Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Healing from the confusion, self-doubt, and loss of self that comes from emotionally abusive or manipulative relationships.

Anxiety Rooted in Past Experiences When anxiety isn't just about the present — but about a nervous system still responding to old threats.

Depression Especially when depression is connected to unprocessed grief, loss, or relational wounds.

Co-Parenting & Divorce Recovery Processing the relational trauma of separation and building a new foundation of stability and self-trust.

Childhood Trauma & Developmental Wounds Emotional neglect, criticism, growing up in a chaotic or unsafe environment, or never feeling truly seen by caregivers.

Negative Core Beliefs Deeply held beliefs like "I am not enough," "I am unlovable," or "I am a burden" — that formed in response to difficult experiences and continue to shape your life today.

WHO IS EMDR THERAPY FOR?

EMDR tends to be a particularly strong fit for clients who:

Have tried traditional talk therapy but still feel stuck in the same patterns
Understand their issues intellectually but feel them deeply in their body
Experience anxiety, reactivity, or emotional overwhelm that feels out of proportion to present circumstances
Carry negative beliefs about themselves that they can't seem to shake no matter how much they work on them
Are ready to go beyond symptom management and do deeper healing work
Want an evidence-based approach backed by decades of research
Are prepared to feel some discomfort in the process of genuine healing

EMDR THERAPY IN FORT COLLINS & VIRTUALLY ACROSS COLORADO AND FLORIDA

I offer EMDR therapy in-person in Fort Collins, Colorado and via secure, HIPAA-compliant teletherapy throughout Colorado and Florida.

Research consistently shows that EMDR via teletherapy is equally effective as in-person sessions. Many clients actually find that doing EMDR from their own safe space — with their pet nearby, wrapped in a familiar blanket, in a place where they feel grounded — deepens the work and makes processing feel more accessible.

Serving:

Fort Collins and Northern Colorado (in-person and virtual)
Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and throughout Colorado (virtual)
Throughout Florida (virtual)

THERAPY INTENSIVES: ACCELERATED EMDR HEALING

EMDR is one of the modalities that responds exceptionally well to intensive formats. Traditional 50-minute sessions often mean we spend significant time preparing to go deep — and then have to close back up before the real work has fully unfolded.

In a 2-3 hour intensive session, we have the time and space to go all the way through a complete processing cycle — preparing, processing, and integrating — without interruption. Many clients experience breakthroughs in intensives that would have taken months of weekly sessions to reach.

Intensive formats include:

Concentrated: 3-hour sessions over 2-3 consecutive days — ideal for processing specific traumatic events or memories
Extended: 3-hour weekly sessions over several months — ideal for complex developmental or relational trauma
Hybrid: A custom combination designed around your goals, schedule, and how you heal best

INVESTMENT & RATES

55-minute session: $150
90-minute session: $250
Intensives: Priced based on format and length — we'll discuss during your consultation

I am an out-of-network provider, which means I don't bill insurance directly. I provide superbills you can submit to your insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement. You can also use HSA or FSA funds for all therapy services.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT EMDR THERAPY

Does EMDR require me to talk about my trauma in detail? No — and this is one of the things clients appreciate most about EMDR. You don't need to narrate every detail of what happened. We identify the memory and work with it, but you don't have to relive it verbally in the way traditional talk therapy might require.

Will EMDR make things worse before they get better? It's normal to feel some emotional activation during or after EMDR sessions as your brain processes difficult material. This is part of the process, not a sign something is wrong. Because I integrate IFS into the preparation phase, we work carefully to make sure your system feels resourced and ready before we begin processing — which significantly reduces the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed.

How is Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR different from regular EMDR? Standard EMDR focuses primarily on the cognitive and emotional aspects of traumatic memories. Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR adds two additional layers: attention to how trauma is stored in the body (somatic), and specific focus on how relational and attachment wounds are impacting your present-day life and relationships (attachment-focused). For clients whose trauma is primarily relational, this specialized approach tends to create deeper and more lasting healing.

How many EMDR sessions will I need? This varies significantly based on your history and goals. Some clients process specific single-event traumas in as few as 6-12 sessions. Complex developmental or relational trauma typically requires longer work — often 9-18 months or more of regular sessions, or a series of intensives. We'll discuss realistic timelines during your free consultation.

I tried EMDR before and it didn't work. Should I try again? Sometimes EMDR doesn't work because the therapist moved too quickly into processing without adequate preparation, didn't address protective parts first, or wasn't trained in attachment-focused approaches. My integrated IFS + EMDR approach specifically addresses these common reasons EMDR fails — taking time in the preparation phase to work with protective parts and establish internal safety before any processing begins. If EMDR hasn't worked for you before, this approach may create a very different experience.

Can EMDR be done via teletherapy? Yes — EMDR adapts well to teletherapy. I use specialized tools to deliver bilateral stimulation through video sessions, and research supports that teletherapy EMDR is equally effective as in-person work.

Do you combine EMDR with other approaches? Yes — this is central to my practice. I integrate IFS, somatic therapy, and EMDR to create a comprehensive, whole-person healing experience. We use whichever combination of modalities best serves your healing at any point in our work together.

BEGIN YOUR EMDR HEALING JOURNEY

If you're ready to stop reliving the past and start living fully in the present, I'd love to connect.

I offer a free 30-minute consultation for new clients. During our call we'll talk about what you're working through, whether EMDR is the right fit for you, and what working together would look like.

📞 Call or text: 970-370-9975

📧 Email: kristen@healgrowthrivetherapyandcoaching.com

🌐 Schedule online: https://kristen-goltz.clientsecure.me/

Heal, Grow, & Thrive Therapy

Kristen Goltz, LMFT

Fort Collins, CO

Serving Fort Collins and all of Colorado & Florida via secure teletherapy

Specializing in Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and somatic therapy for relational trauma, complex PTSD, and attachment wounds. In-person in Fort Collins, CO and virtual throughout Colorado and Florida.

​Somatic & Attachment-Focused EMDR Therapy | Fort Collins, CO | Heal, Grow, & Thrive Therapy