Support for what still feels unresolved
Difficult experiences can continue affecting how you think, feel, and respond long after the experience itself has passed.
SkyBox Therapy provides virtual trauma and EMDR therapy for teens ages 13+ and adults throughout Arizona, with treatment designed to help you understand what you’re experiencing and work through distressing memories at a thoughtful, collaborative pace.
Shayna McGraw uses Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and other evidence-based therapeutic approaches to support clients navigating trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and experiences that continue to feel difficult to move beyond.
Therapy for Trauma & PTSD
Sometimes the past continues to show up in the present.
Trauma doesn’t affect everyone in the same way.
For some people, a difficult experience may feel vivid and close even years later. For others, the effects are harder to identify — showing up as anxiety, avoidance, feeling constantly on alert, difficulty trusting, emotional numbness, physical reactions, or a sense that certain experiences still have more power over daily life than they should.
You may experience:
Distressing or unwanted memories
Nightmares or difficulty sleeping
Feeling on edge or easily startled
Anxiety or panic
Avoiding people, places, conversations, or situations connected to what happened
Strong emotional or physical reactions to reminders
Difficulty feeling safe even when you know you are safe
Changes in how you see yourself, other people, or the world
Feeling disconnected, numb, or emotionally overwhelmed
You don’t need to fit neatly into a checklist or have a formal PTSD diagnosis to reach out.
Therapy begins with understanding your experience, how it is affecting you now, and what you would like to be different.
What is EMDR?
A structured approach to processing distressing experiences.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
It is a structured form of psychotherapy frequently used in trauma treatment and the treatment of PTSD.
During certain phases of EMDR, you briefly bring a distressing memory or related material to mind while engaging in bilateral stimulation — a repeated left-to-right pattern that may involve guided eye movements, tapping, or other forms of stimulation.
The goal is to support the processing of memories that continue to carry significant distress so they can become less disruptive in the present.
EMDR is not simply a set of eye movements or tapping exercises. It follows a structured treatment process that includes understanding your history, preparing for the work, identifying appropriate treatment targets, processing, and evaluating progress.
What is Bilatteral Stimulation?
Bilateral stimulation simply means stimulation that alternates between the left and right sides.
During an EMDR session, Shayna may guide you through side-to-side eye movements or another appropriate form of bilateral stimulation while you briefly focus on specific aspects of a distressing experience.
You remain awake, aware, and in control throughout the process.
EMDR isn’t hypnosis, and you aren’t expected to erase or forget what happened. The intention is to help distressing experiences feel more processed and less emotionally disruptive when they are remembered or triggered.
What can EMDR support?
EMDR is most closely associated with the treatment of trauma and PTSD, but it may also be considered when distressing experiences or memories are contributing to other concerns.
Depending on your individual needs, EMDR may be incorporated into treatment for:
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Experiences that continue to create significant emotional, behavioral, or physical reactions in the present.
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Past experiences that still feel emotionally intense, intrusive, or difficult to think about without becoming overwhelmed.
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When clinically appropriate, EMDR may support work around particularly distressing aspects of grief or loss, especially when specific memories or experiences continue to create significant distress.
Every client is different. Part of the initial process is determining whether EMDR is appropriate for what you’re experiencing or whether another therapeutic approach may better support your goals.
What does EMDR Therapy look like?
Preparation comes before processing.
One of the most important things to understand about EMDR is that you do not begin by immediately diving into your most difficult experience.
EMDR follows a structured process, and preparation is an important part of that work.
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You and Shayna will begin by talking about what brought you to therapy, your current concerns, relevant history, and what you hope to accomplish.
This helps establish an appropriate treatment plan and identify whether EMDR may be a good fit.
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Before beginning memory processing, Shayna will explain the EMDR process and help you develop tools for managing distress that may come up during treatment.
This stage gives you an opportunity to become familiar with the process, ask questions, and establish a foundation before moving forward.
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Together, you’ll determine which memories, experiences, beliefs, emotions, or reactions are most appropriate to address.
Treatment is individualized. You are not expected to work through every difficult experience you have ever had.
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During processing, you’ll briefly focus on aspects of a selected memory while using bilateral stimulation.
Shayna will guide the process while paying attention to what arises and how you are responding.
You remain aware of what is happening and can communicate with Shayna throughout the session.
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EMDR includes ongoing evaluation of how memories and related thoughts, emotions, and physical responses are changing.
Treatment can be adjusted based on what you’re experiencing and what still needs attention.
Click the button to view a visual representation of what EMDR therapy looks like.
How EMDR Can Help With Distressing Memories
EMDR can be easier to understand visually. This graphic from the EMDR International Association illustrates how distressing experiences may continue to be triggered and how EMDR treatment is designed to support memory processing.
You don’t have to retell every detail.
EMDR can be trauma-focused without requiring a detailed retelling of everything that happened.
For some people, one of the biggest concerns about trauma therapy is the idea of having to repeatedly explain a painful experience from beginning to end.
Detailed retelling is not always required with EMDR.
Shayna will need enough information to understand what you’re experiencing and safely guide treatment, but you are not necessarily required to verbally recount every detail of a traumatic experience.
You remain involved in deciding what you share and can communicate throughout the process if something feels too intense or needs to slow down.
The goal is not to overwhelm you.
It is to create a structured environment where difficult material can be approached thoughtfully and at an appropriate pace.
Therapy that looks at the whole picture.
EMDR may be one part of your treatment — not necessarily the whole treatment.
Shayna’s approach isn’t based on applying one technique to every client.
Depending on your needs and goals, trauma therapy may also incorporate:
Psychoeducation to help you understand trauma responses and what may be happening in your mind and body
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles
EFT / tapping
Education around broader factors that may support your overall well-being
Collaboration or referrals to other appropriate healthcare professionals when additional support may be beneficial
This allows treatment to remain grounded in evidence-based care while recognizing that your experiences, circumstances, and needs are individual to you.
Is virtual EMDR Therapy available to me?
SkyBox Therapy offers individual virtual therapy for clients ages 13 and older throughout Arizona.
Shayna McGraw is an Arizona Licensed Professional Counselor:
LPC-24225
Because sessions are provided through telehealth, you can participate from a private location anywhere in Arizona where virtual treatment is appropriate for your needs.
Most standard therapy appointments are 60 minutes. Depending on your treatment needs and where you are in the EMDR process, longer sessions may occasionally be appropriate.
If you aren’t sure whether virtual EMDR is right for you, the free consultation is a good place to begin.
Common Questions about EMDR
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EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured form of psychotherapy commonly used to treat trauma and PTSD.
EMDR involves briefly focusing on distressing memories or related material while engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as guided side-to-side eye movements or tapping.
Treatment includes preparation, assessment, processing, and continued evaluation rather than beginning immediately with the most difficult part of a traumatic experience.
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EMDR is best established as a treatment for trauma and PTSD.
Depending on a client’s individual circumstances, it may also be incorporated when distressing experiences or memories also contribute to certain aspects of grief.
Shayna will assess your individual needs before determining whether EMDR is an appropriate part of your treatment plan. -
No. EMDR does not always require you to describe a traumatic experience in extensive detail.
You will need to share enough information for Shayna to understand your concerns and guide treatment appropriately, but EMDR differs from approaches that rely heavily on repeatedly describing the entire traumatic event.
You remain aware and in control throughout treatment and can communicate with Shayna about your comfort level and pacing.
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There isn’t one set number of EMDR sessions that is right for everyone.
The length of treatment depends on factors such as your history, the concerns being addressed, the number and complexity of treatment targets, your goals, and how you respond to the process.
Outcome assessments will be taken consistently to help guide you on where you are in making progress.EMDR itself follows a structured, multi-phase process, so treatment involves more than the memory-processing portion people often associate with it.
After learning more about your individual circumstances, Shayna can give you a clearer understanding of what treatment may involve.
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Sometimes.
Most standard sessions with SkyBox Therapy are 60 minutes, but longer appointments may occasionally be recommended depending on the treatment being provided and your individual needs.
Shayna will discuss session length with you as part of your treatment plan.
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Yes. SkyBox Therapy provides virtual EMDR therapy for eligible clients throughout Arizona.
Shayna is an Arizona Licensed Professional Counselor and offers telehealth appointments for clients ages 13 and older.
Whether EMDR is the right approach for you will depend on your individual circumstances, history, and treatment needs. Shayna will help determine that as part of the initial assessment process.
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You don’t need to determine that on your own before reaching out.
Shayna will learn more about what you’re experiencing, your history, and your goals before recommending a treatment approach.
For some clients, EMDR may become an important part of treatment. For others, another approach — or a combination of approaches — may be more appropriate.
A free 15-minute consultation is an easy first step if you’d like to ask questions and determine whether SkyBox Therapy may be a good fit.
Ready to start a conversation?
You don’t have to know exactly what treatment you need.
If trauma, distressing memories, or reactions connected to past experiences continue to affect your life, you can begin by simply talking with Shayna about what you’re experiencing.
SkyBox Therapy offers a free 15-minute consultation for prospective clients in Arizona and California.
It’s an opportunity to briefly discuss what brings you to therapy, ask questions about EMDR or other treatment approaches, and determine whether working together feels like the right next step.