EMDR Therapy for Suppressed Emotions, Trauma, and Anxiety
You’re not broken. You’ve just been surviving.
Have you ever felt like your emotions are too much—or not enough? Maybe you’ve spent years suppressing your anger, numbing your sadness, or intellectualizing your way through every hard moment. On the outside, you look like the strong one. On the inside, your chest feels tight, your stomach knots up, and your mind races with a thousand “what ifs.”
This isn’t weakness it’s survival and EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) offers a way to stop carrying all that weight, so you can finally feel safe being yourself.
I’m Olivia Lavelle, LCSW, an EMDR therapist and emotional intelligence coach. In this blog, I’ll break down:
Why so many of us suppress emotions we were never taught to handle
What an EMDR session actually looks like (and feels like)
How EMDR helps you reprocess and release what your body has been holding onto
Why anxiety, perfectionism, and people-pleasing are often survival patterns—not your identity
How you can take the first steps toward healing
Throughout this blog, I’ll guide you like I guide my clients with compassion, clarity, and tools that help you see you’re not alone.
Why We Suppress Emotions
If you grew up without emotional safety, you probably learned early that it wasn’t safe to cry, get angry, or even admit when you were hurting. Maybe your caregivers dismissed your feelings with phrases like:
“Stop being dramatic.”
“You’re too sensitive.”
“Don’t talk back.”
So you learned to push feelings down. Over time, those emotions didn’t just disappear, they got stored in your body. Suppression might have helped you survive childhood, but in adulthood it shows up as:
Racing thoughts you can’t turn off
Anxiety that feels like constant “what if” planning
Trouble sleeping or staying present
Overthinking every interaction
Perfectionism and people-pleasing that leave you drained
Physical symptoms like headaches, tight muscles, or stomach issues
These aren’t random symptoms, they’re your nervous system waving red flags. And EMDR therapy is designed to help you respond to those signals differently.
Want to understand how trauma impacts your nervous system? Read more here on my Trauma Therapy page.
What an EMDR Session Looks Like
Clients often ask me: “But what actually happens in an EMDR session?” Let me walk you through it.
We start with safety. I’ll teach you grounding and regulation tools so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Think of it as building your emotional seatbelt before we start driving.
We identify a target. This might be a memory, a belief (“I’m not good enough”), or a body sensation (like tightness in your chest).
We add bilateral stimulation. This could be eye movements, tapping, or sound. It gently engages your brain’s natural healing process, similar to how REM sleep processes memories.
You notice what comes up. Thoughts, feelings, or body sensations might surface. I’ll guide you through, checking in to keep you grounded.
We reprocess. Over time, the memory loses its charge. The shame, fear, or guilt connected to it shifts. Clients often say, “I can think about it now without feeling triggered.”
We install new beliefs. Instead of “I’m not safe” or “I’m not enough,” your brain accepts “I survived,” “I’m safe now,” or “I am worthy.”
EMDR isn’t about reliving trauma. It’s about releasing what your nervous system has been holding onto, so you can move forward.
Curious about going deeper? Explore my EMDR Intensives page.
Why Suppression Feels Like Anxiety
Here’s something many of my clients discover: Anxiety isn’t always the problem.
Often, anxiety is your nervous system’s way of saying:
“Something feels unfinished. Something’s been left unprocessed.”
Instead of beating yourself up for being anxious, what if you saw anxiety as a messenger? It’s your body’s way of reminding you that there are suppressed emotions waiting to be heard.
This is where EMDR shines. Instead of teaching you to cope with anxiety forever, EMDR helps you get to the root. When you reprocess the suppressed fear, grief, or anger, the anxiety doesn’t have to work so hard to keep you on high alert.
Learn more about Anxiety Therapy here.
Signs You’re Living in Survival Mode
You may recognize yourself in these patterns:
You intellectualize instead of feel (“I understand why it happened” becomes a shield).
You overextend yourself by taking care of everyone else while ignoring your own needs.
You numb out with work, food, scrolling, or staying busy.
You feel guilty for saying no or setting boundaries.
You keep relationships surface-level to avoid being hurt.
These aren’t personality flaws. These are survival responses. And survival mode is exhausting.
How EMDR Helps You Reprocess and Release
Think of EMDR as your nervous system’s reset button. By bringing suppressed emotions into awareness—and pairing them with bilateral stimulation—you give your brain the chance to file those memories in the past where they belong.
That tight chest? Loosens.
The racing thoughts? Slow down.
The guilt for not being perfect? Softens into self-compassion.
Clients often tell me:
“I didn’t realize how heavy I was carrying it until I felt lighter.”
“For the first time, I could actually sleep without nightmares.”
“I finally feel like I can breathe again.”
This is why I say: You’re not broken you’re just burned out from holding more than you were ever meant to.
Why Work with Me
There are hundreds of therapists who practice EMDR. Here’s what sets me apart:
I don’t just know trauma from textbooks, I’ve lived it and healed it.
I blend EMDR therapy, trauma-informed care, and emotional intelligence coaching.
I create a judgment-free, validating space where high-achieving women feel truly seen.
I use metaphors, body awareness, and practical tools that help you apply therapy outside the session.
Clients often say, “I feel like Olivia just gets it. I don’t have to explain every detail, she meets me where I’m at.”
Looking for practical tools right now? Check out my Shop for healing resources.
Taking the First Step
If you’ve been suppressing emotions for years, it can feel scary to imagine letting them out. But here’s what I want you to know: EMDR therapy doesn’t rush you. It moves at your nervous system’s pace.
You don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode. You don’t have to keep numbing, avoiding, or carrying everything alone. Healing is possible and it starts with one step.
Schedule your first session today.
Learn more about EMDR Intensives if you’re ready for focused healing.
Explore Anxiety Therapy, Trauma Therapy, or Grief Therapy services.
Final Word
Suppressing emotions was never your fault. It was a survival skill. But now, you deserve more than survival. You deserve peace, presence, and freedom. EMDR therapy can help you finally feel safe in your own body, safe in your own emotions, and safe to live your life fully.
