When something scary or overwhelming happens, children can get stuck. EMDR helps a child’s brain gently reprocess difficult experiences, so the fear loses its grip and they can feel safe and like themselves again.
Children experience big, scary, and painful things too, an accident, a loss, a medical scare, bullying, a frightening event, or ongoing stress at home. And because they do not always have the words for what happened, that distress often shows up in behavior instead: nightmares, clinginess, meltdowns, anger, avoidance, or a child who just does not seem like themselves anymore.
It can be heartbreaking and confusing to watch your child struggle and not know how to help. You may have tried reassuring them, keeping routines steady, and offering all the love you have, and still the fear or upset lingers. That is because some experiences get stuck in the brain in a raw, unprocessed form.
EMDR is a gentle, evidence-based therapy that helps a child’s brain do what it naturally wants to do: heal. Adapted for young children through play, stories, and age-appropriate techniques, it helps difficult memories settle so they no longer feel like a present threat.
Your child does not have to talk through every detail to heal, and they are not broken. With the right support, kids are remarkably resilient, and the hard things can stop running the show.
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Children are remarkably resilient. EMDR works with the brain’s natural ability to heal, so a difficult experience can become part of the past instead of the present.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a highly researched therapy that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories. For children, our trained clinicians adapt every step through play, storytelling, and age-appropriate tools, always at the child’s pace and with safety first.
We never rush. Early sessions focus on helping your child feel safe, building coping and calming skills before any difficult memory is gently approached.
We adapt EMDR through play, art, storytelling, and gentle bilateral techniques, so children can process experiences without needing to explain every detail in words.
EMDR is recognized by leading health organizations as an effective treatment for trauma, and it often helps children feel better in fewer sessions than traditional talk therapy.
We partner closely with parents, helping you understand the process and support your child’s healing at home between sessions.
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a highly researched, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional charge. When something overwhelming happens, the memory can get stored in a raw, unprocessed form, so reminders trigger the same fear and upset as the original event. EMDR helps the brain finish that natural processing.
For children, this is powerful because they often cannot, or do not want to, talk through what happened in detail. EMDR does not require them to. Using gentle bilateral stimulation alongside play, art, and storytelling, a trained clinician helps a child’s brain settle the memory in a way that feels safe and even natural.
The result is that the difficult experience becomes part of the child’s past rather than something that keeps intruding on the present, freeing them to feel calm, playful, and secure again.
EMDR is well suited to the range of hard experiences children face, whether a single event or ongoing stress. Our clinicians adapt it to each child’s age and needs.
EMDR follows a structured approach, always beginning with safety. Early sessions focus on building trust and teaching your child calming and coping skills, so they feel resourced before any difficult memory is gently approached. Reprocessing is paced entirely to your child, and they remain in control throughout.
Parents are essential partners. We help you understand each phase, support your child at home, and recognize the signs of progress. Many children respond to EMDR in fewer sessions than traditional talk therapy, though every child is unique. We offer EMDR for kids in person in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, and Plantation.
Children are built to heal. With gentle, EMDR-informed support, the scary and painful things can settle into the past, and your child can feel safe, playful, and themselves again.
Our EMDR-trained clinicians gently help children heal from difficult experiences. Call for a complimentary consultation to find the right therapist for your child.
Our experienced EMDR certified and trained therapists specialize in helping children and teens process difficult experiences, navigate trauma-related challenges, and build greater emotional resilience.
Using compassionate, trauma-informed, and age-appropriate approaches, our clinicians create a supportive environment where children feel safe, understood, and empowered. We also involve parents and caregivers when appropriate to support healing and progress beyond the therapy room.
Our Client Care Coordinator will help match your child with an EMDR therapist whose expertise, personality, and approach best fit your family’s unique needs.
“Helping teens, adults, and families improve their relationships, conquer their challenges, and lead happier lives. Alexa provides therapy and EMDR in English and Portuguese.”
“Helping teens, adults, and families to become the best version of themselves. Provides counseling and EMDR therapy in English and Spanish.”
“Helping teens and adults overcome anxiety, depression, and unhealthy behaviors so they can live their best lives.”
“Helping children and adults heal from trauma so they can embrace their authentic selves and live happier, more fulfilled lives.”
Great experience here! The facility is beautiful and Dr. Halle Roebuck made me feel right at home. I would highly recommend!
I want to thank Sara Speed. She is EMDR certified and incredibly kind. I would recommend her if you want someone who genuinely cares about your wellbeing.
Very welcoming space and a comfortable environment. Highly recommend Jessica Califf. She is a caring, empathetic and skilled therapist.
Sara Speed is a gem and a unicorn of a therapist. Not only is she brilliant at what she does, she is amazing at cultivating relationships, truly cares and fosters a real safe space. She really knows how to get into the core of difficult traumas and start unraveling them. The best!!
Jamie Ratowski is an awesome therapist in the Bayview plantation office. Highly recommend her for any issues with relationships, anxiety, or depression issues. The office is really nice, feels very welcoming. I also won’t complain about the comfortable furniture.
Bayview Therapy has an amazing lineup of top-notch clinicians. The gorgeous aesthetics creates an inviting and safe environment for clients. And the respectful, compassionate, and down-to-earth clinicians make this office the place you want to be for your therapeutic journey.
We are so impressed with the changes our daughter has made. She has been able to face her issues, find healthier ways to express emotion, and is feeling better and back to herself again. She learned how to take her power back and to find love and acceptance for herself. Thank you for helping us move forward from this difficult situation.
The team of therapists at Bayview Therapy are highly professional and knowledgeable in their respective specialities. They help with a variety of issues from anxiety to couples therapy to EMDR and many others. The office is stunning and the atmosphere is calm and relaxing. I’d highly recommend Bayview Therapy.
A++++ Always a calming experience and the therapists have such a wide range of skill sets and resources that are top-notch.
Words cannot express how grateful I am to you. When I first started, I was depressed, anxious, helpless, and hopeless. I worked hard and I have come so far. I have learned to accept, respect, forgive, and love myself. I have learned so many tools, resources, and skills that I will carry with me and use throughout my life. I now want to live and am looking forward to my future. My self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth are the highest they have ever been. I was blessed to find you as a therapist.
The work Bayview Therapy does to support first responders and their families is incredible. They offer top notch counseling services in Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale and Plantation. It's nice to see a firm focus on protecting those who protect us.
Our therapist for our 9 year old daughter was excellent! Extremely professional and great with kids. She was attentive to our concerns. We went for 3 months and achieved all of our goals. I highly recommend them.
You helped to guide me in the right direction while I was going through a personal crisis. You helped me find a way to resurrect my life. The words thank you hardly seem enough.
I’ve had a great experience at the Plantation office. The space is calm, welcoming, and very comfortable for clients. The team is highly collaborative, with many talented therapists working together to support a wide range of needs.
My experience working with Dr. Kate was really a life saver. I definitely was at a breaking point and she helped me process my thoughts, my past and how to move forward with my future. It was so helpful to have someone listen, provide empathy and know that the information shared was confidential. She was so welcoming and provided wonderful tools that helped me process thoughts and situations. I found so much comfort seeking therapy in an office that was pleasant and inviting. I always felt a weight lifted when leaving. I feel so blessed to have found Dr. Kate in a crucial time in our marriage. Thank you for all of your assistance to me, my husband and our relationship.
I feel grateful and blessed for all that you have done for me in the last year. You, as a therapist, came into my life at the right time. A time where I had had enough of my symptoms.... I realized that I was finally working with a therapist who believed in me and saw my potential. In our work I have discovered hope and faith. You have given me the gift of a new life.
Dr. Kate was the best therapist I've ever had. She was professional, compassionate, and caring. She helped me to resolve my core issues and I learned to process them without getting stuck on them. For the first time in many years, I no longer struggle with depression. Her solution-oriented approach really worked for me and it helped me to save my marriage.
A quick, private check-in for parents wondering whether a difficult or scary experience is still weighing on their child. Answer seven questions for a gentle read, plus a caring next step.
This check-in is not a diagnosis. Only a licensed clinician can assess your child, and our EMDR-trained therapists would be glad to help. If your child is in crisis, call or text 988 right away.
Our EMDR-trained clinicians gently help children heal from difficult experiences. Call for a complimentary consultation to find the right therapist for your child.
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Read articleEMDR Therapy for Kids isn’t the only counseling and psychological service we provide in our Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, and Plantation offices. We help people across their life span. Sometimes life gets complicated, and you or your loved ones may be struggling with more than one challenge. Keep in mind, you’re not alone. No matter what you’re going through, we’re here to help.
Our expert psychologists and counselors at Bayview Therapy specialize in different areas, supporting our Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Plantation, Southwest Ranches, Davie, Weston, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, and Parkland communities.
We also provide affirmative counseling for the LGBTQ+ community and online counseling using our secure, HIPAA-compliant platform.
Call 954.391.5305 for a complimentary consultation, or book online. Our EMDR-trained clinicians see children and families in person in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, and Plantation.
