Trauma & EMDR Therapy in Rexburg and Pocatello

Trauma isn’t always one terrible event. Sometimes it’s a single frightening moment, and sometimes it’s years of living in an environment where you never felt safe, heard, or free to be yourself. What the two have in common is that your mind and body learned to protect you in ways that may now be getting in the way of your life. At Greenstone Counseling, our trauma therapists help people understand those responses and work through them at a pace that feels manageable. You can meet with us in person in Rexburg or Pocatello, or online anywhere in Idaho.

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What trauma can look like

Many people who’ve been through something painful don’t use the word “trauma” for it. Instead, they notice things like:

Feeling on edge, jumpy, or unable to relax, even when nothing is wrong
Memories, nightmares, or flashbacks that arrive without warning
Avoiding certain places, people, conversations, or feelings
Feeling numb, detached, or far away from the people close to them
Strong reactions that seem bigger than the situation in front of them
A harsh inner voice, or a belief that something is fundamentally wrong with them
Trouble sleeping, concentrating, or feeling safe in their own body

Trauma can follow an accident, an assault, a loss, or a medical event. It can also come from a childhood that felt unsafe or unpredictable, a difficult relationship, or a community or belief system that caused harm. Therapy for trauma and PTSD doesn’t require you to have one clear event to point to. If the past keeps showing up in your present, that’s reason enough to talk with someone.

What EMDR is

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s a structured form of therapy designed to help the brain process painful memories that have stayed stuck, so that they feel less intense and less present in day-to-day life.

In an EMDR session, your therapist helps you briefly bring a memory to mind while your attention is gently guided back and forth. This is often done with eye movements, and it can also be done with tapping or alternating sounds. Many people find that the memory becomes less vivid or distressing as the process goes on.

EMDR doesn’t begin with the hardest memory. Therapy starts with history-taking and preparation, so you have ways to steady yourself before any processing begins. Your therapist is with you throughout, and you can slow down or stop at any time.

You also don’t need to tell the whole story in detail to be helped. Many people find that a relief.

Who we help

Trauma counseling at Greenstone is for adults, teens, and children. We welcome people who’ve experienced a single event and people whose trauma built up over years. Greenstone is an all-inclusive practice, and everyone is welcome here.

For younger clients, therapists use child-friendly approaches such as play therapy and sand tray therapy, and parents are involved in the process. Some of our therapists, including Kimberly Leishman in Pocatello, work with older teens and adults.

Rexburg and Pocatello: In-person trauma therapy is available at both offices, and EMDR therapy is available in both Rexburg and Pocatello.

Online across Idaho: We offer EMDR and trauma therapy by telehealth anywhere in Idaho. Many people in Idaho Falls and Ammon work with us online, and some come to our offices in person. Online EMDR can work well if you live far from an office, if privacy is a concern, or if you’d find it easier to process difficult things in a space that feels safe to you.

Religious trauma

Religious trauma is one of the main specialties of our practice, and most of our trauma therapists work with it. If it’s part of what brings you in, we’ll match you with a therapist who does. It can come from high-control or shaming environments, fear-based teaching, spiritual abuse, being cut off from family or community, or leaving a faith that was central to who you were. It’s often hard to put words to, especially when the same community also gave you things you loved.

If you’re sorting through questions about your faith itself, our faith transition and faith crisis counseling page speaks to that experience directly. The two overlap, and many people find they need both.

How the therapy works

Trauma therapy at Greenstone is paced around you. Early sessions focus on building steadiness, safety, and trust, since that foundation makes the deeper work possible. Your therapist will explain what each step involves and check in with you throughout.

Our therapists draw on a range of approaches, matched to each person rather than applied the same way to everyone. EMDR is one of them. Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps you understand and work with the different parts of yourself that took on protective roles. Polyvagal-informed work looks at how your body responds to stress and safety, and mindfulness can help you stay grounded in the present. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works with the thoughts that trauma can leave behind, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) helps you make room for hard feelings while moving toward what matters to you. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) offers skills for intense emotions, and solution-focused and person-centered therapy keep the work practical and centered on your goals. For children, our therapists also use child-centered play therapy and sand tray therapy.

Finding the right fit

Feeling safe with your therapist is the foundation of trauma work, which is why a good fit is crucial. We offer a free consultation, usually 15 to 20 minutes, so you can find the therapist who is right for you before you begin.

What your first session looks like

Before your first appointment, every new client completes intake paperwork that includes the ACEs questionnaire, which asks about difficult experiences in childhood. If your answers point to a significant history, your therapist will talk through them with you in your first appointment, so the two of you start with a full picture of what may be behind your current symptoms.

The session also covers the practical pieces: informed consent, confidentiality, and our practice policies. Your therapist will gather the trauma history that’s relevant to what you’re experiencing, but it doesn’t need to be comprehensive. We keep it focused on purpose, so you aren’t asked to relive more than necessary. It’s also a chance to talk about what you’d like to get from counseling and how you’d like to pace the work.

Our Trauma Therapists

Rexburg

Pocatello

All of our trauma therapists, in both offices, also offer telehealth throughout Idaho.

Related Services

Faith Transition & Faith Crisis Counseling: For the experience of changing or questioning your faith.

Child & Teen Therapy: Play therapy, sand tray, and family support for younger clients.

Marriage & Couples Counseling: When trauma is affecting your relationship.

Questions people ask

No. Your therapist will gather the history that’s relevant to what you’re experiencing, and it doesn’t need to be complete. We aim to give you enough support to do the work without reliving more than necessary.
Most people stay aware of the room and can talk with their therapist throughout. Memories or emotions may come up during a session, and your therapist will help you stay steady while they do. You’re in control and can pause at any time.
It’s a short set of questions about difficult experiences in childhood, and every new client completes it with their intake paperwork. If your answers point to something significant, your therapist will talk it through with you in the first appointment. It’s a way of understanding your story, and you decide how much more to share.
If something from your past keeps affecting your sleep, relationships, mood, or sense of safety, it’s worth a conversation. You don’t need a diagnosis or a single defining event.
We offer a free consultation, usually 15 to 20 minutes, so you can find the best fit. Trust matters most in this work, so call us and we’ll help you decide.
Yes. We offer EMDR by telehealth to clients anywhere in Idaho, including Idaho Falls and Ammon.
Yes. Most people from Idaho Falls and Ammon meet with us by telehealth, including for EMDR, and some choose to come to our Rexburg or Pocatello offices in person. If you’re not sure which fits better, call us and we’ll talk it through.
Erika Nordfelt, Teri Huchendorf, and Emily Hackworth in Rexburg, and Kimberly Leishman and Laura Wolter in Pocatello, are all EMDR trained. Call us and we can help match you with someone based on your needs and location.
It’s the emotional and psychological impact of harmful experiences within a religious setting or belief system. It can include fear, shame, anxiety, and loss of community. Religious trauma is one of the main specialties of our practice, and we’ll match you with a therapist experienced in it.
Yes. Several of our therapists work with children and teens ages 5 and up, using approaches like play therapy and sand tray therapy. Call us and we’ll help match your child with the right clinician.
There’s no set timeline. It depends on what you’ve been through and what you’re hoping for. Your therapist will talk with you about it as you go.
We’re in network with most major insurance companies, and private pay is also an option. Before your first visit, we’ll complete a free insurance benefit check. We’ll contact your insurance company and share what they tell us about your mental health coverage. This gives you an estimate of your coverage, not a guarantee, so we also encourage you to call your insurer and confirm your own mental health benefits.
Dana Facer is a clinical intern completing her licensure hours under the supervision of Erika Nordfelt. Clients who see Dana receive paperwork that explains her intern status and supervision. We can bill only a couple of insurance companies for intern sessions. Otherwise, sessions with Dana are $30 each.