EMDR Therapist in Los Feliz | EMDR Intensives in CA & OR
Meet Emma Bridges, LCSW.
I’m a therapist because I care deeply about people and am amazed by the resilience of the human spirit.
Hi, I’m Emma (she/her). It is my joy and honor to travel alongside my clients and support them as they figure out what they want to do with their “one wild and precious life” (to quote Mary Oliver).
I bring a lot of humor and compassion to the therapy room. I believe therapy is a powerful space to build a relationship where you can feel safe enough to practice being vulnerable. I strive to be trauma-informed and client centered–it’s important to me that we work toward your goals in a way that feels good to you.
I live in Los Angeles, California, with my husband and our dog, Peanut. Outside of work, you’ll find me taking improv classes, experimenting with new vegetarian recipes, reading “romantasy”, and looking for new bodies of water to submerge in (i.e. go swimming).
I am committed to practicing therapy that is neurodiversity affirming, pro-disability justice, body positive, HAES (Health at Every Size) affirming, anti-racist, and LGBTQ+ and gender affirming.
Emma Bridges is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and EMDR Certified Therapist in Oregon and California, and an EMDR Consultant Nationwide.
You’re tired of being so critical of yourself, second-guessing your relationships, and feeling like your needs aren’t met, even though you do so much for others.
You’re burnt out, anxious, and maybe even in therapy right now circling the same problems over and over, yet still falling into the same patterns. You want real healing — something that actually shifts the patterns at their root.
Whether you’re craving relief from constant anxiety, a reset from burnout, or a deeper sense of self after years of overfunctioning for everyone else, this is the moment you start choosing you.
If you’re ready to stop managing the symptoms and start healing what’s underneath,
This is a soft place for you to land.
My Approach to Therapy
Therapy with me is an accepting, non-stuffy, nonjudgmental, and collaborative soft place to land.
I believe real therapeutic healing happens when we feel truly seen and accepted exactly as we are.
In therapy with me, you’ll find I welcome the “real you,” not the mask you wear when you’re out in the world. I encourage you to share your true experience without a filter or needing to perform. Some people have had their mask up for so long, they don’t know how to lower it. That’s okay too! My job is to set you at ease, and over time, it gets easier and easier to be your authentic self. Research shows that the number one predictor of success in therapy is how much you like your therapist. Shocking, right? So first and foremost, it’s important to me to develop a trusting relationship with my clients.
Therapy has a beginning, a middle, and an end. For some people that process takes months. For some, it takes their whole life. That’s okay! At the beginning we get to know each other and make a plan for exactly what you would like to get out of therapy and how we plan to tackle that together. In the middle, we tackle it through a series of interventions we agree upon. Sometimes we need to talk about what happened that week, and that’s fine too. Whatever you are needing, my goal is to attune to you and your specific needs. Therapy ends when you’ve met all of your goals and can’t think of anything to talk about in therapy anymore, though, of course, you are always welcome back.
I am drawn to doing very deep work with my clients. We don’t just talk about breathing techniques—we dive deep, and heal the root of the problem. In my work with clients, it is not uncommon for people to no longer meet criteria for long-standing diagnoses of anxiety, depression, or PTSD at the end of our time together. It’s why I’m so passionate abut what I do and honored to travel alongside my clients.
And be prepared for me to blame capitalism. It’s always capitalism’s fault.
How Therapy With Me Is Different
If you’ve tried therapy before, you may or may not already understand your patterns, but still feel stuck. You might know the coping skills, yet still feel anxious, disconnected, or unsure why the same triggers keep showing up.
My approach is different because I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. As a trauma-informed therapist specializing in EMDR and holistic trauma recovery, I help you move beyond insight and into real change. Together, we look at the full picture — your nervous system, relationships, and the environments that shaped you.
In our work together, you can expect to:
Understand the root causes of anxiety, people-pleasing, and perfectionism — not just manage the symptoms.
Heal from past trauma using evidence-based approaches like EMDR therapy.
Strengthen emotional regulation so you feel calmer and more in control day to day.
Build healthier relationships with clearer communication and stronger boundaries.
Feel more grounded, confident, and connected — both to yourself and others.
Therapy with me is collaborative, intentional, and tailored to your specific needs and goals.
We’ll work to heal the root causes of anxiety, people-pleasing, and perfectionism — not just manage them.
Whether you’re navigating burnout, complex trauma, or just feeling disconnected from yourself, our work helps you move from surviving to thriving.
Am I the right therapist for you?
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My training as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker means I have the expertise needed to get you the results you crave. Part of being an LCSW also means I care a lot about systems of oppression and how those effect your mental health, as well.
I’ve dedicated my professional career to understanding attachment, trauma, and anxiety, and how to help people move past stuckness. It matters a lot to me that I am genuinely, deeply helping people, and if I felt like I was just scratching the surface, I probably wouldn’t want to be a therapist anymore. One of the most satisfying aspects of this work is seeing the genuine smile when someone finally breaks through and feels the relief that good therapy can bring.
I’ve personally experienced relational trauma, anxiety, questioned my own self-worth, and attachment related concerns. I believe my own work and healing in these areas make me uniquely equipped to better serve clients and help people overcome these concerns.
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Clients often tell me that they wish they could be friends with me which truly is THE HIGHEST HONOR and frankly I feel the same but I would never for ethical reasons yada yada. Clients describe me as authentic, direct, a good listener, funny, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
I encourage feedback, and if something is not going the way you had hoped, I encourage clients to tell me. I think giving difficult feedback to your therapist is a huge opportunity for healing and starting to feel like you can trust relationships to be secure again.
I strive to be a soft place to land, a place to let it all hang out. I am not cold and clinical or a therapist that nods in silence. If there’s a lull in the session, I direct us so we can spend our time intentionally and make sure you get everything from the session that you can.
My personal healing has deeply shaped how I show up as a therapist: grounded, curious, and committed to helping you find the same sense of clarity and self-trust that changed everything for me.
You don’t have to keep figuring it all out on your own — we’ll do it together, step by step.
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I am a Los Angeles transplant by way of Portland, Oregon by way of small town Massachusetts. I am an able-bodied, white, cis-gender, bisexual woman with a strong anti-capitalist flair. I live with my husband and our dog, Peanut.
Before becoming a therapist, I was primarily a theater actor. I have an intense love and curiosity for the human spirit! I still love comedy and writing, and you can often catch me in an improv class or plugging away at a screenplay. I still enjoy acting (after hours) and auditioning for film/TV after work. I don’t bring this side of me into the therapy room (unless you want me to), but it can provide a little insight into my expertise in supporting creatives.
My vices include reality dating shows and romantasy novels (yes I love ACOTAR IYKYK).
Therapeutic Modalities
EMDR
Ego States Parts Work
Attachment Theory
Narrative Therapy
Trauma-Informed
Mindfulness
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Person-Centered
Parent Management Training -Oregon
Collaborative Problem Solving
Motivational Interviewing
What should I expect in my first therapy appointment?
Before our first appointment, I’ll email you a link where you can access and fill out the new client paperwork. We will spend the first few minutes of our appointment reviewing the packet and policies together once completed.
During your session, we will discuss your hopes and goals for therapy - as well as aspects of your life where you hope to grow or heal. Together, we will work toward a healing path that best fits those ambitions.
Throughout our time together, I hope to leave you with tools and resources you can use in your day-to-day life and build a relationship that promotes genuine healing as we get deeper into the work.
My Resume
Education and Credentials
Licensed Clinical Social Worker | Oregon: L10320 | California: 118737
Masters of Social Work, Portland State University, 2017
Bachelors of Social Work, Bachelors of Theater, Skidmore College, 2014
EMDR Consultant
EMDR CERTIFIED
EMDRIA Member
OR-SAIGE: Counselors and Related Professionals Serving Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Communities in Oregon
