About Me
Welcome! My name is Anita Meyer, and I'm a clinical social worker (LICSW) with over 30 years of experience as a therapist. I serve trauma survivors who are struggling with distressing life events.
I first heard about EMDR when I was in graduate school in the early '90s. I rolled my eyes and openly mocked it. I had no idea that years later, I would be sitting in a therapist's office in desperate need of it.
EMDR was peculiar, a little scary, AND totally life-changing for me. This might sound strange, but it was so powerful that I didn't want to learn more about it. I thought that if I "peeked behind the curtain," the magic would disappear.
Eventually, I got tired of referring all my clients to EMDR therapists. So, I got trained and certified. Now I not only provide EMDR therapy in my clinical practice, I have reached Approved Consultant status to teach other EMDR therapists how to master their skills.
My biggest joy is seeing the transformation in my clients. When you're amazed at the results, my passion is fueled. I get goosebumps daily.
Training & Experience
30+ years in clinical practice with a broad range of populations across the lifespan in a variety of settings including county mental health, psychiatric inpatient, intensive outpatient, adoptions, integrated primary care, and private practice.
Masters of Social Work, California State University of Sacramento (CSUS), 1994
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Washington (LW60666490) and California (LCS19210)
EMDR Basic Training, Phil Manfield, Ph.D. (2014)
EMDR Certified Therapist with Sue Curry, LCSW and Kim Johnson, LCSW (2016)
EMDRIA Approved Consultant with Jamie Marich, Ph.D., and Jen Marchand, CCC (2021)
Attachment-Focused EMDR, Healing Developmental Deficits and Adults Abused as Children, Laura Parnell (2015)
EMDR Therapy and Depression, Michael Hase (2017)
The Flash Technique, Phil Manfield (2019)
The Power of Process in Healing Dissociation and Trauma, Jamie Marich (2020)
Healing Spiritual Abuse with EMDR Therapy, Jamie Marich (2020)
Guidelines for a Safe, Ethical and Contained Online EMDR Practice, Jennifer Marchand (2020)
Defense and Affect Restructuring with EMDR Therapy, Andrew Leeds (2020)
Simplifying Complex PTSD and EMDR 2.0, Ad de Jongh and Suzy Matthijssen (2020)
Easy Ego States Interventions, Robin Shapiro (2021)
Treating Dissociative Disorders with EMDR: The Progressive Approach, Dolores Mosquera (2021)
EMDR and the Treatment of Pain, Mark Grant (2022)
The Advance Practice of EMDR for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, Mara Tesler Stein (2023)
About You
Does this sound familiar?
You avoid activities, places, and people that trigger you.
Your negative thoughts about yourself, other people, or the world have you feeling hopeless and pessimistic.
You feel distant from family and friends.
You have difficulty experiencing positive emotions, or you feel numb and detached from your body.
You have nightmares, flashbacks, or intrusive, recurrent memories of life events.
You experience health issues or chronic pain.
You are easily startled, frightened, or you’re “on-guard,” looking for danger.
Or this?
You have trouble sleeping, concentrating, or staying organized.
Spiraling thoughts are out of control; it’s like your mind is turning every snowflake into a snowstorm.
You feel keyed up, restless, worried, or have panic attacks.
Depression, stress, disappointment, guilt, shame, and anxiety dominate your life.
You’re turning to alcohol, drugs, or other addictive behaviors to numb and escape.
You are exhausted from the mental and emotional energy you expend on small incidents or issues. You feel like you have nothing left to give your family, friends, career, or yourself.
Regardless of your diagnosis or symptoms, everyone deserves peace of mind.
I want you to know that developing post-trauma symptoms like those listed above is by no means an indication of psychological weakness or deficiency.
In fact, these difficulties typically develop because you’re trying to conceal distress, comfort yourself, or avoid emotional pain. Your efforts are well-intentioned. It’s okay to want to feel better! EMDR therapy can provide long-lasting relief that doesn’t come at a cost to your health or well-being.
What We Can Accomplish Together
Healing
You’ll come to realize your brain’s natural ability to heal itself. This experience is profoundly empowering. Gone are the days of feeling helpless and hopeless.
Peace
The problem that led you to EMDR therapy will seem smaller, quieter, and more insignificant. It’s like turning the volume knob down on your problem or issue. It will become quiet enough that it’s not a real problem for you anymore.
Ease
Things that used to intimidate or frighten you will no longer feel so hard. You will no longer exaggerate the threat or dangerousness of something. It won’t carry the same activating energy it once did. No more overwhelm. You’ll approach challenges with ease.
Freedom
You’ll be able to leave the past where it belongs, in the past. Nightmares, flashbacks, and memories of the traumatic event will fade or disappear. You’ll still be able to bring the memories to mind, but they won’t bother you. They’ll just be regular old memories.
Boundaries
You’ll have better boundaries. You’ll feel less interested in pleasing others, taking responsibility for other people’s happiness, or getting over-involved in their lives.
Confidence
You’ll release the daily burden of having all the negative, painful, obsessive, and overwhelming stuff floating around your head and body. You’ll feel lighter, energized, and optimistic. As a result, you may try new behaviors that improve your relationships, career, health, etc.