EMDR Therapy for Trauma-Informed Parenting: Healing While Raising Kids
- Dana Carretta-Stein
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Break the cycle—heal while practicing trauma-informed parenting
How Trauma Shows Up in Trauma-Informed Parenting
You want to parent differently.
You want to stay calm, be present, and nurture your child in all the ways you maybe didn’t receive.
But sometimes… your nervous system has other plans.
You find yourself yelling when you promised you’d stay calm.
Shutting down when your child needs connection.
Feeling intense guilt or shame after even small parenting moments.
This is the hidden cost of unprocessed trauma.
Even if you’re highly self-aware—even if you’ve read all the gentle parenting books—you might still struggle.
That’s because trauma doesn’t live in your conscious mind.
It lives in your body.
And when your child’s behavior unintentionally echoes something from your own past, your system reacts not to the present moment, but to a memory your brain has flagged as dangerous.
This is why trauma-informed parenting is about more than skills—it’s about healing.
Why EMDR Is Ideal for Trauma-Informed Parenting
If you're working to raise emotionally resilient children while carrying your own unprocessed pain, EMDR can be a lifeline.
EMDR therapy for trauma-informed parenting gives you a way to access and heal the root experiences that still shape your emotional responses today.
Here’s how it works:
EMDR helps the brain reprocess memories that got “stuck” during overwhelming moments.
When those memories are processed, they lose their emotional intensity.
That means your nervous system doesn’t sound the alarm when you’re triggered.
For trauma-informed parents, this shift is everything.
✨ You can stay grounded during your child’s meltdowns.
✨ You can repair after rupture without spiraling into shame.
✨ You can stop parenting from a place of fear or reactivity—and instead respond with clarity and connection.
You’re not just breaking cycles.
You’re building new, healthier ones.
Self-Regulation Strategies for Trauma-Informed Caregivers
While EMDR handles the deep reprocessing work, the day-to-day of parenting still asks a lot from you. Here are a few strategies to support your trauma-informed parenting journey between sessions:
🌀 Body-first check-ins: Pause and ask, “What’s happening in my body right now?” So often, we try to fix behavior without understanding the underlying nervous system response.
🌀 Grounding through touch: Press your feet into the floor. Hold a warm cup of tea. Place a hand over your heart. Soothing the body sends signals of safety to the brain.
🌀 Mantras for moments of rupture: Try: “This is not the past.” Or: “I can choose differently, even now.” Use gentle, grounding language to stay anchored.
🌀 Repair is greater than perfection: Your child doesn’t need you to be perfect—they need you to come back. Every repair is a lesson in safety, resilience, and love.
Remember: The work you’re doing isn’t easy. But it’s transformational.
You’re not only healing yourself—you’re changing what your children will carry.
Support Your Healing & Your Parenting
You don’t have to choose between your healing and your parenting. In fact, they’re deeply connected. EMDR therapy for trauma-informed parenting makes space for both.
📓 Download the Free Positive Parenting Strategies Guide — designed to support reflection, grounding, and emotional attunement for caregivers.
💬 Book a free 15 minute consultation with Peaceful Living to explore how EMDR can support your healing and your parenting path.
Internal Resources
Book Therapy at Peaceful Living Counseling
Feeling ready to take the next step in your healing journey? Dana’s team at Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling offers EMDR therapy and trauma-informed support both in-person (Scarsdale, NY) and virtually.
Start Healing at Home with The EMDR Therapy Progress Journal
Not quite ready for therapy? Dana’s EMDR Therapy Progress Journal is the perfect self-paced tool. It blends neuroscience-backed strategies, practical prompts, and actionable steps to help you:
✅ Track emotional triggers
✅ Build coping skills
✅ Understand how past experiences shape your present
Go Deeper in Your Healing Journey
📚 Check out my blogs at The EMDR Coach, where I break down EMDR concepts, trauma education, and practical healing strategies you can start today.
About Dana Carretta-Stein
Dana Carretta-Stein is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and founder of Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling, PLLC, and Carretta Consulting in Scarsdale, NY.
She is a certified EMDR therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant and is an expert in trauma-informed care in Westchester, NY.
Dana is also a skilled business coach for wellness practitioners who are looking to build and grow their private practice.
Check out Dana's website to learn more about her and EMDR Therapy:
Comments