EMDR · IFS · DBT · CBT · Somatic
Trauma therapy that goes
beyond the symptoms.
We are a collective of EMDR therapists in California — integrating IFS, DBT, and CBT to help you process what's still stuck, so you can come back to yourself.
In person in San Diego · Virtual across CA · OR & FL (with Nancy)
psychotherapy is derived from the Ancient Greek "psyche" and "therapeia" — the healing of the soul
What It Means to Be a Trauma Therapist
We don't just treat symptoms.
We understand how they got there.
We see the whole person
Your anxiety, your shutdown, your patterns — none of these are flaws. They're adaptations your nervous system made to keep you safe. We honor that before we try to change anything.
We pace to your system
Healing isn't about pushing through. It's about giving your body enough safety to let go of what it's been holding. We go at the speed your nervous system can actually integrate — never faster.
We work beneath the words
Trauma lives in the body and the nervous system, not just the thinking mind. Our EMDR, somatic, and parts-based work reaches what talk therapy alone can't touch — where the real shift happens.
Being a trauma therapist means holding the belief that what happened to you is not who you are — and that your system, given the right conditions, knows how to heal.
Who We Help
If any of this sounds like you,
you're in the right place.
The high achiever who can't turn off
You're competent, capable, and exhausted. Beneath the drive is a nervous system that learned early that rest wasn't safe. We help you process the pressure at its root — not just manage the burnout.
The empath who carries everyone's pain
You feel everything, and somewhere along the way your own needs moved to the back of the line. We help you build boundaries that don't feel like betrayal, so empathy stops costing you yourself.
The one whose trauma never finished processing
You've done the work, maybe years of it — and something still feels stuck, replayed, or held in the body. EMDR helps the brain complete what it started, so the past stops living in your present.
The helper who forgot to help themselves
Therapists, nurses, first responders, caregivers — you hold space for everyone. We offer a place where the holder gets held, with clinicians who understand the weight you carry.
The couple stuck in the same loop
One of you pursues, the other pulls away — and neither of you feels heard. We help you understand the pattern beneath the conflict, so repair becomes possible again.
High-Conflict Couples
When conflict keeps escalating and de-escalating feels impossible, it rarely means you've stopped caring — it means the cycle is in charge. Using Emotionally Focused Therapy, we help couples slow the cycle and find the needs and fears beneath the fight.
The person ready for something deeper
You've hit the ceiling of talk therapy. You understand your patterns intellectually, but insight alone hasn't changed how you feel. We bring the body and the brain into the room.
Why Clients Come to Us
The go-to practice
for EMDR therapy.
EMDR is our foundation — but we rarely use it alone. We integrate IFS to keep the work compassionate, DBT to build the skills you need to stay regulated, and CBT to shift the stories underneath. The result is trauma therapy that's deep, structured, and truly complete.
EMDR
Processing
IFS
Compassion
DBT
Skills
CBT
Clarity
Nancy Phung-Smith, LMFT138181
Founder & Clinical Supervisor
I specialize in working with those who are emotionally overwhelmed, disconnected, or like you've lost yourself. Maybe you struggle with intense mood swings, fear of abandonment, self-doubt, or difficulty managing relationships and boundaries. I specialize in emotional dysregulation, identity loss, and self-worth using EMDR, IFS, and Brainspotting to help you heal past wounds, process emotions, and reconnect with your authentic self.
Anxiety/Depression in High Achievers & Perfectionists
Adult ADHD
Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria
BPD & BPD traits
Relationship Anxiety & Attachment Wounds
Therapists, Helpers, and Caregivers
Veterans & First Responders
Spiritually Curious Adults
Advanced Clinical Training:
- EMDRIA Approved Consultant
- Certificate in Somatic Embodiment & Regulation
- Brainspotting Phase 1 & 2
- IFS Level 1
- IFS for Couples (IFIO Intimacy From the Inside Out)
Therapies Offered
Individual Therapy
A confidential space to explore your thoughts, emotions, and patterns to support personal growth and healing.
In a one-on-one setting, you'll work with your therapist to better understand your emotions, behaviors, and life experiences. This process can help you manage stress, improve relationships, build resilience, and gain clarity around difficult decisions or past wounds. It's a space for reflection, healing, and growth—guided by your personal goals & readiness for change.
individual
Our Approach
Evidence-based. Body-informed.
Always trauma-attuned.
EMDR
Our signature modality
EMDR is the heart of our practice. It's a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain finish processing experiences that got stuck — so a memory moves from something that feels like it's still happening into something that happened. Using bilateral stimulation, we guide your nervous system through what it couldn't complete on its own. The result isn't just insight — it's resolution. EMDR is why clients come to us from across California, Oregon, and Florida.
IFS
Internal Family Systems
We don't treat your reactions as the problem — we get curious about the parts of you holding them. IFS helps us understand the protective roles your inner system has built over a lifetime, and gently unburden the parts carrying pain. Integrated with EMDR, IFS makes trauma processing safer and more compassionate — no part forced, every part honored.
DBT
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
When emotions feel unbearable, you need more than understanding — you need skills. DBT gives you concrete tools for distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. We weave DBT skills throughout the work, so you build the capacity to stay present with hard feelings long enough for them to move.
CBT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
The stories we tell ourselves shape the lives we live. CBT helps identify and shift the thought patterns that keep you anxious, stuck, or self-critical. Used alongside EMDR and IFS, CBT brings clarity and structure — connecting the cognitive layer to the deeper emotional and somatic work.
Somatic Integration
Mind & body
Insight alone doesn't convince the body it's safe. Trauma lives in the nervous system — in the held breath, the tight jaw, the braced shoulders. We bring the body into the room through grounding, breathwork, and body awareness, giving your nervous system the time and safety it needs to settle.
Trauma-Informed
Our foundation
Everything we do rests on this: we see you, not your symptoms. A trauma-informed lens means we understand that your reactions made sense in the context of what happened to you. We pace the work to your nervous system, prioritize safety and consent, and never push you faster than you're ready to go.
Things Clients Have Said
During Session
"Thank you for seeing me. I have never felt seen before."
Free Resource
Free Guide: Grounding & Stabilization Tools
EMDR psychoeducation, somatic tools, and journal prompts — plus a bit about our team.
Get the Free GuideWe believe healing lasts when it's held by community, connection, and the right tools — not chased as a quick fix. Each month, we share worksheets, books, podcasts, and research to support the work you're already doing. This isn't a newsletter — just resources when they're useful. Your information is never shared.
Begin Here
You don't have to know exactly
what you need to reach out.
Our New Client Inquiry Form takes a few minutes. Your responses come directly to our care team and are linked to our SimplePractice client portal — so when we connect, we're already oriented to you.
We'll respond within two business days. If you're in crisis, call or text 988.
