Top-Rated Chicago EMDR Therapist
Some things are hard to think your way out of. You can know, logically, that you are not in danger, that you are doing fine, that the past is the past, and still feel stuck in the same patterns, the same reactions, the same weight you cannot seem to put down. EMDR therapy works at the level where that stuck feeling actually lives, helping your nervous system process what your mind alone cannot resolve.
Meet your Chicago EMDR therapist
Meg Doster, LMFT
Hi, I'm Meg. I know what it's like to work hard at keeping everything together on the outside while something underneath stays stuck. I've done my own work around people-pleasing, fear of conflict, and learning that avoiding the hard things doesn't make them go away. It just costs more over time.
That personal experience shapes how I work. I sit with people who feel overwhelmed by shame, anger, and anxiety, and who carry a quiet fear of being truly known. The worry that if someone sees all of you, something will break. I get it. That fear is deeply human.
What I've learned, and what I see in my clients, is that the path to feeling free and connected runs through the hard stuff, not around it. EMDR helps make that path more manageable.
Credentials: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, EMDR Trained
Clientele: Adults
Location: Chicago, IL
Virtual therapy: Yes
FAQs about EMDR therapy
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EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured therapy that helps you process distressing memories and experiences that are still affecting how you feel and function today. Using bilateral stimulation, typically side-to-side eye movements, EMDR helps your brain reprocess stuck memories so they lose their emotional charge. You do not have to talk through everything in detail for it to work. The goal is to help your nervous system finish processing what it never got to complete on its own.
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EMDR is particularly helpful for people dealing with trauma, anxiety, shame, and patterns that feel impossible to think your way out of. If you know intellectually that you should not feel so stuck, so reactive, or so afraid, but you cannot seem to change it, that is often a sign that the issue lives in the body and nervous system, not just the mind. EMDR works well for people who are exhausted from overexplaining themselves, who struggle to feel safe in relationships, or who carry old wounds that still show up in their daily life.
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EMDR can bring up difficult emotions as memories are being processed, which can feel uncomfortable before it feels better. It is not a passive process, and some sessions can feel intense. It also requires a degree of trust between you and your therapist, which takes time to build. That said, many people find it moves faster than traditional talk therapy for certain kinds of wounds. And you will not go through it alone. I work at a pace that feels manageable for you.
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I work with people who are tired of playing it safe, who want to stop swallowing their truth to keep the peace, and who are ready to actually feel known. My approach is direct but warm. I take your nervous system seriously, and I also believe in your capacity to move through hard things. Alongside EMDR, I draw on my background working with relationship patterns, boundaries, and the ways fear shows up in how we connect with others.
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I specialize in working with adults navigating shame, anxiety, anger, and relational wounds. Many clients come in feeling like no one really knows them, or like they are one wrong move away from everything falling apart. I also work with people healing from trauma, processing grief or major life transitions, and those who want to stop self-abandoning in their relationships. If you have spent a long time being the person who holds it all together, I can help you put some of that weight down.
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We will start by getting to know your story and building enough safety for the deeper work. EMDR is not something we jump into without a foundation. Early sessions focus on understanding what you are carrying and how your nervous system responds. When you are ready, we will move into processing, where the real shifts tend to happen. Most clients describe it as hard but worth it, and many notice changes in how they feel and respond that surprised them.
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You might be a good fit if you are done white-knuckling your way through life, if you want a therapist who will be real with you, and if you are ready to do more than just talk about your problems. I work best with people who are curious about themselves and willing to sit with discomfort in service of something better. If you want a space where you can actually be honest, reach out.
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The first step is scheduling a free intro call. We will talk about what brought you to therapy and see if working together makes sense. No need to have it figured out before we connect.