Why You Feel Stuck (Even if You've Tried Therapy Before)

Written by Amanda Hearne, LMFT | EMDR Certified Therapist | Virtual therapy for adults in CA & TX

Ever feel like you’ve done all the right things—and yet you still feel stuck?

You’ve read the self-help books. You’ve gained insight from past therapy. You journal, reflect, and maybe even know exactly why you react the way you do… but the anxiety, the people-pleasing, the shutdown, the overthinking—it still shows up. And you’re left wondering: Why can’t I move past this?

Let me say this first: You are not broken. You are not doing it wrong. And no, you’re not “too much” or “too broken” to heal.

In fact, if you feel stuck even after trying to work on yourself—that can be a sign of trauma that hasn't yet been fully processed.

When insight isn’t enough

Talk therapy is incredibly helpful for many people, and it’s often a great starting point. But if you’ve been through trauma—whether it's a big “T” trauma or smaller, chronic wounds like emotional neglect or being constantly criticized—your nervous system might still be stuck in survival mode.

That means even if your mind knows you’re safe now… your body and emotions haven’t gotten the message.

You might find yourself:

• Overreacting in some moments and shutting down in others

• Saying yes when you mean no

• Sabotaging good things because they feel unfamiliar

• Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected for no clear reason

This isn’t a mindset problem. It’s a nervous system response.

Here’s where EMDR therapy can help

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is designed to help your brain do what it couldn’t do during the original experience: fully process it.

Think of it this way—when we experience overwhelming events, our brain sometimes hits pause mid-download. EMDR helps us complete the download, file it away as a past event, and remove the emotional charge that keeps looping.

You don’t have to remember every detail. You don’t have to retell your story over and over. But you do get the chance to shift the way your mind and body respond now.

It’s not about erasing what happened. It’s about making peace with it—so it no longer hijacks your present.

What if this could finally work?

I work with adults who are exhausted from living in cycles of anxiety, self-doubt, over-functioning, and disconnection. Many of my clients have been to therapy before—and were surprised at how different EMDR felt.

It’s focused. It’s body-informed. It goes deeper—and it’s not about talking in circles.

You deserve therapy that helps you:

• Feel clear-headed and grounded

• Break old patterns and set real boundaries

• Enjoy your life instead of just surviving it

Ready to get unstuck?

I offer virtual EMDR therapy for adults in California and Texas, and I’d love to support you through this next phase of your healing. It starts with a free, 15-minute call where we can explore whether we’re a good fit.

👉🏻 Click here to book your intro call.

You're not behind. You're right on time. Let’s do this together.

—Amanda Hearne, LMFT, LPCC, Certified EMDR Therapist & Consultant-in-Training

✨ Follow me on IG @theemdrhealingpractice for more EMDR education & encouragement