EMDR Therapy in Tampa
For The Person Carrying The Weight of The World.
It’s time to move beyond survival mode, process your anxieties, grief or trauma, and feel more present in your life again.
Online EMDR therapy available throughout the Tampa Bay area, Hillsborough County & the entire state of Florida
Does this sound like you?
You've held it held it together for a long time — and are finally ready to heal.
Your past seems both far away and ever-present at the same time. You know that everything you’ve been through has made you stronger, but it's also taken a toll.
You’ve been functioning. Showing up. Doing what needs to be done. But underneath it all, something still feels unresolved…
If your loss was years ago, yet it still catches you off guard.
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If your body reacts before your mind can explain why.
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If you’re tired of only talking about what happened — and want to actually live different.
THERE IS HOPE
You don’t need to relive the past forever to heal from it AND you don’t have to do this alone.
I specialize in helping adults process trauma and grief in a way that’s gentle, grounded that can lead to change.
If you're ready to take charge of your well being, I'm here to help.
I help people like you who’ve spent years holding it all together finally feel safe to let go and recover from the pain of their past. Together, we can process your experience and help you build a meaningful, fulfilling life
Meet Ciara Helm, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and EMDR Therapist
I'm so glad you have taken the first step toward healing by looking for an EMDR therapist. No matter your journey to get here, I want to assure you that it's okay to not be okay. You deserve time and space to deal with your pain, that’s exactly why I opened Hopeful Heart Counseling to provide Remote EMDR therapy in Tampa and all of Florida.
While anxiety, grief and trauma can fundamentally change you as a human being, it doesn't have to be a life sentence. You CAN heal from old wounds: whether that's childhood trauma, significant loss, or any other painful experience that makes it difficult to be the person you want to be.
You Can’t Change Your Painful Past, but you CAN Change Your Future and It Starts With a Single Step.
It would be nice if there was a start over button on life. But through EMDR therapy, I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand that transformation is possible so your past doesn’t have to determine your future.
My approach to EMDR Therapy
I view therapy as a collaboration, so I strive to build a strong therapeutic relationship with every person who enters my virtual therapy room. Together, we'll create a customized treatment plan that suits your unique needs.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) somatic therapy are two of the main approaches I use when helping my clients recover from trauma. Both are extremely effective ways of processing your experience and finding new, more helpful ways of coping.
My work is grounded in EMDR therapy, an evidence-based approach that helps the brain and nervous system process painful experiences in a way that talk therapy alone often can’t. I integrate EMDR with relational, trauma-informed care and thoughtful conversation, always moving at a pace that feels safe and supportive.
As a trained EMDR Therapist, I believe in being honest and authentic with each of my clients. My goal is to create a welcoming, nonjudgmental space where you can share your feelings and thoughts without worrying if you are a burden.
Many of my clients are thoughtful, capable people who have spent years holding it together. On the outside, life may look “fine,” but internally they feel overwhelmed, disconnected, anxious, or stuck in patterns they can’t fully explain.
My goal isn’t to rush healing or “fix” you — it’s to help you feel more regulated in your body, more present in your life, and less controlled by the past.
Services I Offer
Tampa Trauma Therapy (Online)
Trauma can leave you feeling stuck in the past. Working with a Trauma therapist can help you move forward in an empowered, intentional way.
Tampa EMDR therapy (Online)
EMDR is a special kind of trauma therapy that can help you rewrite your trauma story. Learn more about this treatment and how working with an EMDR therapist can help.
Tampa Grief Counseling (Online)
Loss is a part of life, but that doesn't mean you have to go through it alone. Whether you're mourning the death of a loved one, grieving the parent-child relationship you wish you had, or are navigating a life transition, grief therapy can help.
FAQs about working with a Tampa EMDR Therapist
Starting online EMDR therapy can feel overwhelming, especially if you've never worked with a therapist before. Here, I answer some of the common questions I get as an EMDR Therapist who specializes in Trauma and Grief.
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Grief and trauma don’t just live in your thoughts — they live in your nervous system.
After a sudden loss or overwhelming experience, your body may stay in a state of survival long after the event has passed. This can look like anxiety, emotional numbness, irritability, trouble sleeping, or feeling easily overwhelmed, even when life seems “okay” on the outside.
EMDR therapy helps the brain and nervous system reprocess experiences that feel unfinished. Instead of repeatedly talking about what happened, EMDR works with the way your brain naturally stores memories, allowing them to be processed and integrated so they no longer feel as intense or disruptive.
For many of my clients, this leads to feeling calmer in their body, more present in relationships, and less controlled by past experiences — even ones that happened years ago.
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Online EMDR therapy follows the same evidence-based process as in-person EMDR, just adapted for a secure virtual setting. We meet through a HIPAA-compliant video platform, and I guide you step by step through the EMDR process at a pace that feels safe and manageable.
Instead of in-office equipment, we use simple bilateral stimulation methods that work well online, all that is need is a pair of headphones for me to provide EMDR audibly.
Before we ever start EMDR it’s vital to create a strong foundation. So we first spend time building coping and grounding skills before doing any trauma processing, so you feel supported and prepared.
Many clients find that doing EMDR from their own home helps them feel more at ease during sessions. Throughout the process, I check in regularly and adjust as needed — you’re never pushed to go faster or deeper than you’re ready for.
If you’d like, we can talk more about whether online EMDR therapy is a good fit for your needs during your intro call.
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Research shows therapy works best when you feel understood, respected, and genuinely connected to your therapist. That sense of safety and trust is a big part of what helps real change happen.
This work often resonates with people who have spent years pushing through and showing up — even when things felt heavy underneath. You might be high-functioning on the outside, but internally feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or like you’ve been carrying more than you ever had space to process.
Maybe you’ve tried talking things through before, but it didn’t fully land. Or you’re tired of quick fixes and want support that helps your body and nervous system actually work through what you’ve been through — whether that’s trauma, grief, or a loss that still shows up in unexpected ways.
If you’re looking for therapy that feels steady, personal, and centered around your experience — not rushed or surface-level — my therapy approach may be a really good fit.
FAQ: Insurance & Fees
Do you accept insurance?
Like many specialty providers, I do not participate as an in-network provider with insurance companies.
Working outside of insurance allows me to offer greater privacy, flexibility, and clinical depth in our work together — without limitations on diagnosis, session length, or treatment approach.
For a 45 Minute Individual Therapy Session my session fee is $175
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Out-of-network reimbursement varies by plan, but many insurance companies reimburse 60–80% of the session fee after the deductible is met.
You’re welcome to contact your insurance provider directly to ask about your specific benefits. Helpful questions include:
Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits for telehealth?
What is my out-of-network deductible, and how much has been met?
What percentage of psychotherapy sessions is reimbursed?
How long does reimbursement typically take?
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I do reserve a limited number of sliding scale spots in my practice when available. These spots are often full, but you’re welcome to reach out and ask.
If I’m unable to offer a sliding scale opening, I’m happy to help provide referrals to trusted clinicians or resources.
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Yes. Many clients choose to use their out-of-network benefits to help offset the cost of therapy.
If your plan includes out-of-network mental health coverage, your insurance company may reimburse a portion of each session once your deductible is met.
I’m happy to provide monthly superbills you can submit directly to your insurance company.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Your past experiences don't have to rule your life. Hopeful Heart Counseling can give a voice to your pain and help you feel seen, heard, and validated. Together, we can make sense of your experience and give you the confidence you need to create the life and relationships you want.
If you're interested in learning more about my approach to therapy or feel ready to get started, I encourage you to reach out. I offer free, 10-minute consultations so you can get a sense of whether I might be the right therapist for you.