JENNIFER JOHNSTON, LCSWR

Consultation Facilitator

Jennifer “Jenn” Johnston, LCSWR is a Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant-in-Training (CIT). Jenn is a seasoned clinical social worker who has found her passion in working with first responders and military members in her practice in western New York.

Jenn has training and experience in working with adults and children challenged with depression, mood disorders, trauma, grief, anxiety, ADHD, and psychosis. She is also trained in using EMDR in recent, critical events (RTEP), intensive EMDR, groups (GTEP), and in integrating EMDR with Internal Family Systems. She is dedicated to doing research with first responders to help further the delivery of evidence-based EMDR interventions with this population.

Jenn enjoys teaching and mentoring other therapists in supervision and consultation, and appreciates the synergy of shared knowledge and collaboration.

To learn more about Jenn’s professional background and services, including therapy and consultation, please visit https://calmseapsyc.com/team/jenn-johnston/.

BARBARA BARRY, LMFT

Consultation Facilitator

Barbara Barry, LMFT is a Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDR Consultant-In-Training (CIT). She has been in private practice since 2015 in Palm Springs, California, where, as the only therapist in her area to welcome Medi-Cal clients, Barbara works with adults in underserved communities.

As it is her strong belief that both mental and physical wellness are the keys to achieving a fulfilling life, Barbara’s practice of wellness-based therapy takes an integrated approach, utilizing EMDR therapy coupled with the pillars of wellness: sleep, exercise, and food patterns.

Early in her EMDR career, Barbara founded the Palm Springs EMDR Consultation Group for local therapists wanting to enhance skills and discuss cases. Barbara is passionate about EMDR and enjoys working with clinicians interested in becoming skilled EMDR therapists.

To learn more about Barbara’s professional background and services, including therapy and consultation, please visit https://welllnessbasedtherapy.com.

RACHEAL RHOADES, LMFT

Consultation Facilitator

Racheal Rhoades, LMFT is a Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. Racheal has been licensed and practicing in California since 2006. She currently runs a telehealth-based private practice, where she specializes in utilizing EMDR Therapy to treat veterans and first responders. Racheal is trained in using EMDR in recent, critical events (RTEP) and with groups (GTEP).

Racheal enjoys teaching and mentoring other therapists in consultation.

To learn more about Racheal’s professional background and services, including therapy and consultation, please visit www.socaltherapyworks.org.

JENNY WATT, RCC

Consultation Facilitator

Jenny Watt, RCC is an EMDRIA Approved Consultant and a Certified EMDR Therapist who has been in private practice since 2012 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Jenny is the founder of the EMDR Therapy Group, where she provides consultation to EMDR-trained therapists, supervises master’s level practicum students, and works with clients who desire to heal from painful experiences.

Prior to private practice, Jenny worked with marginalized children and families in non-profit settings, where she discovered the importance of trauma and resiliency-informed practice, and became dedicated to trauma work.

Jenny is excited to be a Consultation Facilitator with EMDR Education and Training Center and share her passion in supporting therapists become confident and skilled EMDR therapists.

To learn more about Jenny’s professional background and services, including therapy and consultation, please visit https://emdrbc.com/about-jenny-watt.

LUZ ROBLES, PsyD

Consultation Facilitator

Luz Robles, PsyD, LCSW is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in California and Nevada. She is the founder of Lucero Wellbeing, a group practice providing trauma-informed therapy, EMDR, and comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological assessment services. She is an EMDRIA-Certified Clinician and Consultant-in-Training.

Luz specializes in working with first responders, service members, and both children and adults navigating trauma, anxiety, and complex life experiences, with a strong emphasis on culturally responsive care for Spanish-speaking and underserved communities. She integrates EMDR Therapy with CBT and attachment-informed approaches, and has advanced training in complex and developmental trauma.

Her background includes training in Clinical Rehabilitation Psychology, clinical research and she also she also serves as an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University, where she teaches graduate and doctoral-level courses and mentors developing clinicians.

To learn more about Luz Robles’ professional background and services, please visit www.lucerowellbeing.com.

JANE BASSATT-WINCHELL, LCSW

Consultation Facilitator

Jane Bassatt-Winchell, LCSW, is a Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. As a clinician, Jane has worked with clients of many backgrounds: youth and their families involved with the juvenile justice system, addiction, and with unhoused veterans.

Jane currently serves as the Clinic Coordinator for the outpatient PTSD clinic for the Veterans Administration in San Jose, California, where she has earned certification in Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as well as Exposure Relaxation and Rescription Therapy for Nightmares. Jane has completed level-1 training for Internal Family Systems Therapy. Jane also has a private practice where she predominantly sees clients who have experienced trauma.

To learn more about Jane’s professional background and services, including therapy and consultation, please visit janewinchell.com.

CHRISTINA NARENSKY, PSYD

Consultation Facilitator

Christina Narensky, PsyD is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and an EMDRIA Approved Consultant. She has a private practice in Alameda, California, where she provides consultation to EMDR-trained therapists, and offers trauma-informed care for a variety of clinical concerns.

Utilizing EMDR Therapy and IFS-informed EMDR, Christina works with adults and adolescents navigating difficult transitions, challenging behaviors, complex trauma, and trauma-related dissociation. Her work incorporates psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), Memory Reconsolidation Therapy, and attachment-informed approaches to healing.

Christina has a background in clinical supervision, graduate level instruction, community mental health, school-based counseling, family therapy, and juvenile justice. She is a parent to people and pets, a partner, and an avid science fiction and fantasy fan.

To learn more about Christina’s professional background and services, including therapy and consultation, please visit www.drchristinanarensky.com.

Dena Robertson Blackford, LMFT

Consultation Facilitator

Dena Robertson Blackford, LMFT is a Certified EMDR Therapist, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, Practicum Supervisor at Sonoma Psychotherapy Institute, and an EMDRIA Approved Virtual Trainer in EMDR Therapy.

Dena was trained in EMDR in 2013, and has been in private practice in El Dorado Hills, California since that time. Dena specializes in treating adults with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress.

To learn more about Dena’s professional background and services, please visit https://www.denarobertsonblackford.com/.

Have you ever noticed how some memories quietly fade, while others feel as vivid as if they happened yesterday? A song might instantly transport you back to a moment in time, or a certain smell might spark anxiety you can’t explain.

This isn’t random — it’s your brain’s memory system at work, carrying unresolved pieces of your past into the present. The key to understanding why some memories settle while others stay active lies in how your brain processes experience.

Your brain is built to heal

Just like the body naturally recovers from a cut, the brain is designed to process emotional experiences and move forward. If things go well, your brain makes sense of what happened and stores the memory in a way that feels settled and no longer emotionally charged.

But when an experience is too overwhelming, the brain’s natural healing process can get interrupted. The memory stays stuck — unprocessed, raw, and emotionally charged — causing the past to continue to affect the present.

Over time, these unhealed experiences can build up and intensify, shaping your thoughts, emotions, and reactions in ways that you may not even realize. Here’s how…

Memory networks: your brain’s filing system

Think of your brain as a file cabinet that stores past experiences — not just the facts, but also how you felt, what you believed, and what your body sensed. And instead of filing experiences by date, your brain organizes memories by emotional meaning.

For example: if something made you feel unsafe, that memory goes into your UNSAFE file drawer. Later, if you have an experience that feels even slightly similar — like being yelled at, having an accident, or feeling left out — it might get filed in the same drawer, even if the situations appear very different from the outside.

Over time, these drawers expand into memory networks — collections of related experiences that shape how you see yourself, how you respond, and what feels safe or threatening.

The larger a network, the stronger its influence. As a network grows, the thoughts, beliefs, emotions, body sensations, and behaviors connected to it become more intense and automatic.

It’s not all bad news: adaptive vs. maladaptive networks

When things go well, memories form adaptive networks that help you respond flexibly and stay grounded.

When experiences are overwhelming or traumatic, they can get stuck and form maladaptive networks that keep the past alive in the present.

Understanding the difference between adaptive and maladaptive networks can help you make sense of triggers, reactions, and the path to healing.

Settled and strong

Adaptive memory networks are like well-organized file cabinet drawers with memories that have been fully processed and stored in a way that supports you. You might experience them as:

- - - Accurate: connected to helpful beliefs that accurately reflect your current reality, such as “I can handle challenges” or “I’m safe now”.
    - Settled: even if an experience was hard, it now feels complete and doesn’t overwhelm you.
    - Supportive: adaptive memory networks support healthy emotional responses and flexible thinking.

Unfinished business

Maladaptive memory networks are more like messy, overstuffed file drawers — full of unprocessed, overwhelming experiences that didn’t get fully sorted. They often feel:

- - - Negative: tied to beliefs like “There’s something wrong with me” or “I’m powerless”.
    - Stuck: these memories still feel raw, immediate, or like they could happen again.
    - Problematic: maladaptive memory networks often lead to rigid behaviors, emotional reactivity, and distorted thoughts.

EMDR therapy & memory networks

EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements) to help your brain unlock and reprocess stuck memories — allowing them to be stored in healthier, more adaptive ways.

EMDR doesn’t erase what happened — it simply helps your brain place the memories in the past. You keep the insight and lose the intensity.

Connect further

To watch a video version of this blog, click on the YouTube link below. Have questions or thoughts? Feel free to like, comment, or share this post with others who may benefit.

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JENNIFER JOHNSTON, LCSWR

BARBARA BARRY, LMFT

RACHEAL RHOADES, LMFT

JENNY WATT, RCC

LUZ ROBLES, PsyD

JANE BASSATT-WINCHELL, LCSW

CHRISTINA NARENSKY, PSYD

Dena Robertson Blackford, LMFT

The Past-Present Connection

Your brain is built to heal

Memory networks: your brain’s filing system

It’s not all bad news: adaptive vs. maladaptive networks

Settled and strong

Unfinished business

EMDR therapy & memory networks

Connect further

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