Trauma & Couples
Therapy Services
Connect with our experienced therapists at Brave Heart Therapy to begin your journey toward healing and self-improvement. Reach out today to learn more about our personalized therapy services designed to meet your unique needs.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Our practice is rooted in a trauma-informed approach that honors the impact of past experiences on the brain, body, and nervous system. We understand that trauma can show up in many forms—from acute incidents to ongoing relational or developmental wounds—and that healing requires both emotional safety and tailored therapeutic support.
All therapists in the practice are trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a well-established, evidence-based method for treating trauma, anxiety, and other distressing life experiences. EMDR helps the brain reprocess painful memories so they can be stored more adaptively, reducing emotional reactivity and supporting long-term relief. It’s particularly effective for:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Complex or developmental trauma
Anxiety and panic
Grief and loss
Childhood neglect or abuse
EMDR can be used as a standalone treatment or integrated with talk therapy, depending on the client's needs and readiness. In addition to EMDR, Benita also offers Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR)—a newer modality focused on the brainstem’s earliest responses to trauma.
EMDR
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful, research-backed therapy designed to help people heal from traumatic experiences and distressing life events. It works by allowing the brain to reprocess painful memories that have become "stuck," so they no longer trigger intense emotional responses in the present.
EMDR doesn't require you to talk in detail about the trauma. Instead, it uses bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements or tactile tapping—while you recall emotionally charged memories in a safe and controlled setting. This supports your brain’s natural ability to process and heal.
What Can EMDR Help With?
EMDR has been extensively researched and is recognized by organizations such as the American Psychological Association (APA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as an effective treatment for trauma.
It is highly effective for:
PTSD and complex trauma
Childhood abuse or neglect
Anxiety and panic
Phobias
Medical trauma
Negative self beliefs
Grief and loss
Attachment wounds
Performance anxiety
and more!
Our EMDR Approach
At Brave Heart Therapy, all of our therapists are trained in EMDR and bring a trauma-informed, relational lens to this work. We believe that therapy should feel collaborative, empowering, and paced to your comfort level.
We offer EMDR both as a standalone treatment and as part of a blended approach, combining it with talk therapy, parts work, or other somatic methods depending on what feels most supportive to your healing.
We take special care to ensure:
You feel grounded and resourced before starting EMDR
Sessions are personalized to your needs and goals
You are never rushed through the process
Your emotional and nervous system regulation is prioritized
Benita, LCSW and founder, is a Certified EMDR Therapist and integrates EMDR alongside other advanced trauma treatments like Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR).
Victoria and Logan, both trained in EMDR, also incorporate it into their trauma-informed care for Arizona clients.
DBR
What is DBR?
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a cutting-edge, neuroscience-based approach to trauma therapy that targets the very earliest, nonverbal layers of our experience. It works directly with the brainstem’s initial responses to threat—the instinctive, pre-conscious patterns that form before we even register emotions or thoughts. DBR gently accesses the orienting response, a subtle but powerful tension in the body that occurs when we first detect a potential threat. By carefully tracking this tension along with layers of shock and emotional activation, DBR allows the body and brain to process trauma at its source—before it becomes overwhelmed, shut down, or buried beneath defensive responses.
Clients often find DBR especially helpful when:
They’ve experienced early or attachment-related trauma
They feel “stuck” despite prior therapy
Their trauma is held more in the body than in words
They want to access deeper layers of healing, beyond talk therapy
Because it works at such a foundational level, DBR can unlock healing in cases where other methods have plateaued. It is a more gentle, non-retraumatizing approach that honors your nervous system’s natural pace for integration and repair.
Who Offers DBR at Brave Heart Therapy?
As a certified EMDR therapist with extensive experience treating complex trauma, I’ve long valued therapies that support deeper, lasting healing. Over time, I found that while EMDR remained a powerful modality, some clients—particularly those with early attachment wounds or developmental trauma—needed a different way in. That led me to train in Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR).
At this time, Benita is the only therapist in the practice offering DBR. If you’re curious and would like to read more about this approach, we encourage you to visit the official Deep Brain Reorienting website. And if you’d like to explore whether DBR might be a good fit for you, Benita will be happy to discuss further during a scheduled phone consultation.
Couples Therapy
We offer thoughtful, affirming, and skilled care for couples and partnerships of all kinds. Whether you’re feeling disconnected, navigating a significant transition, or looking to strengthen your bond, couples therapy provides a space for growth, repair, and deeper connection.
We welcome and specialize in both traditional and nontraditional relationship structures, including non-monogamous partnerships and those exploring identity shifts within their relationship.
Meet Logan Denny, LAC — Couples & Sex Therapist
Logan is a Licensed Associate Counselor with a warm, down-to-earth approach. They are deeply attuned to the ways identity, trauma, and culture impact relationships.
Logan works with couples to address:
Communication and conflict patterns
Emotional and physical intimacy
Gender identity and transition within relationships
Navigating non-monogamy or kink
Healing from religious or sexual trauma
Logan creates a welcoming, judgment-free environment for partners to show up authentically, explore relationship dynamics, and build stronger connections. Their work integrates narrative therapy, IFS-informed approaches, somatic awareness, and sex therapy—always tailored to each couple’s needs.
Session Details
Serving adult individuals and couples (18+)
In-person sessions available in Mesa, AZ
Virtual sessions statewide in Arizona
In-network with Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
Contact us
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