TRAUMA AND PTSD · ORANGE COUNTY
Trauma, PTSD and EMDR in Orange County
Trauma can keep your body on alert long after the danger is over. Kin Wellness, in Fountain Valley, treats trauma and PTSD inside an intensive outpatient program for Orange County adults, with EMDR by video or in person at our office.
Groups meet by video, Monday to Friday, in a morning track (9 AM to 12 PM) or an evening track (5 PM to 8 PM). EMDR and other individual sessions can be in person or by video.
EMDR IN FOUNTAIN VALLEY
EMDR in person in Fountain Valley
At our office at 8780 Warner Ave, Ste 11, EMDR uses the NeuroTek EyeScan lightbar, a bar of light that moves side to side for your eyes to follow while you work with a memory. Some people prefer this in the room with their therapist. Others prefer video from a private space at home, where the therapist guides the side to side movement on screen. You can use both during the same program.
At Kin, EMDR is part of the IOP, not a separate service. That means you have groups and weekly individual therapy around it, which matters when old memories stir things up between sessions.
BEFORE EMDR
Getting ready before EMDR
EMDR doesn't start on day one. First you build ways to steady yourself, in groups like Window of Tolerance and the Grounding and Containment Toolkit. We check your symptoms with the PCL-5, a PTSD checklist, at intake and then monthly, and your therapist uses it to decide with you when to begin EMDR. The full list of trauma groups is on our trauma and PTSD page.
When trauma needs more than weekly therapy
People come to us when nightmares, flashbacks, panic or numbness are getting in the way of work and relationships, or when a recent event has stirred up older ones. Some come after a hospital stay or a partial hospitalization program in the county. Weekly therapy can feel too far apart when memories come up every day.
Local help can be hard to find. The state's January 2026 workforce report estimates Orange County has about 59 full time licensed therapists for every 100 needed, and EMDR trained therapists are a smaller group within that.
QUESTIONS
Questions people in Orange County ask about trauma care
Do you offer EMDR in Orange County?
Yes, at our Fountain Valley office or by video, as part of our intensive outpatient program.
Do I have to talk about what happened in group?
No. Groups focus on skills and on how trauma affects the body and relationships. You don't need to share details of what happened. That work happens in individual sessions, at your pace.
Can EMDR be done by video?
Yes. Your therapist guides the side to side movement over video. Research on online EMDR is newer than research on in person EMDR, so we talk through which fits you.
Can I come in person for some sessions and use video for others?
Yes. Some people use video for groups and come to Fountain Valley for EMDR.
Do you take my insurance?
Most major PPO and HMO plans are accepted, including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and United Healthcare. We check your benefits before you commit. We do not accept Medi-Cal or Medicare.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), call 911, or call OC Links at 855.625.4657 for a county mobile crisis team. Our program is not an emergency service.
Clinically reviewed by Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, Clinical Director. Medically reviewed by Dr. Joe DeSanto, MD, Medical Director. Last updated October 2026.
Related: Trauma and PTSD treatment · EMDR therapy · Virtual IOP in Orange County · Relationships and codependency
WHO YOU WOULD WORK WITH
A small team you will actually get to know
Kin Wellness is run by its clinicians. The people below are the people in your groups, and the full team is on the Team page.
Cofounder and Clinical Director, LCSW #80761, Ph.D Candidate
Paola Mercado Demeza, AMFT
Cofounder and Lead Clinical Therapist, Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #15190. Supervised by Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, Ph.D Candidate
Dr. Joe DeSanto, MD
Angelina DeSanto, LCSW
Medical DirectorLET US HELP
Tell us how to reach you
Tell us how to reach you and someone from our team will call you back. The first conversation is short and confidential: what has been going on, what your questions are, whether this is the right level of care for you, and what it would cost with your insurance. There is no obligation to enroll, and if it is a fit you can start right away.
Prefer to call?
949.706.8610
Office hours Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 8 PM Pacific. In person care at 8780 Warner Ave, Ste 11, Fountain Valley CA 92708.