EMDR THERAPIST IN VIRGINIA
RESOLVING trauma &
BUILDING secure attachment
EMDR for Trauma, Attachment, & Relationships
Online Across Virginia
Extended Sessions for Deeper Healing
If relationships feel painful, confusing, or hard to trust, there may be more underneath the surface than you realize.
I’m Dan Cimo, a licensed clinical social worker and EMDR therapist specializing in complex developmental trauma. I help adults across Virginia heal childhood trauma, complex PTSD, and attachment wounds through extended EMDR sessions so they can build more secure, connected relationships from the inside out. I have deep expertise supporting men and LGBTQ+ adults.
DAN CIMO, LCSW | TRAUMA & RELATIONSHIP THERAPIST IN VIRGINIA
01
Trauma Resolution
Heal the wounds at the root, not just manage the symptoms at the surface.
02
Attachment Repair
Build secure relationships with yourself and others from the inside out.
03
Practical Skills
Gain tools for navigating your emotions and relationships with confidence.
WHEN TRAUMA SHAPES THE WAY YOU connect
You may want close, steady relationships and still find yourself stuck in painful patterns. Maybe you fear being abandoned, but struggle to fully trust when someone shows up. Maybe you give too much of yourself, shut down, stay guarded, or feel overwhelmed when a relationship starts to matter.
These patterns are not random, and they are not a sign that something is wrong with you.
Childhood trauma, emotional neglect, and complex PTSD can shape the way your nervous system responds to closeness, conflict, trust, and connection. What looks like pulling away, overreacting, or needing too much is often an attachment system trying to protect you.
In relationships, this can look like:
fear of abandonment or rejection
difficulty trusting safe people
emotional shutdown or numbness
people-pleasing or over-functioning
repeating painful relationship patterns
Therapy can help you understand those patterns, heal the trauma underneath them, and begin building secure attachment from the inside out.
specialized therapy for
TRAUMA, ATTACHMENT, AND RELATIONSHIPS
EMDR
EMDR is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps process unresolved trauma which may still be shaping how you feel, respond, and connect in relationships. It is a powerful approach for healing the root of painful emotional and attachment patterns.
Childhood Trauma
& Complex PTSD
Childhood trauma and complex PTSD can affect your sense of safety, self-worth, and connection long after the past is over. Therapy can help you heal what still feels stuck and begin moving through life with more stability and security.
Attachment &
Relationship Challenges
Attachment wounds often show up as fear of abandonment, difficulty trusting, emotional shutdown, people-pleasing, or repeating painful relationship patterns. Healing these wounds can help you build more secure, connected relationships from the inside out.
HEALING THE TRAUMA underneath the pattern
Relationship struggles rooted in trauma are not just patterns you can think your way out of. They often live deeper in the nervous system, where past experiences still shape how safe, connected, or threatened you feel with other people.
EMDR helps your brain and body process unresolved trauma so those experiences no longer carry the same emotional charge. As that happens, it can become easier to feel more grounded, more open, and more secure in your relationships.
This work is not about forcing you to relive everything that happened. It is about helping your system heal what it has been carrying so you can move toward greater stability, connection, and secure attachment.
A STEADY PROCESS FOR
trauma healing & attachment repair
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We begin by building safety, trust, and a stronger foundation for the work ahead. This includes understanding how trauma and attachment wounds may be shaping your current relationships, emotions, and patterns of connection.
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Using EMDR, we work through unresolved trauma that may still be driving fear, shame, overwhelm, or painful relationship patterns. This is where deeper healing begins to take root.
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As old survival patterns begin to loosen, you can start relating to yourself and others in a new way. The goal is greater emotional security, healthier relationships, and a stronger sense of self.
focused care for
TRAUMA & ATTACHMENT
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Most therapy sessions are 45 to 50 minutes. Ours are 90 minutes to 2 hours. That extra time allows us to do meaningful trauma processing without rushing, so you can settle in, go deeper, and leave each session feeling like real progress was made.
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I am EMDRIA-trained through Precision EMDR and currently pursuing advanced certification with a focus on complex developmental trauma. I have also previously trained in Attachment-Focused EMDR through the Parnell Institute. This means I’m equipped to work with the kind of layered, long-standing trauma that many therapists aren’t specifically trained to treat.
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This isn’t general therapy. Everything I do is rooted in the understanding that unresolved trauma impacts how you relate to yourself and others. That focused lens means you’re working with a specialist, not a generalist, and every session is oriented toward building lasting security from the inside out.
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I’m an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work and currently pursuing my Doctor of Social Work in Trauma-Informed Leadership and Practice. I invest in my own growth continuously because it directly shapes the quality of care you receive.
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Sessions happen online from wherever you are in Virginia. No commute, no waiting room, and no compromising on the quality of your care. All you need is a private space and a reliable internet connection.
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I bring specific training and lived understanding to working with men navigating the impact of trauma and LGBTQ+ adults healing from identity-based wounds and attachment ruptures. As a gay man who has walked his own healing path, I don't just affirm your experience. I understand it. That depth shapes how I show up in every session.
GETTING STARTED is simple
01
Book A Free Consultation
Reach out and schedule a free 20-minute consultation. We'll talk about what you're going through and see how I might be able to help. No pressure, just an honest conversation.
02
Get A Clear Plan
During your first sessions, we'll walk through your history and what you want to feel differently. Then we'll build a focused plan designed specifically for you.
03
Experience Real Change
Using EMDR with a focus on attachment and relationships, we'll work together to heal what's been keeping you stuck. You will have support every step of the way.
“Dan was the first therapist where I felt like I was actually changing. Not just talking about my problems, but actually moving through them.”
— Former Client, C.S.
“It feels like talking to an old friend. Someone who really gets it. I’ve accomplished things in this work that I hadn’t with previous therapists.”
— Former Client, M.P.
"Dan is very down to earth. He explains everything in a way that makes sense. I actually look forward to our sessions. It’s been transformative and eye opening."
— Former Client, E.T.
