Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. My name is Klara “Nat” Granger, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, licensed in the state of New York. I graduated from Columbia University School of Social Work in 2014, and have worked in a variety of public health and direct care settings prior to starting my private practice in 2019.

In my practice, I offer deep compassion for individuals with PTSD, complex trauma, and dissociative disorders. My primary treatment areas are in working with the LGBTQIA+ population, complex/dissociative PTSD, Autism / ADHD, and persons with larger bodies. I also offer trauma treatment groups using the Finding Solid Ground model.

Whether you’ve tried therapy before, or it’s your very first time, psychotherapy is an opportunity to learn new skills, re-evaluate negative beliefs that drive you, and integrate adaptive truths bit by bit.

I specialize in offering EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR is an evidence-based method which is quite different from standard talk therapy.

I’m certified in EMDR through EMDRIA, following several years of rigorous training. I am also a Consultant-in-Training with EMDRIA, providing support and consultation in applying EMDR to other clinicians who are training towards certification in EMDR. I am currently working towards certification in the following complementary areas: EMDR 2.0, eating disorder treatment, and experiential education (nature/eco/outdoors therapy). I also have trained in the cutting-edge stabilizing intervention for highly dissociative cases, Finding Solid Ground, which in many cases is appropriate to use prior to practicing EMDR. Woven together, my approach of FSG and EMDR techniques creates a safe, gentle environment for healing some of the worst pain that someone can feel.

Who can benefit from EMDR?

The goal of EMDR is to help adults heal from traumatic events, and to develop more harmonious relationships between parts of the self. My approach is calibrated to be effective for individuals who meet criteria for Complex PTSD, PTSD with dissociative features, dissociative disorders, depression, and generalized anxiety. It can also be well-suited for those who struggle with substance dependence/abuse, eating disorders, phobias (including agoraphobia), and personality disorders. This approach can also benefit those with physical pain, sleep disorders, individuals who have suffered medical trauma, individuals who have experienced disturbing episodes of discrimination, and more. I have also experience in treating Psychological Non-Epileptic Seizures with these modalities.

If you struggle with shame, self-blame, nightmares, an intense inner critic, difficulty remembering elements of traumatic events you’ve experienced, explosive anger or irritability, or emotional dysregulation when reminded of certain events, this treatment pathway may benefit you. I also have lived experience and specialization in working with neurodivergent brains and making EMDR effective for individuals with ADHD and Autism, though treatment to ‘cure’ these experiences is not aligned with clinical best practices.

What is your approach like?

The standard process of treatment with me involves a thorough assessment using tools to evaluate complex trauma and dissociation, and check for additional mental health diagnoses. I may refer you to further neuropsychological testing if it appears that undiagnosed autism or ADHD may be part of the picture.

We will complete an assessment of your childhood and relationships with your parents as well. The process takes some time – expect this to take at minimum three sessions. That being said, if you’re in crisis when we first get started, we might just start with stabilization skills and skip over some of the assessment process until later.

Once the assessment phase is complete, we will know how to proceed. For individuals with significant dissociation or C-PTSD, we will likely start with at least some FSG to help you increase your sense of being grounded and able to take in the trauma treatment. If your dissociation score is low, we may go ahead and start with EMDR, with the possibility of looping back to FSG as needed. Many clients with C-PTSD benefit from joining one of my FSG groups concurrently while utilizing EMDR in individual treatment. Overall, I’m extremely flexible, and if at any point you’re feeling a lack of certainty about the process, or a desire to recalibrate, I’m always open to ‘pivot’ into whatever approach speaks to you best.

What is complex trauma?

The standard EMDR protocol was built on the assumption of a single event of trauma. This might be a car accident, assault, a near-death experience, or something else discrete and singular.

However, individuals who have experienced traumatic events or neglect in childhood/teenagehood, or repeated exposures to traumatic experiences as adults, or a combination of many different traumatic experiences are strong candidates for an integrative approach.

Many patients approach me with the belief that they do not have complex trauma, but as we explore their history, we discover that they do. This is a very common experience – since many of us have parts that minimize or downplay our negative experiences. Uncovering complex trauma can be emotionally distressing in its own right. Before ruling out the possibility of having complex PTSD, check out this video and explore the 8 Hidden Signs of Complex PTSD.

The wonderful thing about the integrative FSG/EMDR approach is that whenever your parts are ready for EMDR, we can get started with it! Sometimes it will be after a month of getting into our work. Sometimes it will be after a year or more.

Regardless, I’m here to join you on your healing journey for as long as you need, without time pressure on my end.

How much healing is possible with FSG/EMDR? Are there any limitations?

The sky’s the limit! I have seen some patients experience total symptom remission in a relatively quick timeframe. However, this is more of the exception, not the rule. It’s important to have realistic expectations. I suggest patients give our work 10-12 sessions before deciding this isn’t the right treatment approach. Earlier termination risks being premature.

Throughout treatment, I will assign symptom assessment measures to evaluate treatment success. This helps us evaluate your symptoms to identify progress.

Often new patients present wanting immediate relief from symptoms, and I understand that. Symptoms like suicidal ideation, self-injury, substance use, eating disorders, etc. can be life-threatening, and it makes sense to prioritize them as immediate treatment goals. My goal is to provide at least some initial symptom relief as soon as possible. EMDR 2.0 is very helpful to achieving this goal, while involving less potential for abreactions than the standard protocol.

In some cases, it may be more appropriate for a patient to seek treatment through an intensive outpatient setting, or even inpatient setting, rather than individual outpatient psychotherapy — at least until these experiences have stabilized enough to no longer be an immediate threat to life. However, we can discuss this during treatment.

In the cases of individuals with psychosis, bipolar disorder, mania, severe depression, OCD, or other conditions with biological contributors, it may be best to also involve psychiatric care in addition to EMDR. Our work often improves symptoms for those with these conditions, but our work is usually most effective when symptoms feel less overwhelming.

However, I more than recognize the role that psychiatry often plays as a carceral tool of oppression. My lens is non-pathologizing, and I affirm those who seek to live life without psychiatric medications. Research increasingly supports options such as Metabolic Psychiatry. Those with hallucinations or other extrasensory experiences may find comfort in the Hearing Voices Network. I honor and welcome those who have traditionally been excluded from mental health treatment in the private practice context, provided our mutual needs are being met.