PTSD Treatment in
Orange County & Riverside, CA
PTSD keeps the past alive in the present — making your nervous system react to memories as if the danger is happening right now. Heidi Francine is an EMDR trained, trauma-informed Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a specialty in PTSD treatment, helping clients across Orange County and Riverside County finally find relief and reclaim their lives.
PTSD Is a Nervous System Injury — Not a Mental Weakness
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is what happens when the brain and nervous system are unable to fully process and recover from a traumatic experience. It's not a sign of weakness, fragility, or being "broken." It's a physiological response — the nervous system stuck in a state of chronic threat activation long after the danger has passed.
When trauma occurs, the brain's normal memory processing is disrupted. The experience gets stored in a raw, unprocessed form — vivid, emotionally charged, and lacking the "this happened in the past" context that normal memories have. This is why PTSD flashbacks feel so real. The nervous system isn't remembering the past — it's re-experiencing it in the present.
The result is a life organized around avoiding triggers, managing overwhelming emotions, and surviving each day — rather than actually living. PTSD is one of Heidi's core clinical specialties, and she brings both deep expertise and genuine compassion to this work.
Book a ConsultationEndorsed by Leading Organizations
EMDR therapy — Heidi's primary treatment for PTSD — is endorsed as a first-line treatment by the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychological Association (APA), the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense. It is one of the most researched trauma treatments in the world.
PTSD & the Polyvagal Nervous System
Polyvagal Theory helps explain why PTSD feels the way it does in the body. Trauma locks the nervous system in sympathetic activation (fight/flight) or dorsal vagal shutdown (freeze/collapse) — sometimes cycling between both. Heidi's Polyvagal-informed approach works with these nervous system states directly, helping clients build the safety and regulation needed for trauma processing to be effective.
How PTSD Can Show Up in Your Life
PTSD symptoms fall into four main clusters. Not everyone experiences all of them — and PTSD can look very different from person to person.
Intrusive memories — flashbacks, unwanted images, or sensory re-experiencing of traumatic events
Nightmares or disturbing dreams related to the traumatic experience
Hypervigilance — constantly scanning for danger, easily startled, unable to relax
Avoidance of people, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind you of the trauma
Emotional numbing — feeling detached from others, unable to experience positive emotions
Persistent negative beliefs — "I am damaged," "The world is completely dangerous," "I can't trust anyone"
Irritability, anger outbursts, or reckless behavior
Difficulty concentrating or remembering important aspects of the traumatic event
Feeling permanently changed — like you can never go back to who you were before
Physical reactions to reminders — racing heart, sweating, nausea, panic
Dissociation — feeling detached from yourself, like you're watching from outside your body
Difficulty maintaining relationships — pushing people away, feeling fundamentally alone
Why EMDR Is Heidi's First Choice for PTSD
EMDR was originally developed specifically for PTSD — and decades of research confirm it as one of the most effective treatments available. Here's why it works so well.
🧠 Works with the Brain, Not Against It
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones — to activate both brain hemispheres simultaneously while you briefly hold a traumatic memory in mind. This mimics the natural memory processing that happens during REM sleep, allowing the brain to do what it couldn't do when the trauma first occurred: fully process and integrate the experience.
🚫 No Detailed Verbal Retelling Required
Unlike some trauma therapies, EMDR does not require you to narrate your trauma in detail or repeatedly expose yourself to distressing content. Processing happens internally — you share what you notice at your own comfort level. Many clients find this enormously relieving, especially those for whom talking about the trauma has felt re-traumatizing in the past.
⚡ Often Faster Than Talk Therapy
PTSD that has been resistant to years of talk therapy often responds relatively quickly to EMDR — sometimes within 6–12 sessions for single-incident trauma. This is because EMDR addresses the neurological encoding of traumatic memory directly, rather than working around it through insight and coping strategies alone.
🌿 Addresses the Whole Nervous System
Heidi's Polyvagal-informed approach ensures that EMDR is paired with nervous system preparation — building the regulation and safety resources you need before diving into trauma processing. This makes treatment more effective and ensures you always leave sessions feeling grounded, not activated.
PTSD Takes Many Forms — All Are Treatable
Heidi has extensive experience with the full spectrum of PTSD presentations.
Single-Incident PTSD
Resulting from one specific traumatic event — an accident, assault, medical emergency, natural disaster, or sudden loss. Often highly responsive to EMDR, sometimes within just a few sessions.
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
Resulting from prolonged, repeated trauma — often childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, or long-term captivity. Characterized by emotional dysregulation, negative self-concept, and relational difficulties. Requires longer-term, carefully paced treatment.
Childhood Trauma & PTSD
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — abuse, neglect, household dysfunction — can create lasting PTSD symptoms that persist into adulthood, often without the person realizing the connection. Heidi specializes in working with developmental trauma.
Relationship & Betrayal Trauma
PTSD arising from intimate partner violence, emotional abuse, infidelity, or other significant relational betrayals. Often involves profound difficulties with trust and safety in relationships.
Medical & Accident Trauma
PTSD following serious medical events, surgical trauma, car accidents, or other unexpected physical emergencies. The body's experience of threat can be just as traumatic as psychological harm.
Secondary / Vicarious Trauma
PTSD-like symptoms developed through exposure to others' trauma — common in first responders, healthcare workers, therapists, and caregivers. Real, significant, and deserving of care.
Meet Heidi Francine, LMFT
Heidi Francine is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a specialty in PTSD and trauma treatment across Orange County and Riverside County. EMDR trained and Polyvagal-informed, she brings both rigorous clinical expertise and genuine human compassion to this deeply important work.
With thousands of hours of clinical experience — including extensive work with complex PTSD, childhood trauma, and difficult cases — Heidi understands that PTSD treatment requires patience, skill, and an unwavering commitment to your safety and pace. She never pushes. She meets you exactly where you are.
As one client shared: "Heidi is an amazing EMDR therapist. She completely transformed my life. She met me where I was at in life, she always showed up for me and made me feel safe throughout the whole process."
Healing Is Possible
Heidi is an amazing EMDR therapist. She completely transformed my life. She met me where I was at in life, she always showed up for me and made me feel safe throughout the whole process.
Heidi is an excellent therapist, especially if you are looking for someone who specializes in EMDR. I originally began seeing her for trauma-related issues and she has been incredibly skilled at guiding me through the process.
I was looking for a certified EMDR therapist in the area but had no luck until I found Heidi — and I'm so glad I did. She is incredibly skilled, compassionate, and professional.
PTSD Treatment — Frequently Asked Questions
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) develops when the nervous system is unable to fully process and recover from a traumatic experience. Common symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, emotional numbing, avoidance of reminders, and persistent negative beliefs about yourself or the world. You don't need a formal diagnosis to benefit from trauma treatment — if past experiences are affecting how you function today, therapy can help.
EMDR is one of the most researched and effective treatments for PTSD, endorsed by the World Health Organization, American Psychological Association, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many clients who struggled to make progress with traditional talk therapy experience significant breakthroughs with EMDR because it works directly with how traumatic memories are stored in the brain and nervous system — not just how we think or talk about them.
No — and this is one of the most important things to understand. EMDR does not require you to narrate your trauma in detail or repeatedly relive painful experiences. You hold the memory in mind while Heidi guides you through bilateral stimulation — the processing happens internally. Many clients are relieved to find that EMDR can create significant healing without extensive verbal retelling of traumatic events.
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) develops from prolonged, repeated trauma — often in childhood or within relationships. In addition to classic PTSD symptoms, C-PTSD includes emotional dysregulation, negative self-concept, and profound difficulty in relationships. It is absolutely treatable, though it often requires longer-term therapy. Heidi has significant experience working with complex PTSD and tailors treatment to the specific needs of each client.
Single-incident PTSD (one specific traumatic event) can often be substantially resolved in 6–12 EMDR sessions. Complex PTSD or PTSD with multiple traumatic experiences typically requires longer treatment. Heidi will give you a realistic picture after your initial consultation — and will always work at a pace that feels safe for you.
$180 per session. A sliding scale is available based on income and consistent attendance. Super Bills are accepted for PPO Insurance holders for potential out-of-network reimbursement.
Yes — EMDR and trauma therapy can be effectively delivered via secure online Zoom sessions. Research supports the effectiveness of telehealth trauma treatment, and many clients find that working from the safety of their own home actually supports the therapeutic process. Online sessions are available to any California resident.
PTSD Treatment — Four Ways to Connect
In-person PTSD treatment in Riverside, Huntington Beach, and Costa Mesa — plus secure Zoom sessions throughout California.
Huntington Beach Office
16052 Beach Blvd Suite 214Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Costa Mesa Office
2900 Bristol St Suite G-101Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Online & Zoom Sessions
Available statewideCalifornia residents only