EMDR and the Neurobiology of Memory: Rewiring the Brain for Recovery from “t” and “T” Trauma

Mary Vertinski, Ph.D. and Patrizia Meunier, LMFT

Mary Vertinski, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with a strong background in trauma-informed care and therapeutic interventions, including extensive experience with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and holds a BA in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Vertinski completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the San Francisco VA Healthcare System, where she provided therapy and neuropsychological assessments. She has coauthored multiple peer-reviewed articles and continues to advance clinical training and evidence-based practices with a focus on EMDR and its applications for trauma resolution.

Dr. Vertinski is currently serving as a Supervising Clinical Psychologist at Kaiser Permanente Counseling Center in Northern California. She is an EMDRIA-certified EMDR therapist and applies EMDR to help clients address trauma and other mental health challenges. Dr. Vertinski is in the process of pursuing certification as an EMDR consultant and trainer, enhancing her ability to guide and support other clinicians in incorporating EMDR into their practices. In addition to her therapy work, she supervises master’s and doctoral-level trainees, providing both individual and group supervision to foster clinical growth. She also develops didactic training materials and leads educational sessions to support clinical development.

Previously, Dr. Vertinski worked as a Staff Psychologist at Kaiser Permanente, San Rafael, where she offered individual and group psychotherapy and contributed to programs focused on trauma, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Dr. Vertinski’s commitment to recovery-oriented care is central to her practice.

Patrizia Meunier, LMFT, PhD (Physics) (she/her) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a 2005 graduate of John F. Kennedy University in California’s East Bay, where she earned a master’s in counseling psychology. Her journey in the mental health field began in 2003 when she started providing outpatient services that align deeply with her values of compassion and empowerment. Transitioning from an earlier academic career in physics, Patrizia brought her analytical background and organizational skills to psychotherapy, enriching the educational components of clinical training programs.

Since joining Kaiser Permanente in 2014, she created and led programs that reflect her commitment to culturally responsive care. In 2016, she launched a Bilingual Specialty Training Program Specialty in Spanish, and she has been directing and supervising within the Bilingual Program ever since. Fluent in Spanish, Patrizia dedicated to providing high-quality, culturally informed services to the Hispanic community.

Trauma-informed therapy is a central focus of her practice. She is trained in modalities such as Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy, and EMDR. As an EMDRIA-certified therapist and certified consultant, she works closely with both clients and clinicians to teach and integrate these transformative tools into treatment.

Starting in 2022, she was honored to take on the role of JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) officer, further supporting Kaiser Permanente’s mission to foster equity and inclusion within mental health care. Training and mentoring new clinicians are a responsibility she approaches with both seriousness and heart. Patrizia finds deep purpose and fulfillment through her leadership in the Trauma Specialty Program and the Bilingual Training Program. Every day, she feels humbled and grateful for the opportunity to guide emerging therapists while advancing accessible, effective care for diverse communities.