EMDR THERAPY & INTENSIVES
EMDR therapy for trauma, anxiety, and the beliefs that got stuck.
An evidence-based approach to help your brain and body finally release what they've been holding – in weekly sessions or focused intensives.
In person in Encinitas and online across California.
What is EMDR?
EMDR is a therapy modality that helps your brain reprocess distressing experiences so they lose their charge.
When a memory or belief gets stuck, your nervous system keeps reacting as though the past is still happening. EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – helps your mind finally file the experience as over – so it stops running the show.
It's one of the most-studied trauma treatments available. EMDR can also help with PTSD, anxiety, panic, phobias, grief, and the stuck negative beliefs so many of us carry – I'm not safe, I'm not enough, it was my fault.
How EMDR Works
I help you shift out of stuck patterns and gently detach from trauma that's been quietly shaping your present.
Gentle bilateral stimulation
During EMDR, we use gentle bilateral stimulation – left-right, back and forth – in whichever form works best for you.
Visually
by following a moving light bar with your eyes
Through headphones
with soft tones that ping gently from one ear to the other
With handheld tactile buzzers
that pulse alternately in each hand
You stay grounded the whole time
EMDR is a lot like REM Sleep. When you dream, your eyes move rapidly back and forth while your brain quietly sorts through and files away everything from your day. EMDR uses that same back-and-forth pattern to help your brain process a specific trauma or memory that got stuck, while you're awake and present.
Through EMDR you’re keeping one foot in the past, lightly focusing on the target memory – and one foot firmly in the present, here with me in a safe, supportive container.
You're never lost in the memory; you're processing it from the safety of now.
Post-traumatic stress and trauma
(including developmental and relational)Anxiety and panic
Distressing memories
Negative core beliefs about yourself
Phobias and specific fears
Grief and loss
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What EMDR can help with
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How It works
Everything you need to know about beginning EMDR Therapy
01.
Assessment
EMDR can open up a lot of emotional valves at once, and part of my job is making sure we don't flood your system to the point where daily life gets harder. First, I do careful assessment to be sure your nervous system is genuinely ready before we book an intensive.
02.
Preparation Sessions
Before we do any EMDR sessions, I get to know your history, build safety and rapport, and make sure your nervous system has the resources, resilience, and capacity it needs before we go anywhere near the hard material. This prep work is what makes the deeper processing both safe and effective.
03.
EMDR Sessions
This is where the deeper work happens in either 50-minute, 90-minute, or 3-hour reprocessing blocks. How many you'll need depends on your treatment plan and what we're working through – we map that out together. Some people come in for a focused single issue while others plan a series of blocks for something more layered.
Some things you can't think your way out ofFees & treatment plan
We'll design the right EMDR integration based on your treatment plan.
Either we fold it into your general treatment plan or we dedicate specific sessions to focus on an EMDR Intensive. Brand new clients will still need at least 2-3 prep sessions which are standard sessions at $250. And then essentially they pick 50min EMDR session, 90 minute (extended) or an intensive which is 3 hour block.
EMDR Prep Sessions
50-minute Session: $250 each
Brand new clients need at least 2-3 prep sessions
EMDR Therapy Sessions
50-minute Session: $250 each
90-minute Session: $450 each
3-hour Intensive: $900 each
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EMDR effective?
Yes – it's among the most-researched trauma therapies, and it's recognized by major health organizations as an effective treatment for PTSD. Many people experience meaningful relief where talk therapy alone had plateaued.
Is EMDR safe?
When done by a trained clinician who prioritizes safety and pacing – yes. We spend time building your capacity to stay regulated before reprocessing, and we go at your nervous system's pace.
What does an EMDR session feel like?
You stay awake, present, and in control the entire time. As you briefly hold a target memory in mind, you'll follow the light bar, the tones, or the buzzers while noticing whatever comes up – thoughts, feelings, body sensations, images. We pause often to check in. Most people notice the memory gradually feeling less charged, more distant, or reorganizing into something they can hold. You're never asked to relive anything without support.
How many sessions will I need?
It varies with what we're working on and your history. For weekly EMDR, single-incident work can move relatively quickly, while complex or developmental trauma takes longer. For intensives, everyone starts with a 2-hour prep session, followed by one or more 3-hour reprocessing blocks depending on your treatment plan. We'll map out a realistic picture together at your consult.
Can EMDR be done online?
Yes. EMDR works well virtually with the right setup, and I offer it online throughout California.
When you're ready, I'm here
Reaching out is often the hardest part. If you're feeling even a small pull toward this work, let's start with a free consultation – no pressure, no commitment, just a conversation.