EMDR Therapy is a structured, evidence-based approach that helps you process trauma, reduce anxiety, and achieve personal growth. Together, we move through eight phases, each designed to guide your healing safely and effectively. Here’s what you can expect:

1. History & Treatment Planning
   We begin by reviewing your personal history, understanding your experiences, and identifying the memories, challenges, and goals that are most important to you. I’ll work with you to create a tailored treatment plan, ensuring we focus on what matters most for your healing journey.

2. Preparation
   I’ll teach you coping strategies and techniques to manage emotional distress during and between sessions. Together, we’ll build tools to stay grounded and regulated, preparing you to safely engage in the next phases of EMDR.

3. Assessment
   We identify specific target memories or issues to work on. You’ll describe the images, emotions, and beliefs tied to these experiences, and we’ll evaluate how they affect your daily life. This phase ensures we have a clear focus for our processing work.

4. Desensitization
   Using bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, we work together to process distressing memories. I guide you through the process while you notice thoughts, feelings, and sensations. This helps reduce the emotional intensity of the memory and allows your brain to integrate the experience more adaptively.

5. Installation
   Once distress is reduced, we focus on strengthening positive beliefs and coping strategies. Together, we reinforce the thoughts and feelings you want to carry forward, helping you replace old, unhelpful patterns with empowering ones.

6. Body Scan
   We check in with your body to notice any lingering physical tension or sensations linked to the memory. I’ll guide you in processing these sensations, helping your mind and body feel more aligned, calm, and safe.

7. Closure
   At the end of each session, we use grounding and stabilization techniques to ensure you leave feeling safe and supported. I’ll also provide strategies for self-care between sessions so you can continue to feel regulated and centered.

8. Reevaluation
   In follow-up sessions, we review your progress and assess the impact of the work we’ve done. Together, we determine if additional targets need processing and adjust your treatment plan to ensure lasting results.

Why This Works:
By moving through these eight phases together, EMDR Therapy provides a structured, safe, and effective way to address trauma, anxiety, and other emotional challenges. You’ll gain lasting relief, emotional clarity, and personal growth, supported by a collaborative and evidence-based approach.

Learn more about EMDR Therapy phases

EMDR Therapy Intensives condense the therapeutic process into focused, extended sessions, typically offered in 90-minute or 3-hour increments. Unlike traditional weekly therapy, which provides brief, 50-minute sessions, intensives allow us to work with uninterrupted, continuous time, giving you the space to dive deeply into your most significant emotional challenges.

During an intensive, we can process multiple targets in a single session, address complex or long-standing trauma, and maintain momentum without the gaps that can sometimes slow progress in weekly therapy. This structure often leads to faster breakthroughs, accelerated healing, and more lasting relief, because your nervous system can integrate change more efficiently.

I guide each session with a personalized, evidence-based approach, tailoring interventions to your specific needs. We focus not only on alleviating symptoms but also on restoring confidence, improving relationships, and building emotional resilience. The intensive format is particularly effective for clients who want meaningful transformation in a shorter time frame, while maintaining safety, support, and expert guidance throughout the process.

EMDR Therapy is a versatile therapeutic approach that effectively addresses both psychological and physical symptoms resulting from adverse life experiences. While it is widely recognized for its transformative impact on trauma recovery, its benefits extend far beyond that.

Individuals Struggling with Trauma:
EMDR Therapy is particularly beneficial for those who have experienced traumatic events, whether they are recent or rooted in the past. It helps individuals process and integrate these experiences, alleviating the distressing symptoms associated with trauma, such as anxiety, depression, and intrusive memories.

Those Facing Anxiety and Depression:
EMDR Therapy can be an effective treatment for individuals dealing with generalized anxiety, panic attacks, or depression linked to past experiences. By addressing the underlying beliefs and emotions tied to these symptoms, EMDR Therapy helps individuals find relief and regain a sense of control in their lives.

People Experiencing Grief or Loss:
Those navigating grief from the loss of a loved one or significant life changes can find EMDR Therapy to be a supportive tool. It allows for the processing of painful emotions and helps individuals honor their grief while moving forward in a healthy way.

Individuals Struggling Relationally: EMDR Therapy can help those facing challenges in their relationships by addressing past traumas or attachment issues that may be affecting their ability to connect with others. It fosters healthier communication patterns and strengthens relational dynamics.

Individuals with Performance-Related Challenges:
Interestingly, EMDR Therapy is not limited to trauma recovery; it is also utilized for performance enhancement. Whether you’re an athlete aiming to improve your performance, a professional preparing for a big presentation, or anyone facing performance anxiety, EMDR Therapy can help by clearing mental blocks and fostering a more positive mindset.

Those Seeking Personal Growth:
Individuals who simply want to deepen their understanding of themselves and enhance their emotional well-being can benefit from EMDR Therapy as well. It encourages personal growth by addressing limiting beliefs and fostering a stronger sense of self-worth and resilience.

Overall, EMDR Therapy is a powerful tool for anyone looking to heal from past experiences, enhance their performance, or simply explore and improve their mental health. Its flexible application means that a wide range of individuals can experience significant, lasting change through this innovative therapy.

EMDR Therapy may be a good fit if you are experiencing trauma, anxiety, depression, or emotional distress that feels unresolved or keeps recurring. It’s also effective for those who want to overcome patterns that limit personal or professional growth, improve relationships, or enhance confidence and performance.

We begin with a thorough consultation where I’ll learn about your history, current challenges, and goals. Together, we’ll determine whether EMDR aligns with your needs and create a personalized plan for therapy. EMDR is especially helpful for people who:

• Feel stuck in traditional weekly therapy and want faster progress

• Struggle with long-standing trauma or emotional challenges

• Want to address specific performance or life goals alongside emotional healing

• Are ready to engage in a structured, evidence-based approach with guidance and support

EMDR is a collaborative process — I guide you through the phases, support your nervous system, and help you process memories and experiences safely, leading to lasting relief, emotional clarity, and meaningful personal growth.

Preparing for an EMDR Intensive helps you get the most out of this immersive healing experience. Here’s what we’ll do together and what you can do to set yourself up for success:

Practical Preparation:

• Dress comfortably so you can focus on the work without distractions.

• Plan your schedule: Allow ample time after the session for rest, reflection, and integration. Avoid scheduling work or other obligations immediately after your sessions.

• Create a calm, supportive environment for before, during, and after your intensive. This might include adjusting your routine the night before, the morning of, and the day after sessions.

• Stay substance-free during the intensive process to fully engage in your healing.

• Consider personal support if needed—someone you can check in with or a safe space to rest afterwards.

Setting Intentions for Your Healing:

1. Approach with curiosity: Bring a sense of wonder and openness to yourself, the process, and our sessions. Let go of judgment or criticism. Curiosity allows you to see familiar patterns in new ways and supports deeper healing.

2. Release the need for a fixed agenda: Healing isn’t linear. We’ll explore the areas that need attention most, allowing the process to unfold naturally.

3. Honor your body and mind: Avoid “white-knuckling” through discomfort. Attend to your physical and emotional needs, and be honest with yourself about questions, thoughts, or uncertainties that arise. Ignoring them can create distractions that slow your progress.

By preparing in these ways, you can fully engage in your intensive, creating a safe, supportive, and effective environment for deep trauma processing, emotional growth, and lasting transformation.

Most intensives run 3 – 6 days, with 1.5 – 3 hours of therapy each day. You will have two options for scheduling your EMDR Intensive sessions:

• “Intensively”: This option involves ongoing sessions scheduled at a frequency that best suits your needs, allowing for a continuous therapeutic process. This flexible format is designed to accommodate your lifestyle while providing consistent support as you work toward your goals.

• “Intensive”: This option includes a defined number of sessions scheduled over a concentrated period, typically taking place over 3 to 5 days. This immersive experience enables you to dive deep into your healing work in a supportive and structured environment, maximizing your therapeutic gains in a shorter timeframe.

Yes, EMDR Therapy Intensives are safe when conducted by a trained and certified EMDR therapist. I provide a structured, evidence-based approach in a supportive and carefully monitored environment to ensure your safety and well-being throughout the process.

During an intensive, we work together to:

• Monitor your emotional and physical responses in real time

• Use grounding and coping strategies to manage distress if it arises

• Pace the work to match your readiness, ensuring you never feel overwhelmed

• Provide post-session guidance for rest, reflection, and integration

EMDR Intensives are designed to accelerate healing without compromising safety. By maintaining a collaborative approach and prioritizing your comfort and nervous system regulation, clients are able to process trauma, reduce anxiety, and achieve meaningful progress in a shorter time frame than traditional weekly therapy.

Yes, adjunct EMDR complements your ongoing therapy with your primary therapist rather than replacing or interrupting it. I will collaborate with both you and your therapist to pinpoint specific targets for intensive treatment. During your initial consultation, we will discuss and determine the intensive format that best suits your needs.

My EMDR Therapy services stand out because they combine extensive training, advanced credentialing, and real-world experience with a highly personalized, client-centered approach. I hold one of the highest credentialing offered by EMDRIA as both a Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDRIA-Approved Consultant, which means I not only provide expert EMDR therapy but also teach and mentor other EMDR-trained therapists, staying at the forefront of advanced techniques and evidence-based practices.

When we work together, you receive:

• Individualized care: Each session is tailored to your specific history, challenges, and goals.

• Focused EMDR Intensives: For clients ready to accelerate progress, I offer immersive, extended sessions that allow deeper processing and faster breakthroughs.

• Holistic, relational approach: We address not only trauma and distress but also relationships, confidence, and personal growth, supporting long-term change.

• Safe, supportive environment: Your emotional and physical well-being is prioritized throughout every phase of therapy.

This combination of expertise, intensive therapy options, and personalized guidance ensures that clients can experience lasting relief, emotional clarity, and meaningful transformation.

These cost estimates include both the 90 minute Pre and Post Intensive sessions: 

• 9 Intensive Hours: $3,240
• 12 Intensive Hours: $4,050
• 15 Intensive Hours: $4,860
• 18 Intensive Hours: $5,670

Check out answers to other FAQs here.