Virtual EMDR Intensives in California
Focused trauma therapy when you want to make meaningful change in a shorter period of time.
Sometimes there is something specific you want to work on, and you don’t want to spend months getting there in weekly therapy. An EMDR intensive gives us extended EMDR sessions to focus on a particular trauma, trigger, or symptom. When an intensive is a good fit for what you want to work on, healing that might otherwise unfold over months of weekly sessions may happen over days or weeks.
At a glance
What can an EMDR intensive help with?
Maybe you can’t stop ruminating about a breakup. A particular interaction sends you into a spiral. You’re having flashbacks or intrusive memories. Something happened recently and you can’t seem to move past it. Or you have a fear or reaction that takes over what is happening in the present.
EMDR intensives are particularly helpful for focused issues like these.
You don’t need to know exactly why you’re reacting the way you are or which experiences may be connected to it before you come in. Figuring that out is part of the process.
What might feel different afterward?
After focused work, you may notice that the memory, trigger, or experience is still part of your story, but it no longer takes over in the same way. You may be able to think about what happened without ruminating, stay more present during a difficult interaction, or respond with more choice instead of being pulled into an old reaction.
EMDR can also help shift the beliefs that became attached to what happened. A belief such as I’m worthless, I’m powerless, or I’m not safe may begin to loosen, making room for something more grounded in your adult life now: I matter. I have choices. I can protect myself. The shift isn’t simply understanding a more helpful belief intellectually—it begins to feel more true.
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma therapy that helps us work through experiences that are still affecting how we feel or respond in the present.
It gives us a structured way to work with memories, emotions, beliefs, sensations, and present-day triggers so that experiences from the past can become less distressing and have less impact on your life now.
EMDR is more than the processing phase.
EMDR is a multi-phase process. Understanding the issue more, treatment mapping, preparation and resourcing are all part of the work.
Before we begin focused reprocessing, I want to understand what is bringing you in, what tends to trigger the reaction, what experiences may be connected to it, and what we can build so that you can get through the process in a way that doesn’t destabilize your life.
Preparation isn’t about making difficult feelings disappear or forcing yourself to be calm. Trauma processing requires us to be able to connect with painful material without becoming so overwhelmed or disconnected that we can no longer work with it. Getting to this place is also an important part of the EMDR process.
The intensive begins before we start reprocessing traumatic material.
How EMDR intensives are tailored to your needs
There isn’t one way to do EMDR.
We might begin with a recent experience and later discover that something you went through earlier in life is still affecting what is happening now. When you’re ready, we can address that together.
I draw from a range of EMDR approaches and adapt how we work based on what we’re working with, what you need, and what is happening in the moment. This can include approaches for recent trauma, gentler methods of processing, ways of working with experiences from before you had language for them, and present-moment work in preparation.
How do EMDR intensives differ from weekly therapy?
Weekly therapy can be the right container for long-term relational, developmental, or complex trauma work. But when there is a more focused problem you want to address, working for 50 minutes at a time can stretch the process across months.
An intensive gives us longer stretches of time to stay with the work instead of having to stop because the session is ending.
The aim is not simply to spend more hours in therapy. The aim is to feel meaningfully different in your day-to-day life sooner.
You can keep your current therapist.
You may already have a therapist you trust and have no interest in leaving.
An EMDR intensive can be a focused addition to your existing therapy. You can continue your ongoing work with your primary therapist while working with me for a defined period of time around a specific trauma, trigger, or symptom.
What if an intensive isn’t the right place to start?
You don’t need to determine that on your own.
Sometimes we may discover that more time for preparation, relationship-building, or other therapeutic work would be helpful before moving into focused reprocessing.
That doesn’t mean EMDR or trauma therapy isn’t right for you. It may simply mean an intensive isn’t the right container right now.
If we’re a good fit, we can talk about whether ongoing therapy with me would better support the work you want to do, or whether something else makes more sense.
What to expect from an EMDR intensive
Free 20-minute consultation
We’ll start with a brief consultation to talk about what you’d like help with and whether an EMDR intensive might be a good fit for what you want to work on. You don’t need to arrive knowing the underlying memory or exactly what treatment you need.
Required 90-minute assessment & preparation session
If we decide to move forward, the next step is a 90-minute assessment and preparation session. We’ll look more closely at what’s happening now, relevant experiences from your history, and what may be contributing to the current pattern. We’ll begin mapping the work and building supports to help you stay present and connected during the process, so we can understand what we’re working with and plan the intensive around what you need. This appointment is 90 minutes and $360.
Your individualized intensive plan
If focused trauma reprocessing is the next step, we’ll determine how much time to schedule based on your treatment plan. Intensive sessions are billed at $240 per hour and may range from 90 minutes to several hours. Some people schedule a two-hour session; others choose several sessions over a few days or weeks. If more preparation would support the work first, we can continue with preparation before moving into focused reprocessing.
Integration & next steps
After processing, we’ll pay attention to what has shifted, what may still need attention, and what makes sense next. Sometimes the issue that brought you in may feel substantially different after our work together. Other times, we may discover there is more you want to address. We can decide together whether another intensive, additional preparation, getting other forms of support, changing our container, or returning to the work with your ongoing therapist, if you have one, makes the most sense.
For a closer look at preparation, processing, and integration,
read What Happens During an EMDR Intensive?
EMDR intensives may be a good fit if…
Frequently asked questions about EMDR intensives
How many hours will I need?
We’ll decide that together after the required 90-minute assessment and preparation session. Some people schedule a two-hour intensive; others choose several sessions over a few days or weeks. The plan depends on what you want to work on, your preparation needs, and how the process unfolds.
Can I continue seeing my regular therapist?
Yes. An EMDR intensive can be a focused addition to your ongoing therapy. With your permission, I can coordinate with your primary therapist so the work fits with the support you already have.
Can virtual EMDR intensives be effective?
Yes. Virtual EMDR can offer the same phased, individualized approach as in-person work. Before beginning reprocessing, we’ll make sure the virtual setting, technology, privacy, and support available to you are appropriate for the work.
How do I know whether an intensive is right for me?
You don’t have to decide that alone. During the free consultation and assessment, we’ll consider what you want help with, how focused the concern is, what preparation you may need, and whether an intensive is the right container right now.
Ready to explore whether an intensive might be a good fit for you?
I offer virtual EMDR intensives for adults located in California. We can start with a free 20-minute consultation. Tell me what’s been happening and what you’d like to be different. From there, we can decide together whether an intensive makes sense as a next step.