EMDR Therapy Intensives in Santa Monica, California
You’ve done the insight work and you understand where things come from. But your body still reacts like it’s happening right now.
You’re still overthinking, holding tension and still managing everything. And weekly therapy hasn’t been enough to actually shift it.
Does This Sound Familiar?
This is for you if you’re used to holding it all together on the outside, but feel overwhelmed underneath:
You understand your triggers but your reactions haven’t fully changed
You can’t turn your mind off
You feel emotionally exhausted, even when life “looks fine”
You carry self-doubt, guilt, or negative beliefs about yourself
You struggle to relax because your body is holding tension in your chest, jaw, or shoulders
If this sounds like you, you may not need more insight. You may need more time and space for your nervous system to actually process what it’s been holding.
Why You Still Feel Stuck (Even When You Understand It)
Even though you understand your patterns, your nervous system is still responding based on what it learned earlier in your childhood.
So when something gets triggered, your body isn’t responding to what you know now…it’s responding to what it learned back then.
That’s why you can tell yourself “I’m okay” or “this isn’t a big deal” and still feel anxious, tense, or on edge. It’s not that you don’t understand. Your nervous system hasn’t had the chance to fully process your past experiences. And this is the part that usually doesn’t shift through insight alone.
Our Specialties
Overthinking & High-Functioning Anxiety
You’re constantly in your head trying to stay ahead or get it right. Your mind can begin to quiet, and your body can finally feel more at ease.
Childhood Trauma & Abandonment
You show up for everyone else, but struggle to show up for yourself. You can start to feel more grounded without carrying it all.
People-Pleasing & Emotional Overwhelm
You show up for everyone else, but struggle to show up for yourself. You can start to feel more grounded without carrying it all.
Emotional Disconnection & Numbness
You feel shut down, disconnected, or unsure what you’re feeling. You can begin to reconnect in a way that feels safe and steady.
How EMDR Therapy Intensives Help
EMDR Intensives give us the time and space to actually move through what’s been stuck.
Instead of opening something up and stopping each week, we stay with the work long enough for your brain and body to actually move through what’s been stuck.
Most clients don’t walk away thinking, “Wow, that was intense.”
They walk away noticing:
Their mind is quieter
Their body isn’t constantly on edge
They’re not reacting the same way
Things that used to feel overwhelming… don’t hit the same
Not because they forced it, but because their nervous system isn’t reacting the same way anymore. EMDR Therapy Intensives helps your nervous system finally begin to move.
The EMDR Intensive Process
Phase 1: Preparation.
We begin with preparation so your system feels safe enough to go deeper without becoming overwhelmed.
Phase 2: Deep Processing
We move into focused processing where your system begins to process what’s been stuck, so it no longer carries the same emotional charge.
Phase 3: Integration
We end with integration so the shifts carry into your daily life and not just the session.
How We Can Work Together
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EMDR Therapy Intensives
Best fit if you’re ready to stop managing symptoms and actually move through what’s been stuck.
We work in a focused, extended way so your nervous system has the time it needs to fully process and create real change.
Learn More →EMDR Intensives
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Focused EMDR Therapy
Best fit if you’re not quite ready to go deep yet, but know something needs to shift.
This is a short-term, focused phase where we build stability, understand your patterns, and prepare your nervous system to feel safer.
Many clients begin here before moving into an EMDR Intensive
Learn More →EMDR Therapy
A Message from the Founder, Olivia Lavelle, LCSW
EMDR Certified Therapist based in Santa Monica, offering EMDR Therapy Intensives throughout California.
If you’re here, there’s a good chance you’ve already been doing the work. You may feel like you haven’t made progress in weekly therapy.
That can be one of the most frustrating places to be..
knowing exactly where things come from, but not seeing it fully shift in your day-to-day life. That’s what led me to EMDR intensives.
What I’ve found is that it’s often not a lack of awareness.
It’s that your body is still holding onto experiences that haven’t been fully processed yet. You can be self-aware and still feel stuck. You can be doing the work and still feel like something isn’t fully clicking yet. And that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.
My role is to help you go beyond just understanding what’s happening and support your system in actually processing what’s been carried for a long time. I believe real change happens when your mind and body are both given the space to catch up.
Ready To Take The Next Step?
You don’t have to keep doing this the hard way.
If you’re tired of understanding your patterns and still feeling stuck in them, EMDR Therapy Intensives give you the space to actually process what hasn’t shifted. If you’re ready for something to actually shift, this is where we start.
→ Learn More About EMDR Intensives
→ Schedule a Free Consultation
LET’S MAKE THIS EASY
Frequently Asked Questions
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I offer virtual EMDR Therapy Intensives across California.
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I do not accept insurance directly. Because my practice focuses on longer EMDR sessions and intensives, working outside of insurance allows us to structure treatment in a way that prioritizes depth and flexibility rather than insurance limitations.
However, I offer CareCredit, a healthcare financing option that allows you to break the cost of treatment into manageable monthly payments.
If you have questions about payment options, we can discuss what feels most supportive during your consultation.
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We go at a pace your nervous system can handle. You’re not pushed I focus on supporting you. The goal is not to overwhelm you, but to help your system process safely.
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Weekly therapy can feel like starting and stopping. EMDR intensives allow us to stay with the work long enough for your brain and body to fully move through it.
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Yes. Many of my clients have already done years of therapy and understand their patterns. EMDR intensives are designed to help you move beyond insight and actually process what’s still stuck.
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Many clients begin to notice shifts during and shortly after the intensive, especially in how their body feels and how their mind responds to triggers.
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No. EMDR doesn’t require you to explain every detail of your experience. The focus is on how your brain and body process what’s been held.