EMDR THERAPIST ONLINE IN SANTA MONICA, CA · OLIVIA LAVELLE, LCSW
You've come to this page to figure out whether I'm the person to help you finish this work.
I'm Olivia Lavelle, an EMDR-Certified therapist specializing in online EMDR intensives for women across California. My approach combines warmth, careful listening, and clear explanations. Together, we’ll shape the work around your needs, goals and pace. This page is the honest version of what I do and how change actually happens here.
WHO I WORK WITH
Most of the women who find me learned early to be dependable, self-reliant, and attentive to others. For some, these patterns began in relationships where their feelings were overlooked or learned that being helpful and doing well brought acceptance. Over time, their own needs became harder to recognize or express. You may understand those connections and still find it difficult to respond differently.
You may have spent years in therapy, read the books, and listened to the podcasts. That understanding has helped, yet a familiar reaction can leave you thinking, “I thought I had healed this.” You want that insight to translate into changes you can feel in everyday life.
You notice what everyone else needs. Making room for yourself feels harder.
HOW CHANGE ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN THIS WORK
Understanding your patterns is a starting point. Together, we’ll work toward responding differently.
You can bring what you already understand and what still feels confusing. In our work, there’s room to be honest about what you’re experiencing, at a pace that feels manageable. I listen without judgment and help you explore what those feelings may be telling us about your needs and experiences.
Together, we’ll work toward meeting your emotions with more understanding and less guilt or shame. We’ll also practice ways to make room for your feelings, express your needs, and choose how you respond.
Before beginning EMDR processing, we focus on preparation, support, and a plan that reflects your needs. Throughout our work, we check in about what you’re experiencing and adjust the pace together.
EMDR intensives are the primary focus of my practice, offering dedicated time for this work in extended sessions. I also offer weekly therapy for women who prefer ongoing support. Together, we’ll consider which format fits your needs and circumstances.
More room for your needs. More trust in your worth.
WHY THIS IS WORTH THE INVESTMENT
Both formats are meaningful commitments. Here's what you’re investing in.
Both weekly therapy and intensive work with me involve time, money, and emotional energy. You may have already invested in therapy, books, or other support and still be looking for something to feel different. It’s understandable to wonder whether this approach fits your needs, and whether the commitment feels manageable.
My work focuses on attachment trauma, complex PTSD, and the patterns you may understand but still struggle to change. I combine careful listening, clear explanations, and personalized EMDR work. Part of our free consultation is exploring your goals, answering your questions, and considering whether my approach and the support I offer are a good fit.
Your investment includes focused clinical attention, thoughtful preparation, and a plan shaped around your concerns in a format that fits your needs and circumstances.
HOW THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU’VE TRIED
You've probably tried a lot of things already. Here's what you can expect from working with me.
Different from general weekly therapy
Weekly therapy has real value, and I offer it as a service alongside intensives. What makes my weekly work different from general weekly therapy is the specialization: I work exclusively with women carrying attachment trauma and complex PTSD, using an EMDR-informed clinical lens rather than talk therapy alone. If you've done weekly therapy with a generalist and it hasn't reached what you're actually carrying, that's often because the clinical lens wasn't calibrated for your material.
Different from a trauma retreat
Retreats often produce a real opening, followed by a hard re-entry to regular life without support. An intensive is structured with preparation sessions before, integration sessions after, and clinical support throughout. You don't leave with an open wound and no plan for what to do with it.
Different from self-help
Books by Lindsay Gibson and Pete Walker, along with The Body Keeps the Score, may have helped you make sense of your experiences. Journaling and podcasts can also offer useful language and perspective. Our work builds on that understanding, bringing personalized support and EMDR processing to the experiences connected to what still feels difficult.
Different from group work or coaching
Groups and coaching offer community and accountability. They're not designed for the specific work of reprocessing attachment trauma at the nervous-system level. My work provides a private, one-on-one therapeutic relationship, with an assessment and a treatment plan shaped around your history, needs, and goals.
TRAINING & CREDENTIALS
The credentials behind the work
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing across California, with a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and specialized training in EMDR, attachment trauma, and complex PTSD.
LICENSURE & EDUCATION
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), California
Master of Social Work, University of Southern California, 2017
Bachelor of Science, Arizona State University, 2014
SPECIALIZED TRAUMA TRAINING
Healing Emotional Neglect and "The Good Childhood" Wounds
Performance Enhancement for Complex Trauma
EMDR Research and Clinical Application in Complex Cases
Trauma and Resilience Informed Care
EMDR TRAINING
Certified EMDR Therapist
Internal Family Systems (IFS)-Informed EMDR
EMDR for Complex PTSD and Dissociation
EMDR Intensives: Immersive Multimodal Healing
EMDR for Grief, Loss, and Mourning
ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Wellness Coach II
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Cultural Competency
WHAT CLIENTS SAY AFTER THE WORK
What women say when they've finished an intensive
"I feel like myself again."
"I finally understand what my body has been trying to say."
"I can set boundaries without guilt."
"I'm calmer and not reacting from survival mode."
"I'm not carrying my mother's pain anymore."
"I feel space in my body I didn't know was possible."
A NOTE FROM OLIVIA
Outside of the work, I'm a mom, a creative, and someone who genuinely likes learning about people. My own life has taught me a lot about resilience and about making room for softness, honesty, and support. Those lessons inform the warmth and curiosity I bring to therapy. I want to understand your experience, help you make sense of what feels confusing, and support you in making room for your needs. My experiences inform how I show up; your story and goals guide our work. If you’re looking for a therapist who brings both lived experience and professional expertise to helping women feel more grounded in their worth, express their needs, and trust themselves, you’re in the right place.
THE NEXT SMALL STEP
A twenty-minute call. We map your next step together.
You've read this far. The next step is a conversation about whether this work is the right fit for what you're carrying. No pressure, no commitment.