PTSD & Trauma Healing Through EMDR Intensives in Santa Monica, CA
If you feel easily triggered, emotionally reactive, or constantly on edge despite understanding your history, trauma may still be living in your nervous system.
Trauma & PTSD Can Show Up Like This
Clients often seek trauma or PTSD therapy when they notice:
Feeling easily triggered by tone, conflict, or distance
Emotional reactions that feel bigger than the situation
Difficulty relaxing or feeling safe in the present
A sense of being “on guard” most of the time
Disconnection from emotions or from others
Shame, self-blame, or harsh inner criticism
Feeling stuck in survival mode even when life is stable
Many people minimize these experiences because they don’t fit a traditional definition of trauma. But trauma isn’t defined by what happened, it’s defined by how your system was impacted.
How EMDR Therapy Intensives Help With PTSD & Trauma
EMDR Therapy Intensives help by working with trauma at the level where it’s actually held.
Rather than retelling your story or revisiting painful experiences week after week, EMDR allows your nervous system to process unresolved emotional responses in a way that feels more contained and tolerable.
Intensives provide the time and continuity needed for deeper trauma processing, without forcing you to relive everything or push beyond your capacity.
This approach supports your system in learning that the danger has passed, so present-day life no longer feels like something you have to brace against.
Benefits of Trauma-Focused EMDR Therapy Intensives
Clients working through trauma or PTSD often notice:
Fewer emotional triggers
Reduced hypervigilance and reactivity
Less emotional overwhelm or shutdown
A greater sense of safety in the present
Improved emotional regulation
More ease in relationships
Feeling less controlled by past experiences
Rather than managing trauma responses, the focus is on helping your system settle so healing can take hold.
My Approach to Trauma & PTSD Therapy
My approach to trauma therapy is steady, structured, and deeply respectful of your nervous system.
I work with trauma using EMDR Therapy Intensives because this format allows for focused, supported processing without the stop-and-start disruption that can happen in weekly therapy.
We don’t force memories or push emotional expression. The work unfolds at a pace your system can tolerate, with preparation and integration built into the process.
My role is to help create a sense of safety and containment so your body can process what it’s been holding — without overwhelm or retraumatization.
Ready to take the next steps?
If you’re interested in trauma or PTSD therapy and want to explore whether EMDR Therapy Intensives are the right fit, the next step is a brief consultation.
→ Learn More About EMDR Therapy Intensives
→ Schedule a Consultation
FAQs about PTSD & Trauma Therapy Intensives
If you’re considering trauma therapy in California, you may have questions. Here are some of the most common questions I hear. Take a look at my FAQ page or reach out.
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EMDR therapy can help with many types of trauma, including single-event trauma, complex trauma, childhood emotional neglect, relational trauma, medical trauma, accidents, grief, and chronic stress. EMDR works with how traumatic experiences are stored in the brain and nervous system, not just with the memory itself.
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Yes. EMDR is often effective for complex trauma and emotional neglect, especially when trauma developed over time rather than from a single event. EMDR helps the nervous system process long-standing emotional patterns so past experiences no longer shape present-day reactions as strongly.
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EMDR does not require detailed verbal retelling of traumatic experiences. Instead, it helps the brain reprocess emotional memories using bilateral stimulation, allowing trauma to be integrated without repeatedly reliving or recounting painful details. This makes EMDR especially helpful for people who feel overwhelmed by traditional talk therapy.
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Traditional trauma therapy often focuses on talking through experiences and developing coping strategies. EMDR goes a step further by directly addressing how trauma is stored in the brain and nervous system, helping reduce emotional and physical reactions tied to past experiences rather than just managing them.
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Yes. Trauma is not defined by how severe an experience appears to others, but by how your nervous system was impacted. EMDR can be effective even when trauma feels “small,” subtle, or hard to name, especially if it continues to influence your emotions, relationships, or sense of safety.
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Not at all. Trauma is anything that overwhelms your ability to cope and leaves your body stuck in survival mode. It might be a breakup that reopened old wounds, a childhood of emotional distance, or years of being “the strong one.” If it still impacts how you feel, connect, or rest, it’s valid.
