FAQs

Standard EMDR Therapy
My fee is $225 for a 50-minute session. Sessions longer than 50 minutes are prorated accordingly. For EMDR therapy, please note that many clients find the most value with an accelerated experience of 90 minute to 2 hour weekly sessions, or an EMDR intensive described here.

I offer EMDR Intensives for those clients wanting to have an accelerated EMDR experience for focused healing. These intensives can include both standard EMDR therapy or the Early Trauma Protocol. Please click here for more information on Why EMDR Intensives.

I accept cash, checks and Venmo. Payment is due at the time of our appointment.

It’s highly likely. EMDR therapy can be effectively utilized for:

• Resourcing: We will work to strengthen internal resources while soothing parts of you that feel limited. EMDR therapy utilizes images, emotions, body sensations, and positive cognitions to increase feelings of calm, safety, and confidence. In some cases, I use Flash Technique to reduce disturbance related to trauma, in a way that does not require conscious engagement with the traumatic material. Learn more about Flash Technique here.
• Resolving relationship difficulties: Attachment-focused EMDR works to repair unmet development needs (often called attachment wounding) when we have experienced an absence of care/neglect or abuse. When appropriate, I use the Early Trauma Protocol (EFT) for issues arising from early childhood trauma, abuse, and/or neglect. The EFT is based on the work of Katie Oshea, M.S. and Sandra Paulsen, Ph.D. I utilize Dr. Sandra Paulson’s training and book, “When There are no Words”. Learn more about the Early Trauma Protocol here.
• Trauma recovery: While I often utilize EMDR therapy and Flash Technique for clients with big “T” trauma (e.g., a major car accident, assault), I also support clients with small “t” traumas (e.g., chronic or ongoing stressful conditions, such as interpersonal conflict, difficult parents, financial stress). One of the most overlooked aspects of small ‘t’ traumas is their accumulated effect. Multiple, compounded small ‘t’ traumas may lead to distress in the nervous system and trouble with emotional functioning.

EMDR therapy is a form of adaptive information processing which helps the brain evolve from limiting beliefs. EMDR therapy may avoid some of the long and difficult abreactive work often involved in the treatment of anxiety, panic attack, post-traumatic stress symptoms (such as intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and flashbacks), dissociative disorders, depression, phobias, identity crisis, and other adverse experiences.

How it Works:

1) During the intake appointment we will discuss goals for the intensive sessions, narrow down our focus for the EMDR intensive sessions and if time allows begin with resourcing exercises. Together, we will decide how many EMDR intensive sessions to schedule for the current phase of short-term psychotherapy. This will typically range from one to four EMDR intensive sessions depending on your needs.

2) During the EMDR intensive sessions we begin with resourcing exercises, continue identifying target memories, and may begin reprocessing and clearing out distress associated with the target memories.

3) The follow up session is scheduled a few weeks after we finish the EMDR intensive sessions. During this session we will check in with how life has been after the EMDR intensive and re-evaluate for recommendations for the next steps. This may be continuing therapy with your primary therapist, continued EMDR therapy to focus on other memories, or continue living your life free from trauma.

How EMDR Intensive Programs are Different from Traditional Therapy:

EMDR Intensive Programs are NOT intended to be long-term therapy. They are intended to get you in, bring you relief in a shorter period of time, and get you moving forward in your healing journey.

The traditional weekly therapy model is 50-minute sessions on a recurring basis, usually for months or years at a time. Yes, EMDR therapy can work in the traditional model, but it is limited by the short amount of time available in a 50-minute session.

As soon as you start to process traumatic material, it’s time to shut it down and wait until the next weekly session. Each weekly session needs to include time for check-ins and closure of each session. This often brings incremental relief, that over time results in progress, but the time involved can feel discouraging.

It’s hard to compare ongoing sessions with EMDR intensive programs, and results are going to vary for every person. However, much more progress can be made in one 3-hour intensive session than in 3 separate 50-minute sessions. Clients report that by working in the intensive model they feel better and get through more of the healing that they needed to faster.

I offer both in-person and virtual sessions to clients who are physically in California. My office is in Santa Barbara, California. The first step in working together is to complete a consultation call.

I support clients through:

• Adjunct intensive therapy (4-12 intensive sessions) in collaboration with your
  primary talk therapist
• Personalized treatment programs for individuals (Intensives)

Please note that I only work with clients physically in the state of California. If you do not live in California, we can arrange for you to fly here for treatment.

Yes, when availability allows. Fees for evening (5 p.m. +) and weekend sessions are:

• 1.5 hour: $500
• 3 hours: $1000 (evening or weekend)

Maybe. I am not contracted with and do not coordinate benefits with insurance carriers. Some insurance companies reimburse a portion of the cost for therapy provided by an out of network provider. It’s best to determine the exact details of your policy ahead of time, including what benefits are available regarding out-of-network providers and if your insurance will reimburse several hours of therapy in one day or one week. Upon your request, I will provide an invoice for all direct contact therapy services included in the program, for you to submit for reimbursement with your insurance.

Payment is due in full at the time of the appointment. Credit card on file is required.

Let’s find out. I offer a free 15-minute introductory call to see if we are a good fit. The pre-intensive intake session further accesses for candidacy and appropriateness. (EMDR intensives are not for everyone. And not everyone heals at the same speed).

EMDR intensives are brief and focused to allow progress on specific goals or blocking beliefs without the interruption of a 50-minute session. An intensive format may decrease overall treatment time because of time not spent on: a) checking in at the beginning of each session, b) addressing current crises and concerns, c) focusing on stabilizing and coping skills, week after week, or d) assisting the client in regaining composure at the end of each session.

Yes! Learn more about Adjunct EMDR Therapy here.