EMDR Therapy Intensives in Santa Monica, California
You’ve done the insight work. But why does your body still feel stuck?
You understand your patterns logically… but you still overthink, people-please, shut down emotionally, and carry body tension that never fully settles.
I specialize in EMDR Therapy Intensives for high-achieving women who are tired of surviving and ready for deeper healing beyond surface-level therapy.
Does This Sound Familiar?
This is for you if:
You replay conversations, decisions, or interactions long after they happen.
You understand your emotions logically, but still feel stuck emotionally.
You feel emotionally exhausted but don’t know how to stop functioning.
You say yes when you really want to say no.
You keep yourself busy because slowing down feels uncomfortable.
You’ve spent so much time being “the strong one” that receiving support feels unfamiliar.
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 today, 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, numb, 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
Most therapy helps you understand why you feel this way. EMDR therapy intensives help your body stop reacting like it’s still happening.
During an EMDR therapy intensive, we work in longer sessions over a shorter period of time, allowing your mind and body to stay connected to the process. This continuity often supports deeper processing, more noticeable shifts, and a clearer sense of progress.
Most clients don’t walk away thinking, “Wow, that was intense.”
They walk away noticing:
Your mind feels quieter and less consumed by overthinking
You stop replaying conversations for hours
Your body feels less tense and emotionally braced
Rest feels safer and less guilt-inducing
Stress feels more manageable and less overwhelming
Boundaries feel easier to hold
You stop feeling responsible for everyone else’s emotions
You feel more grounded, present, and connected to yourself
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 nervous system feels safe enough to go deeper without becoming overwhelmed.
Phase 2: Deep Processing
We move into focused processing where your nervous 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 need more insight. You need a space where your body can finally catch up.
If you’re tired of understanding your patterns but still feeling stuck in them… this is where that starts to change.
→ 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.