EMDR Therapy Intensives for High- Achieving Women in Santa Monica & Across California

You’ve done talk therapy. You understand your patterns.

But your body still feels anxious, tense, or on guard.

I offer EMDR Therapy Intensives designed to help high-achieving women process the emotional patterns their mind understands, but their nervous system still holds.

If You’re the High-Achieving Woman Who’s Quietly Burning Out…

You may not describe yourself as someone who is struggling. Most of my clients are capable, thoughtful women who are used to holding everything together. But internally, their nervous system rarely gets to fully relax.

If you’re the woman who….

  • Handles everything on your own, even when overwhelmed

  • Replays conversations late at night wondering if you said the wrong thing

  • Notices your chest tighten or your throat close when conflict shows up

  • Feels responsible for how other people feel

  • Looks calm on the outside but feels exhausted underneath

  • Struggles to fully rest even when nothing is technically wrong.

This Didn’t Start in Adulthood.

For many high-achieving women, these patterns formed early.

You didn’t become “the strong one” because life was easy. You became strong because it felt safer. If you grew up in an environment where support was inconsistent, emotions were minimized, or you had to stay composed to keep things steady, your nervous system adapted.

You learned to perform stability. You learned to scan. You learned to manage. So now, even when life looks fine, your body can stay tense. Your mind keeps rehearsing and you keep going. Not because you’re broken. Becauseyour system may have learned that staying composed, being low-maintenance, or not needing too much kept things steady.

And the good news is this: what was learned can be updated. You may not call this trauma. You might call it being driven, sensitive, or anxious. But your body knows the difference.

Why Weekly Therapy Hasn’t Been Enough in Santa Monica, CA

A Different Rhythm for Real Change Weekly therapy can be incredibly supportive.

But if you’re high-functioning, you may notice the stop-and-start rhythm: You open something tender…Then spend the rest of the week pulling yourself back together.

EMDR Therapy Intensives offer a different rhythm. Instead of stretching the work over months or years, we work in extended, structured sessions that allow your nervous system to fully process what’s been stuck so your nervous system can update.

EMDR Intensives offer extended 3-hour, 6-hour or multi-day sessions designed to create the depth weekly therapy can’t offer.

This isn’t reliving trauma. It’s paced, guided processing that allows your nervous system to update what it no longer needs to brace against.

WHAT WE’LL WORK ON

EMDR Therapy Intensives in Santa Monica can help you:

Through EMDR therapy, we work to:

  • Identify and process the early experiences that taught your system it had to handle everything alone

  • Reduce the constant mental replay and over-analysis that keeps your mind active at night

  • Help your nervous system feel safer during conflict instead of tightening or shutting down

  • Release the pattern of feeling responsible for everyone else’s emotions

  • Allow your body to move out of constant tension and hyper-responsibility

  • Create space for genuine rest instead of always being “on”

This work helps your system update patterns that once made sense, but may no longer be serving you

Hi, I’m Olivia!

Olivia Lavelle, LCSW- online EMDR Intensives for women in California.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, EMDR Certified Therapist based in Santa Monica, offering EMDR Therapy Intensives throughout California.

If you’re here, you’re probably not new to self-awareness. You’ve read the books, you understand your patterns, and you’re used to handling things on your own.

Starting this kind of work can feel exposing…especially when you’re the strong one, the capable one, the one everyone relies on. A part of you might worry that if you slow down, everything you’ve been holding together could unravel. That makes sense.

Therapy with me isn’t about breaking you open or forcing you to relive every painful detail of your past. It’s about helping your nervous system update what it learned a long time ago.

I work relationally and directly, paying attention to what’s happening in your body, and not just what you can explain with insight. We move at a pace that feels steady, not overwhelming. You don’t need to be fixed. You adapted. Now we help your system adapt again in a way that actually supports the life you’re building.

EMDR Therapy Intensive Specialties in Santa Monica

  • Bilateral Eye movements to heal trauma that's been stuck and stored.

    EMDR Therapy Intensives

    For high-achieving women ready to resolve trauma in a focused, structured format.

    3-hour, 6-hour, and multi-day options available.

    Learn More → EMDR Intensives

  • Weekly EMDR Therapy Intensives

    Extended Weekly EMDR Therapy

    For high-achieving women who want deeper weekly processing without committing to a multi-day intensive.

    Longer sessions (90-120 minutes) allow us to move through triggers and complete EMDR work without rushing.

    Learn More → Extended Weekly EMDR

Ready To Take The Next Step?

If you’re the one who holds it together on the outside but feels wired or tired on the inside, EMDR Therapy Intensives across California were built for this. You aren’t damaged or broken. Your body did exactly what it needed to survive and now it’s ready for something different.

→ Learn More About EMDR Intensives

→ Schedule a Consultation

Two women having a conversation at a table, one with long curly hair, glasses, denim jacket, smiling, and the other with straight blonde hair, striped shirt, listening. There is a laptop, notes, plant, and shelves in the background.

LET’S MAKE THIS EASY

Frequently Asked Questions

  • 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 can provide a superbill upon request, which you may submit to your insurance company for possible out-of-network reimbursement, depending on your plan.

    I also offer CareCredit, a healthcare financing option that allows clients 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.

  • EMDR Therapy Intensives are offered as private-pay services and are priced based on the length and structure of the intensive. Fees are discussed transparently during the consultation so you can make an informed decision before moving forward.

  • The consultation is a brief, focused conversation to understand what you’re looking for, answer your questions, and determine whether EMDR Therapy Intensives are a good fit for your needs. There is no pressure to commit—this is simply a space to explore alignment.

  • My current rate is $250 per 60-minute session. EMDR Intensives (3, 6, or 9 hours) are also available for clients seeking faster progress and deeper emotional relief. I don’t want finances to be the reason you can’t start. If you’re interested, we can explore options that fit your needs.

  • Your initial session focuses on assessment, preparation, and creating a sense of safety and clarity around the work ahead. We will discuss your goals, establish grounding strategies, and ensure the pace feels supportive before moving into deeper EMDR processing.

"Emotions are messengers. We suffer when we silence them."