Our Modalities
EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
A well-researched psychotherapy proven to help people recover from trauma and other painful life experiences, delivered here as a focused, immersive retreat instead of a weekly hour.
EMDR resolves unprocessed traumatic events and offers lasting results in far fewer sessions than traditional talk therapy. It works by letting the brain release the fight, flight, or freeze response locked around a memory, so the emotion can settle into ordinary long-term storage where it belongs.
What it is
Healing the brain already knows how to do
We use EMDR for a wide range of conditions, because the thread running through them is the same: negative emotion that became stuck because the experience was too overwhelming to process like an ordinary memory.
One of its most remarkable qualities is that it does not ask you to talk at length about what happened. There is no homework between sessions and no protocol to learn. EMDR does not try to argue you out of a thought or feeling. It clears the way for your brain's own healing process to take over and release what it has been holding.
EMDR is sometimes met with skepticism: does the eye movement actually matter, or is it just exposure therapy with extra steps? Research consistently shows that bilateral stimulation outperforms EMDR without it, and both the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association recognize EMDR as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD. The debate is about the precise mechanism, not about whether it works.
- No need to describe your trauma in detail
- No homework between sessions
- Not about forcing changes to thoughts or beliefs
- Works with the brain's own healing process
Changing the memories that form the way we see ourselves also changes the way we view others. Our relationships, our work, what we are willing to do or able to resist, all move in a positive direction.
A memory can lose its weight and keep its meaning.
EMDR in practice
The eight phases of treatment
Your therapist follows a detailed, well-tested protocol that moves you from the disturbance of a memory toward a settled, positive sense of the present. In an intensive, far more of this work happens in a day than a weekly hour could ever allow.
- 01
History and treatment planning
We take a careful history and build a plan together: the past events that created the problem, the present situations that still trigger distress, and the strengths you want to grow. You decide how much to share.
- 02
Preparation
Your therapist explains how EMDR works and teaches grounding techniques, like a safe-place exercise, so you have reliable ways to steady yourself if strong emotion comes up.
- 03
Assessment
Together we identify the target memories and the negative beliefs attached to them, and rate each on a 0 to 10 distress scale so progress stays visible.
- 04
Desensitization
Guided sets of side-to-side eye movements, sounds, or tapping reduce the charge of a memory. Sets run about 30 to 60 seconds, with a brief check-in between, until the distress falls away. An intensive lets this go much further in a single day.
- 05
Installation
As the negative belief loses its grip, we strengthen the positive belief that replaces it, moving from something like 'I am in danger' to 'I am safe now', until it feels true.
- 06
Body scan
The body keeps its own record of trauma. We check for any tension that remains when the memory is recalled and reprocess it, because EMDR is not finished until the body has let go too.
- 07
Closure
Every session ends with you grounded and steady, with a clear sense of what to expect as processing continues between sessions.
- 08
Reevaluation
Each day begins by revisiting earlier targets to confirm the gains are holding. Often, clearing the earliest memories lowers the charge on later ones at the same time.
The theory
What EMDR does in the brain
Dr. Francine Shapiro discovered EMDR in 1987 after noticing that moving her eyes rapidly back and forth while holding a distressing thought caused the disturbance to subside. The protocol is simple, but it sets off a powerful healing cascade in the deep structures of the brain.
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The alarm
Amygdala
It signals danger. Side-to-side stimulation has been shown to calm the amygdala, easing the fear response that fires when a traumatic memory surfaces.
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The memory keeper
Hippocampus
It sorts short-term experience into long-term memory and helps us tell safety from danger. Trauma can shrink it; EMDR has been shown to help restore its volume and function.
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The regulator
Prefrontal cortex
It governs behavior and emotion. EMDR is linked to less over-activation here during trauma recall, along with improved regulation and self-esteem.
Shapiro proposed that bilateral stimulation works much like the rapid eye movement of REM sleep, helping charged memories become ordinary and less overwhelming. The result is a memory you can recall without the surge of feeling that once came with it.
The mind knows how to heal. EMDR clears the way.
Why an intensive
Years of progress in a focused span of days
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Accelerated healing
Condensing the work into intensive sessions lets breakthroughs come faster than weekly therapy, with quicker relief from symptoms.
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Greater efficiency
Clients often reach the same or better results in fewer total sessions, saving both time and money.
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Fully personalized
Every intensive is built around your specific history, needs, and goals, not a generic program.
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Real improvement
Reduced symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression, with deeper processing than a single weekly hour allows.
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Lasting self-awareness
Many leave with a clearer understanding of themselves, better coping skills, and a stronger sense of their own footing.
Formats we offer
- Half-day
Three to four hours, focused on a single issue or goal. A strong starting point.
- Full-day
Six to eight hours to immerse fully and make significant progress in a single day.
- Multi-day
Several days for complex trauma, with room for comprehensive, sustained work.
- Virtual
Conducted online for those who prefer to work from home or cannot travel.
Is it right for you?
An EMDR intensive may be a good fit if you
EMDR is gentle, structured, and does not require reliving every detail. It tends to suit people who:
- Have experienced trauma you are ready to process and move past
- Are living with anxiety, depression, PTSD, or related struggles
- Want to make meaningful progress in a short, focused span
- Prefer a treatment shaped around your own needs and goals
- Are willing to commit to the work and face difficult feelings with support
Frequently asked
EMDR therapy, answered
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a well-researched psychotherapy proven to help people recover from trauma and other painful life experiences. It works by letting the brain release the fight, flight, or freeze response locked around a memory, so the emotion can settle into ordinary long-term storage where it belongs.
Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail?
No. One of EMDR's most remarkable qualities is that it does not ask you to talk at length about what happened, and there is no homework between sessions. You decide how much to share, and the work clears the way for your brain's own healing process to release what it has been holding.
Does the eye movement actually do anything?
Research consistently shows that bilateral stimulation outperforms EMDR without it, and both the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association recognize EMDR as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD. The scientific debate is about the precise mechanism, not about whether it works.
What happens during an EMDR intensive?
Your therapist follows the eight-phase EMDR protocol: history and treatment planning, preparation with grounding techniques like a safe-place exercise, assessment of target memories on a 0 to 10 distress scale, desensitization through guided sets of eye movements, installation of a positive belief, a body scan, closure, and reevaluation. In an intensive, far more of this work happens in a day than a weekly hour could ever allow.
How is an EMDR intensive different from weekly EMDR sessions?
The desensitization work can go much further in a single day, and each retreat day begins by revisiting earlier targets to confirm the gains are holding. Often, clearing the earliest memories lowers the charge on later ones at the same time, so the work builds on itself instead of restarting each week.
How long is an EMDR retreat?
We offer half-day intensives of three to four hours focused on a single issue, full days of six to eight hours, and multi-day retreats for complex trauma. Virtual retreats are conducted online for those who prefer to work from home or cannot travel.
Other modalities
Therapies we may combine with EMDR
Ready to talk it through?
Speak to a therapist about whether an EMDR intensive is right for you. No pressure, just a conversation about what you are facing and how we can help.