EMDR Intensive Therapy | Oakland, CA
You’ve tried everything else.
Now it’s time for something that actually works.
Attend an EMDR Intensive to treat your trauma.
Not Familiar with EMDR? Learn more about it here.
EMDR Intensives in Oakland, CA
You’ve done the work. You’ve talked it through. But somehow, it’s like the core of it hasn’t shifted. There’s still a part of you carrying the weight—and you’re tired of it.
You don’t have time to sit in therapy for years hoping it eventually clicks. If all it took was talking it through, wouldn’t things have shifted by now?
You still feel stuck. You need something that meets you where you’re at and actually helps you move forward.
Trauma doesn’t just live in the past—it lingers in your body, in your relationships, in the way you move through the world.
It can leave you feeling stuck, exhausted, and like there’s no way out—no matter how hard you’ve tried to heal.
That’s where EMDR Intensive Therapy comes in. It’s a focused, accelerated approach to healing—designed to help you feel better, faster, than the traditional weekly model.
How do EMDR Intensives work?
EMDR intensives condense the therapy process into a concentrated, focused timeframe.
Think: working in sprints instead of a never-ending weekly slog.
Instead of inching forward in 50-minute sessions, you get several hours of uninterrupted time to stay in the work, go deeper, and actually feel things shift.
This format accelerates healing and transformation—without needing to commit to long-term weekly therapy. It’s ideal if you're stuck, short on time, or just want real progress without dragging it out.
An intensive skips the small talk and goes straight to why you're here: to heal from your trauma and feel better, faster.
You’ll walk away with:
– The ability to set boundaries without spiraling into guilt or self-doubt
– Fewer “why am I like this?” moments—because you finally understand where it’s coming from
– A calmer body—less tension, less bracing, fewer shutdowns
– The relief of not crying or dissociating every time something reminds you of the past
– More confidence speaking up in relationships, work, or moments that used to freeze you
– The sense that you're actually healing—not just managing symptoms
For many of my clients, it's the first time they’ve felt like the past is no longer running the show.
Hi, I’m Mary (she/her)
I’m a Certified EMDR Therapist and an EMDRIA-Approved Consultant-in-Training based in Oakland, CA.
I specialize in working with trauma survivors who feel like they’ve tried everything—but still carry the weight of what happened. Many of my clients come to me after years of talk therapy, feeling frustrated that nothing has touched the deeper layers. That’s where intensive, somatic, and parts-based trauma work comes in.
My work is rooted in IFS-informed EMDR, and I also offer Ketamine-Assisted Therapy for those who feel especially stuck or disconnected. I focus on helping adults recover from:
– Physically and emotionally abusive childhoods
– Sexual trauma
– Emotionally immature, narcissistic, or absent caregivers
– Religious trauma and spiritual abuse
– The childhood loss of a caregiver
This isn’t surface-level healing. It’s deep, focused work that gets to the core. Together, we’ll identify the stuck points and survival strategies still running the show—and help your system feel safe enough to let go.
I bring years of clinical experience, advanced training in complex trauma and dissociation, and a deep respect for your pace and inner wisdom.
You don’t have to keep doing this alone. And you don’t have to spend years in therapy to get your life back.
Why Choose an EMDR Intensive?
You’ve tried everything and nothing seems to stick.
You’re exhausted from carrying this pain around—and ready for something that actually moves the needle.You’re busy.
It’s hard to carve out an hour every week for therapy, let alone recover from it before heading back into work or parenting mode.Therapy takes a lot out of you.
It’s frustrating to open something big, only to have the session end just as you're getting somewhere. You’d rather go deep in a contained window and have time to come up for air—on your own terms.Weekly therapy can feel more dysregulating than supportive.
50-minute sessions often don’t leave enough time to settle in, get into the work, and complete what’s coming up—which can leave your system feeling even more raw or unresolved between sessions.You prefer to work in sprints, not marathons.
You like to focus, go all in, and actually finish what you started—instead of dragging it out week after week.You’re here to get to the root.
You don’t need endless small talk. You want a space where you can go deep fast, without having to tiptoe in.You want to make the most of your time, money, and energy.
Yes, an EMDR intensive is a bigger investment up front. But it saves you time, money, and emotional bandwidth in the long run—because you’re not spending months circling the same patterns.In a typical 50-minute session, a good chunk of time goes to checking in and winding down. Sometimes you only get 20 minutes of actual reprocessing.
With intensives, you stay in the work, build momentum, and create space for real transformation—not just weekly maintenance.
What’s Included in an EMDR Intensive?
Consultation
Schedule a 30-minute free get-to-know-each-other video consultation. We will talk about your goals, and determine whether EMDR intensive therapy could be a good fit for your unique needs.
90 Minute Interview
We will meet either virtually or in person in Mary's office. We will discuss your history and the symptoms you are seeking relief from. We will identify which targets to process and develop a plan for your intensive session.
The Workbook
You will go home from your interview with a workbook to help you prepare. It will include assessments to help guide your treatment and tools you can use during (and after!) your intensive session.
Your Intensive Program
Choose between a 3-day intensive (5 hours/day) or a series of half-day sessions. Each is tailored to help you process your most distressing trauma symptoms. We’ll meet virtually one month later to check in.
EMDR Therapy Intensive Program Options:
3 Day EMDR Intensive
What’s Included:
90-minute pre-intensive intake session to identify key memories and prepare your system for processing
15 hours of EMDR therapy across three days, combining EMDR resourcing, reprocessing and integrating Internal Family Systems (IFS) for comprehensive support.
Trauma recovery workbook to guide and anchor you before, during, and after your intensive
30-minute follow-up session one month later to check in, integrate insights, and support long-term change
This format is especially supportive if you:
Feel like you've tried everything and still feel stuck
Have done therapy before, but never felt real resolution
Carry complex or developmental trauma that’s hard to access in traditional therapy
Want meaningful results in a shorter timeframe
Investment: $5,100
Offered in person in Mary’s office in Oakland, CA
3 Half-Days EMDR Intensive
What’s Included:
90-minute pre-intensive intake session to identify key memories and prepare your system for processing
7.5 hours of EMDR therapy across three days, combining EMDR resourcing, reprocessing and integrating Internal Family Systems (IFS) for comprehensive support.
Trauma recovery workbook to guide and anchor you before, during, and after your intensive
This format is especially supportive if you:
Want to ease into intensive trauma work without committing to a full 3-day
Know there’s work to be done, but feel overwhelmed by the idea of diving in all at once
Are looking for clarity, direction, or a jumpstart when weekly therapy hasn’t been enough
Are managing a full schedule but still want to prioritize deeper healing
Are interested in incorporating ketamine assisted therapy to enchance your work with EMDR Therapy.
Investment: $2,800
Offered in person in Mary’s office in Oakland, CA
Note: This 3-session package is designed to jumpstart your healing, but most people will need additional sessions to address long-standing trauma patterns fully. The average length of treatment to resolve one treatment issue is 6-8 half-day sessions, typically done within 1-3 months.
Financing Available through Care Credit
I’ve partnered with Care Credit to provide deferred interest financing options for my clients to make EMDR intensive therapy more accessible.
With this option, you will not be charged interest if you pay off your balance within the promotional time frame (6 month option or 24 month option).
Apply for care credit here.
Customized Ongoing EMDR Intensives
For my current or former weekly or intensive therapy clients only.
Many clients with complex trauma, or childhood trauma, choose to work on their trauma histories on an ongoing basis.
One intensive will jump-start your progress, but those with complex trauma histories will need more support in their healing. It’s been years of dealing with the effects of complex trauma, and it’s going to take more than one EMDR Intensive to resolve all of your trauma-related symptoms fully.
A customized plan we might come up with may look like meeting 2x a month for 90 minutes, once a month for 2.5 hours, once a quarter for a full day, or once or twice a year for 1-2 day intensives. We can collaborate on a frequency that makes sense for you.
The Research Supporting EMDR
Intensive Therapy.
EMDR Intensive Therapy is evidenced based and backed by science.
EMDR was never meant to be done in 50-minute therapy sessions.
While you can certainly make progress in 50 minutes, it can several months and in some cases, much longer, to make the kind of progress you can make in 1 week with EMDR intensive therapy; EMDR Intensive therapy cuts the time down significantly, helping you feel better NOW.
Francine Shapiro, the creator of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), originally designed her protocol to be done in 90-minute sessions. The 50-minute format emerged due to insurance companies only reimbursing for 50-minute sessions. EMDR intensive therapy goes back to the fidelity of the model, allowing you to make more gains in a shorter amount of time.
Current research supports EMDR Intensive therapy as an effective treatment for PTSD and trauma, reducing dropout rates from treatment and supporting patients in no longer meeting the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis.
Want the details? Dig Into the Research Backing EMDR Intensive therapy here.
Frequently Asked Questions
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EMDR Intensive therapy can help if:
You have PTSD.
You experienced a one-time traumatic event that continues to cause distress
You come from a dysfunctional family or have emotionally immature parents
You survived a car accident.
You lived through a natural disaster.
You were robbed or attacked.
You were sexually assaulted.
You are a first responder that sees trauma at your place of work.
You provide emergency services for victims/survivors of trauma.
Have experienced a sudden loss or death.
You survived abuse, neglect, or trauma in childhood.
You experienced the death of a caregiver as a child.
EMDR Intensive Therapy can be especially helpful if you've tried traditional weekly therapy and still feel stuck. A 3-day EMDR intensive in Oakland can offer the deeper, focused support you need to move forward.
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I work with adults (age 18+) and welcome all races, sexual orientations, gender expressions, physical abilities, cultures, and spiritual orientations.
I specialize in supporting adults navigating childhood trauma, family dysfunction, and strained family relationships. Many of my clients are high achievers who feel anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected — even after years of talk therapy. If you’re in the Bay Area or looking for EMDR therapy in Oakland, I offer in person EMDR intensives to support deep healing. -
I cannot guarantee that EMDR therapy will work and I do not provide money back after providing services.
No therapies are ever a 100% guarantee (and if a therapist ever says that they are, I encourage you to be a bit suspicious of that therapist).
EMDR is evidenced backed and has been proven to decrease PTSD and trauma related symptoms in the majority of participants.
Working with a highly trained and Certified EMDR therapist will increase the likelihood that you will make progress with EMDR therapy.
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I will never push you beyond what you can handle. I will support you in noticing what's blocking you in the process and in gaining confidence to overcome that block.
Think about EMDR Intensive therapy as basically regular EMDR therapy, except accelerated. You're doing many hours in a concentrated time frame.
I have a diverse tool kit of interventions rooted in IFS therapy, and somatic and experiential techniques to support you in working with blocks that may arise in the processing.
If more of your intensive therapy is spent working on these blocks and not using EMDR reprocessing, you are still making accelerated progress in your healing.
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For 3-day intensives, I typically offer sessions Monday through Friday within a single week. Most clients choose Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each day includes two 2.5-hour sessions — a morning session from 10:00am to 12:30pm, followed by a one-hour lunch break, and an afternoon session from 1:30 to 4:00pm.
If you're not ready for a full 3-day intensive, I also offer half-day intensives. These are single 2.5-hour sessions that give you space to begin the work without diving in all at once. Some clients use a 3-session half-day format over time to slowly build momentum. Additional half-day intensives can be scheduled at your own pace as needed.
Whether you choose a full or half-day format, we’ll tailor the time to meet your needs and goals.
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Yes — in fact, combining EMDR intensives with Internal Family Systems (IFS) or ketamine-assisted therapy (KAP) can deepen the healing process. Many of my clients find that IFS helps them connect with their inner parts in a more compassionate way, while EMDR helps process stuck trauma responses. In all of my EMDR intensives, we use a combination of both of these modalities!
Ketamine-assisted therapy can create the spaciousness needed to access those deeper layers. If you are interested in integrating KAP and EMDR/IFS- I would recommend the 3 half day package vs the 3 day intensive, as KAP is most effective with 6-8 dosing sessions.
If you're curious about how these modalities work together, we can build a treatment plan that supports your nervous system and your specific goals.
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Every nervous system is different — but most clients walk away from EMDR intensive therapy feeling lighter, clearer, and more connected to themselves. If you’ve felt stuck in talk therapy, EMDR intensives can help you actually process the root of your pain, not just talk about it.
Some people notice a shift in how they respond to triggers — feeling calmer in situations that used to activate panic, shame, or shutdown. Others describe it as a “fog lifting” or finally being able to access emotions they’ve kept buried for years. You might gain clarity around boundaries, feel less stuck in old patterns, or experience more self-compassion and confidence.
EMDR intensives don’t erase the past, but they can help you relate to it differently — with more choice, less reactivity, and a stronger sense of internal safety.
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The biggest difference is in the structure and pace of the work.
Weekly EMDR therapy happens in 50 minute sessions over many months. It's helpful if you're looking for ongoing support or are newer to therapy. But it can also feel slow — especially if you’re dealing with complex trauma, emotional overwhelm, or feel like you keep getting stuck in talk therapy.EMDR intensive therapy condenses months of trauma work into a few days of focused, extended sessions. It allows us to go deeper, faster, without the stop-start rhythm of weekly therapy. You’ll have more time to fully process, integrate, and come out of the work feeling more grounded and complete.
This format is especially helpful for adults navigating childhood trauma, anxiety, or burnout — and for folks who don’t want to wait months to feel relief.
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I charge more for my intensive sessions for several reasons.
When I do an intensive, you are my only client and only focus for the day. The work is more intense and requires a higher level of care and attention than a regular therapy session.
I provide an assessment and trauma recovery workbook after your intake session for you to complete before your intensive program. I spend time reviewing it before your intensive to guide your treatment. We are focused and ready to go on that first intensive day.
I believe that despite the upfront price tag, you are getting more for your money and your time, as one hour of intensive therapy is like doing 2+ hours in regular therapy when you consider the clinical gains from an intensive therapy program.
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I offer a sliding scale 2-3 times a year.
If you think you might qualify for a sliding scale intensive, we can talk about that together during our consultation.
I offer a 6-month or 24-month deferred interest financing option through care credit on intensives to make them more accessible. With this option, you will not be charged interest if you pay off your balance within the allotted time frame.
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If we resolve all of the targets we decided to work on, we might decide that it make sense to end the intensive early.
I will not charge you the time you do not use and will deduct that time from the total cost prorated by the hour.
For example if you book a 3 day intensive and only need 11 hours, I will not charge you for the 4 hours you didn't use.
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While parts of the program can be done online (the intake and follow up session), sitting in front of a computer screen for 5 hours in a day does not help me be my best therapist self.
So many of the folx I work with have been injured in relationships with the adults in their life who were supposed to care for them and keep them safe. There is an added bonus to working in person for those who are working through this type of trauma.
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It really depends. Every person processes differently. It's really common to feel a bit more exhausted and emotional between sessions, especially after that first day. You continue to process between your EMDR intensive days, so being a bit stirred up can be part of the process.
If you have the means to take time off, it can be really nice to have that space for yourself. Some clients like to make a mini retreat and schedule self care between intensive days.
As part of your program, I will provide you with a resource list of trauma informed self care ideas local to the bay area (for various budgets), to support you in processing and integrating the material between sessions.
If you don't have the time and resources to take time off between processing sessions, I might encourage you to not schedule any big deadlines or meetings if you can avoid it and try to take it easy.
Some clients might consider taking sick time, as your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
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I’m a licensed therapist with advanced training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and over 10 years of experience supporting trauma survivors through both traditional weekly therapy and intensive formats. I’m certified in EMDR therapy and an EMDRIA-approved consultant-in-training, providing consultation to other therapists on how to treat trauma using EMDR. I’ve completed specialized EMDR intensive training and regularly integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS) and other trauma-informed approaches to support nervous system regulation and deep healing.
Before starting my private practice, I worked in outpatient drug treatment, community mental health, and crisis settings — so I’m no stranger to complex trauma, dissociation, and the survival strategies that show up when life gets overwhelming.
I’ve also done this work personally. I’ve been through EMDR and parts work myself, so I know what it’s like to be on the other side of the couch.
As a therapist, I deeply value continued education and professional consultation to continuously strengthen and refine my skillset.
If you're curious about my full background, approach, or credentials, you can read more here.
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Great! I'd be happy to answer them for you. You can schedule a free no obligation 30 minute video call to talk with me directly on my calendar through my contact page.
I will be honest about if I think I can support you with what you are seeking help with, and provide you with resources if I think another therapy or therapist would be a better match for you at this point in your healing journey.