EMDR Therapy & Multi-Day Intensive Retreats
At Soul & Psyche, we offer transformative Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy through specialized multi-day intensive retreats throughout California. Our approach goes beyond traditional therapeutic treatment to address the deeper roots of human suffering, helping clients discover lasting freedom from trauma's impact and reconnect with their True Self. We also serve English-speaking expatriate communities throughout the European Union seeking comprehensive trauma-focused healing.
What Makes Our EMDR Therapy Services Different
Our EMDR practice represents a revolutionary approach to trauma treatment that addresses not just symptoms, but the fundamental wounds and unmet needs that give rise to persistent anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and recovery from spiritual abuse. Rather than managing surface-level expressions of distress, we guide clients on a journey of self-discovery to realize their True Self and integrate often-unacknowledged shadow aspects of the ego—the parts that cling to control and resist vulnerability.
The foundation of our work is captured in our 23-year relationship to one another, a partnership that has weathered seasons of growth, held space for each other's evolution, and deepened our capacity to hold space for others. This unique bond allows us to offer a depth of therapeutic alliance rarely found in psychological healing settings.
Evidence-Based, Internationally Recognized Treatment
EMDR therapy is endorsed by major health organizations worldwide, including the World Health Organization, American Psychiatric Association, and Department of Veterans Affairs as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma-related conditions. Our clinical practice utilizes this scientifically validated approach within a comprehensive healing framework that honors both psychological and spiritual dimensions of recovery.
The adaptive information processing model underlying EMDR therapy suggests that psychological trauma occurs when disturbing events are inadequately processed. Through bilateral stimulation—typically guided eye movements—we help clients reprocess traumatic memories, reducing their emotional charge and facilitating the natural healing process.
Our Comprehensive Integrative Approach
We combine EMDR therapy with multiple therapeutic modalities to create a holistic treatment experience that addresses the full spectrum of human experience:
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Ego State Therapy and IFS Theory
Image Transformation Therapy (ImTT)
Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST)
Spiritual Direction Services
This integration allows us to work comprehensively with clients seeking healing from anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and spiritual abuse, supporting lasting transformation rather than temporary symptom relief. Our trauma-focused approach is particularly effective for individuals with established sobriety (12+ months) who are ready to address underlying trauma, shame, and emotional pain that may have contributed to past substance use patterns.
Multi-Day Intensive Therapy Retreats: Our Signature Service
Our signature multi-day intensive format sets us apart from traditional weekly therapy sessions. Research suggests that concentrated EMDR treatment can produce breakthrough experiences and positive outcomes more rapidly than conventional approaches, allowing for deeper, more sustained therapeutic work that facilitates genuine transformation.
What to Expect During Your Retreat Experience
Day One: Foundation Building and Safety The first day focuses largely on establishing a trusting relationship, sharing information about your life experience and goals for the retreat, and developing a sense of safety so you will be ready to move forward. We understand that many clients have experienced betrayal in professional, family, or religious contexts, making this foundation essential for meaningful healing.
Processing Days: Deep Healing Work
The afternoon of your first day and the following days focus on using the most effective trauma processing modalities to clear traumatic memories and help you move forward in your life. We carefully utilize EMDR therapy, TIST, Ego State Therapy and IFS theory, and ImTT as appropriate for your unique healing journey, addressing shame, self-worth issues, esteem problems, neglect, and the impact of verbal or physical abuse.
Integration and Life Application Your retreat concludes with integration to ensure that you can take your newfound ease and insights and bring them into your daily life. We provide specific tools and practices for maintaining healing progress and help you identify ongoing support systems for continued growth toward authenticity and meaningful self-connection.
Our Comprehensive EMDR Process
Our EMDR therapy follows a structured eight-phase approach, ensuring thorough, personalized care that addresses your unique healing journey:
Phases 1-2: History Taking and Preparation We build therapeutic alliance, conduct comprehensive assessment of your trauma history and current challenges, and provide coping resources for emotional regulation during EMDR processing. This preparation phase is especially crucial for clients who have experienced complex trauma or spiritual abuse.
Phases 3-6: Assessment and Processing We identify targeted memory networks and utilize bilateral stimulation to help you process traumatic memories. Through carefully guided eye movements and EMDR processing, we help reduce emotional disturbance while installing positive beliefs about your capabilities, inherent worth, and capacity for authentic self-connection.
Phases 7-8: Closure and Reevaluation Each session concludes with grounding techniques ensuring emotional stability, and we continuously assess progress to ensure stable, lasting healing outcomes that support your journey toward greater freedom and conscious living.
Conditions We Address Through Our Specialized Services
Anxiety and Emotional Overwhelm
Many anxiety disorders stem from past traumatic experiences that leave the nervous system hypervigilant. Our trauma-focused EMDR therapy, combined with TIST and Ego State Therapy and IFS theory work, addresses both specific traumatic memories triggering anxiety and underlying patterns maintaining anxious responses. We also help resolve burnout, compassion fatigue, and hypervigilance that can develop from prolonged stress or caregiving roles.
Depression and Emotional Disconnection
Depression often represents the nervous system's protection from overwhelming pain or unmet needs. By addressing root causes through our comprehensive approach rather than simply managing symptoms, clients often experience renewed energy, hope, and authentic connection to life's meaning and purpose. Our work addresses loneliness and emotional isolation that frequently accompany depressive experiences.
Post-Traumatic Stress and Complex Trauma
Whether stemming from single incidents or complex trauma histories, post-traumatic stress can significantly impact daily functioning and relationships. Our intensive EMDR therapy format, enhanced by complementary modalities, helps clients process traumatic memories and reclaim their sense of safety and empowerment while addressing the shame and self-worth issues that often accompany trauma.
Spiritual Abuse Recovery
We understand the unique wounds created by spiritual abuse and betrayal within religious contexts. Our approach honors the spiritual dimensions of healing while addressing the specific trauma patterns that arise from religious or spiritual harm, helping clients reclaim their authentic spiritual connection without the burden of shame or fear.
Trauma-Focused Support for Established Recovery
For individuals with established sobriety (12+ months), we offer specialized trauma-focused work that addresses the underlying emotional pain, shame, and traumatic experiences that may have contributed to past substance use. Our approach focuses on healing these root causes rather than addiction-specific treatment, supporting deeper emotional growth and resilience in recovery.
The Science Behind Our EMDR Treatment Approach
EMDR therapy utilizes bilateral stimulation to activate both brain hemispheres, facilitating natural integration of traumatic experiences. During EMDR processing, clients focus on distressing memories while engaging in specific eye movements, sounds, or tactile stimulation, helping reduce emotional disturbance while strengthening positive beliefs about themselves and their resilience.
Research consistently demonstrates that EMDR therapy can achieve rapid, profound changes, often requiring fewer sessions than traditional talk therapy. Clinical studies show significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, anxiety, depression, and other trauma-related conditions, supporting our intensive retreat format's effectiveness.
Our integration of TIST (Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment) enhances EMDR's effectiveness by ensuring clients have robust emotional regulation skills before processing traumatic material. This combination often leads to more sustainable healing outcomes and greater emotional resilience.
Why Choose Soul & Psyche for Transformative Healing
Our commitment to transformative psychological treatment goes beyond symptom management to uncover and heal underlying wounds giving rise to emotional distress. Central to our approach is guiding clients toward self-discovery, helping fulfill the fundamental human need to realize their True Self through deep inner work and authentic self-connection.
We foster lasting change, greater freedom, and more meaningful, conscious living by supporting clients ready to engage in deep healing work. Our trauma treatment approach addresses what traditional therapies often miss—the integration of psychological and spiritual dimensions of healing working together toward wholeness.
Flexible Service Delivery Options
We offer both in-person and online EMDR therapy sessions throughout California, with additional services available to English-speaking expatriate communities in the European Union. Our intensive retreat format provides concentrated healing experiences that often produce breakthrough results not achievable through traditional weekly sessions.
Begin Your Transformation Journey
If you're ready to explore deeper healing that addresses fundamental roots of emotional distress, spiritual wounds, and trauma's impact on your life, we invite you to take the first step. Our EMDR therapy and intensive retreat format offer hope for profound, lasting transformation toward authentic self-connection and conscious living.
Our Personalized Intake Process
Your healing journey begins with easily booking a consultation call with our intake coordinator. They will answer your questions and guide you to who is most appropriate for your needs. Once your consultation call is scheduled, you will speak with one of us to see if an hourly format or a retreat is a good fit for your needs and schedule a time to move forward.
This personalized intake process ensures we match you with the therapist whose expertise and approach align with your unique situation and healing objectives. We understand that choosing trauma treatment is a significant decision, and we want to ensure you feel fully informed and supported from the very beginning.
Scheduling Your Intensive Retreat
After connecting with your therapist, we'll determine if our intensive retreat format suits your needs and schedule. If the retreat format is chosen, a deposit will secure your retreat dates, and we'll provide detailed preparation information for your transformative healing experience.
We work together to find dates that allow full engagement in the healing process without external pressures, creating optimal conditions for breakthrough experiences and lasting transformation.
Your Path to Authentic Freedom Awaits
EMDR therapy within our comprehensive intensive format offers a powerful pathway toward reclaiming your authentic self and moving beyond trauma's limitations. Whether dealing with persistent anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, spiritual abuse wounds, or seeking deeper healing in established recovery, our integrated approach offers hope for profound, lasting change.
Through our multi-day intensive format and expertise in EMDR, Ego State Therapy and IFS theory, ImTT, TIST, and spiritual direction, we create space for deep, sustained therapeutic work that catalyzes genuine transformation. Our trauma-focused approach recognizes that healing involves not just processing traumatic memories, but developing positive beliefs about your resilience, worth, and capacity for authentic self-connection.
At Soul & Psyche, we believe every person possesses an innate capacity for healing, growth, and transformation. Through our comprehensive services and 23-year partnership in holding space for healing, we're committed to helping you access this natural capacity and reclaim a life of freedom, peace, and authenticity.
Ready to begin your transformation toward wholeness and conscious living? Contact us today to book your consultation call and discover how our specialized EMDR therapy services and multi-day intensive retreats can support your journey toward authentic self-connection and lasting freedom from trauma's impact.