Edwige Theokas, M.Ed, LPC
Therapy For Moms Navigating Midlife & Perimenopause
Specializing in EMDR and EMDR Intensives for Trauma, Stress & Anxiety
Online and In-Person in Bordentown, NJ
Extended Therapy Sessions For Women In Midlife
Therapy for Moms in Perimenopause & Midlife | NJ LPC
(Online and In-Person in New Jersey)
Extended Therapy Sessions for women navigating Midlife:
More Room to Process Life Than a 50-Minute Hour
For women who in a midlife transition who already have insight, but need more time and space than a standard session allows.
What Is a Midlife Transition?
A midlife transition is the psychological process of adapting when a major life structure ends - a marriage, a parent’s life, a career, a body that worked a certain way.
It is different from the event itself. The career loss is the change; becoming someone who is figuring out her next steps is the transition, The transition runs on a much slower clock, even though we would love to get to the next phase.
Most women in a midlife transition are not in crisis and do not have a disorder.
They are in the middle of figuring out their new normal.
The old life doesn't feel like it fits anymore but the new one has not yet arrived, and there is nowhere in an ordinary week to think about it for longer than the drive to school.
IS THIS YOU?
This is probably you if:
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You've done the insight work. You understand your patterns, your history, your triggers.
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You don't necessarily want or need EMDR reprocessing right now - you just want room to unpack things, think, feel, and be fully heard.
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You're navigating a lot at once (perimenopause, motherhood, a life transition) and a weekly 50 minute check-in isn't enough.
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You've tried to fit a genuinely complex inner life into an hour (that's really 50 minutes) once you subtract getting settled and wrapping up.
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Something large has shifted - a divorce, a parent’s death, perimenopause, a job ending, the last child starting school (and you are trying to figure out what comes next).
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You are not in crisis, but a weekly check-in is not enough
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You do not necessarily want a structured trauma protocol — you want time, and someone who can hold the whole picture
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You keep thinking you should be further along by now
What is an extended session?
Instead of spending the first several minutes re-establishing context and the last few wrapping up, you have the space to actually follow a thought, a feeling, or an insight all the way through.
This is not an EMDR Intensive, and it isn't a substitute for EMDR reprocessing work.
Why the Format of An Extended Session Matters in Perimenopause and Midlife
Your hormones are fluctuating, sometimes day to day.
Your nervous system has good weeks and harder ones. Your bandwidth isn't predictable or fixed the way it may have been in your 30s.
The typical, slow, incremental model of therapy (a little bit of work every week, for a long time, can get derailed by exactly the instability that makes the work necessary in the first place. You make progress in one session, hit a hard hormonal or life stretch, and you feel like what you gained is suddenly out of reach again.
A longer session gives you the room to actually land somewhere in one sitting and figure out your next steps, rather than scratching the surface of something and running out of time before it's resolved.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN TWO HOURS
Talking about the internal structure of the session is the strongest answer to “what would we even do for two hours?”
This is what a typical session can look like
0–20 min
Arriving and settling. Your body gets to catch up with the fact that you are here. Breath, grounding, orienting.
20–65 min
Review of the week and insights from last week's session. What is actually happening in your life, how are you managing, what is not working in your life, what is working
65–75 min
A break. Water, walk around, bathroom.
75–110 min
Going deeper with EMDR, Sandplay, body based work. This is the part a fifty-minute hour never gets to.
110–120 min
Landing. What you are taking with you, and what happens next.
What we do in the work
1. Name It
Your history, the shape of the transition, and where the old pattern meets the current change. We start with what is still standing: the relationships, capacities and commitments that are stuck and need to get unstuck.
2. Grieve It
What is actually ending. The losses underneath the anxiety — a body, a role, an imagined future. Often the session that surprises women most.
3. Untangle It
The older material this transition is activating. If EMDR reprocessing is the right tool here, this is where we use it.
4. Build It
Not “design your new life”, but rather process what it looks like to make new decisions, and process your next steps.
Women come to a midlife transition session navigating various external issues, but underneath it all are usually the same: an ending, grief, identity shifts, and a nervous system trying to run old software in new conditions. Many of the issues I see often are:
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Perimenopause - The body, the resilience and the bandwidth that helped you organized your life around no longer seems to work. You are disoriented, lost, sad, angry and everything in between
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Career ending or changing - Being let go after devoting your life to your career; realizing that you no longer want to do the job, but you are the breadwinner or you have built your whole identity around your job title, the income, the acceptance.
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Divorce or separation - A shared future that is no more, and the version of you who now has to co-parent, co-exist and grieve without being resentful.
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The death of a parent - Being someone’s child, and having to learn to live life without them in it. Sometimes there are unresolved issues ad regrets that can no longer be expressed
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Unresolved trauma that shows up and will not let you ignore it anymore
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Children leaving, or starting school. The structure of your days, and a very specific way of being needed are leaving you feeling empty.
Sessions are conducted back to back every week for 4 to 6 sessions, building on one another. Sessions can then be reduced to 50 minute sessions, or extended sessions to every other week or once a month.
THE MIDLIFE TRANSITION SERIES
Four (4) two-hour sessions spread across twelve weeks. A longer interval to help you transition more gently, over a longer period of time.
WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR LIFE CAN HELP YOU DECIDE WHAT TO BOOK
Not everyone should book the Series. Here is how to tell.
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Still in the ending. “Something just happened and I’m barely getting through the day.” → A single session, back to back over the course of 4 weeks.
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In the middle. “The worst of it is over and I still don’t know who I am.” → The Midlife Transition Series.
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Emerging. “I know what I want and I keep sliding back into the old version.” → Two sessions, or one every quarter.
If you book a consultation and you are not ready, I will say so.
COMPARISON — STANDARD vs TRANSITION SESSION vs INTENSIVE
Weekly session (50 min) - $200
Ongoing, steady work. Processing the week, building skills, incremental progress. Also where most women land after a Series.
The Extended Midlife Session (2 hours) - $495
Being in the middle of a life change and needing room to think. Primarily talk-based, with EMDR available if it becomes useful.
The Extended Transition Series (Two hour sessions x 4) - $1,850 for four sessions across twelve weeks
Being in the middle of a life change and needing room to think an integrate over an extended period of time. The series allows for life's responsibilities, while giving you time to process what you learn between sessions. Primarily talk-based, with EMDR available if it becomes useful.
EMDR Intensive (4–6 hours)
A defined trauma target. A structured EMDR reprocessing protocol, not an open conversation.
Short version: if you have a specific memory to work on, book the intensive. If you are in the middle of a life change and cannot hear yourself think, book a Midlife Transition Session.
I am a Private-pay provider, but you may be able to use your out of network benefits. A superbill is available for potential out-of-network reimbursement, though be aware that a two-hour session is generally billed under a single psychotherapy code, so reimbursement usually reflects one session rather than two. I would rather you know that before you book.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a Midlife Transition Session?
A Midlife Transition Session is a two-hour extended therapy session for a woman in the middle of a significant life change (an identity crisis, perimenopause, divorce, the death of a parent, a job ending, or children leaving home).
The extra time means you can follow a thought or feeling all the way through instead of stopping just as it opens up.
How is this different from regular therapy?
A standard therapy session is fifty minutes, usually weekly.
A Midlife Transition Session is two hours, with a published structure: twenty minutes to settle, forty-five in the work, a ten-minute break, thirty-five going deeper, and ten to land.
Most women use them monthly, after initially doing 4-6 weekly back to back sessions.
Do I have to be in crisis?
No. Most women who book are not. You do not need a diagnosis to need room.
If you are going through something large and there is nowhere in your week to think about it properly, It is a life stage without a container or support.
Do I have to do EMDR?
No. Midlife Transition Sessions can be primarily talk-based. EMDR is available if it becomes useful for part of the work, but it is not the point of this format the way it is with an EMDR Intensive.
What if I'm not ready for the whole Series?
Then don't book it. Most women start with two or three sessions.
If you are in the first months after a death, or in the middle of an active transition, a few single sessions is what I would recommend.
Can I keep my current therapist?
Yes, and many women do. This is closer to seeing a specialist for one specific thing while keeping your regular clinician.
With your permission I am glad to write to your therapist before we begin and again at the end.
How much does a two-hour therapy session cost?
A Midlife Transition Session is $495 for two hours.
The four-session Series is $1,850 spread across twelve weeks.
Planting Seeds Therapy is private-pay; a superbill is available for potential out-of-network reimbursement. *Please note that most insurance companies do not reimburse for two hour sessions, but will usually cover a 45 minute or 60 minute session.
Do you work with women outside New Jersey?
I am licensed in New Jersey, so therapy is available to anyone physically located in NJ at the time of the session. My office is located in downtown Bordentown City or online anywhere in the state of NJ.
What are your credentials?
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey (#37PC00631700) and an EMDRIA Certified therapist, which requires a minimum of 50 hours of EMDR training, 20 hours of supervised practice and ongoing consultation. I hold a Master's in Education and have been a therapist since 2002.
ABOUT EDWIGE THEOKAS, M.Ed, LPC, EMDRIA CERTIFIED
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and EMDRIA Certified therapist based in Bordentown, NJ. I specialize in trauma, nervous system regulation, and the intersection of perimenopause and emotional health. I have been a therapist since 2002 and in private practice since 2020. I am a mom of two young children, I am 48, and I am navigating perimenopause myself. I know this terrain, professionally and personally. My approach is direct, relational, integrative, and deeply grounded in the science of trauma and nervous system regulation.
NJ License #37PC00631700 | NBCC Certified | EMDRIA Certified
Serving Burlington and Mercer County, NJ (Bordentown, Hamilton, Robbinsville, Princeton) — in person and online throughout New Jersey.
Schedule Your Free Consultation
What Extended Sessions Can Help With
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Mapping out what's actually happening in your life and naming the patterns underneath it.
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Processing the grief that often lives underneath anxiety (grief for a loss, a career, an identity, or a version of yourself that feels unfamiliar.
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Working through a new diagnosis or framework (realizing “this might be perimenopause”) and everything that brings up.
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Untangling deeper, longer-standing patterns without compressing the work into 50 minutes.
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Simply being fully heard, without watching the clock.
Extended Sessions, Standard Sessions & EMDR Intensives - What's the Difference?
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Standard session (50 minutes): weekly or biweekly maintenance work — processing the week, building skills, steady incremental progress.
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Extended session (90 minutes–2 hours) — this page: a deeper individual session for processing, integration, or grief work — primarily talk-based, with EMDR available if appropriate.
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EMDR Intensive (4–10 hours): a concentrated, structured trauma-reprocessing protocol, built specifically around EMDR.
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Many clients start with weekly extended sessions for a period of three to six months, then step down to monthly extended sessions or biweekly standard sessions as things stabilize.
Is an Extended Session Right for You?
Strong candidates for extended sessions include:
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You've already done meaningful therapy work and have real insight into your patterns.
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You're not in acute crisis, but a standard hour consistently feels too short.
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You're navigating a transition (perimenopause, a major life change) that needs more room than a check-in.
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You want to be fully heard and to follow something through, without necessarily doing EMDR reprocessing.
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You value having more space, even occasionally, over a rigid weekly-hour structure.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is an extended therapy session?
An extended session runs 90 minutes to two hours, compared to a standard 50-minute hour. The additional time means you can follow a thought, feeling, or insight all the way through instead of stopping just as it opens up.
How is an extended session different from an EMDR Intensive?
Extended sessions are primarily talk-based and happen on an ongoing weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. EMDR Intensives are 4–10 hour concentrated sessions built specifically around a structured EMDR reprocessing protocol.
Do I have to do EMDR during an extended session?
No. Extended sessions are for women who want more time and space, not necessarily a formal EMDR protocol. If EMDR is a good fit for part of the work, we can incorporate it.
Can I mix standard and extended sessions?
Yes. Many clients start with weekly extended sessions for a period, then step down to monthly extended sessions or biweekly standard sessions as things stabilize.
Is this covered by insurance?
Planting Seeds Therapy is a private-pay practice. Extended sessions are not billed to insurance directly. A superbill is available for potential out-of-network reimbursement.
How do I know if I need a standard session, an extended session, or an intensive?
The best way to figure that out is through a free consultation, where we'll talk about what you're navigating, your schedule and capacity, and what kind of support would actually be useful right now.
What training and credentials do you have?
I am an EMDRIA Certified therapist, which requires a minimum of 50 hours of EMDR training, 20 hours of supervised EMDR practice, and ongoing consultation. I hold a Master's in Education and am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in New Jersey. I have been in practice since 2002 and have specialized in trauma and nervous system regulation since 2020.
About Edwige Theokas, M.Ed, LPC, EMDRIA Certified
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and EMDRIA Certified therapist based in Bordentown, NJ. I specialize in trauma, nervous system regulation, and the intersection of perimenopause and emotional health. I have been a therapist since 2002 and in private practice since 2020.
I am a mom of two young children, I am 48, and I am navigating middle age and perimenopause myself. I know this terrain and know how impactful it can be to have support while stepping into a new normal.
My approach is direct, relational, integrative, and deeply grounded in the science of Jungian theory, trauma and nervous system regulation, but also in the spirit of a Higher Power.
NJ License #37PC00631700 | NBCC Certified | EMDRIA Certified
Serving Burlington and Mercer County, NJ (Bordentown, Hamilton, Robbinsville, Princeton)
In-person and online
Support designed for mothers in midlife who are carrying too much, holding too much together, and craving a deeper, longer-lasting way to heal.
Edwige Theokas, LPC, offering EMDR therapy intensives for moms in Bordentown, NJ
Offered In-Person and Online
Serving Burlington and Mercer County, NJ
(Bordentown, Chesterfield, Hamilton, Princeton, NJ )
Is this You?
You are a mom, in your mid-late 30's and 40's who is:
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Successful at work but overwhelmed at home
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Constantly feel like you have to be “on,” even when you’re exhausted
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Stuck in anxiety, people-pleasing, shutdown, guilt, or resentment
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Trying to hold together parenting, work, home, family & friend relationships, and the invisible mental load that comes with maintaining all of those roles.
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Desire change, but feel too burnt out to actually have the bandwidth to make change
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Aware of your patterns, but still unable to sustainably integrate them in real life
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Frustrated that traditional weekly therapy can feel too slow, too fragmented, or too hard to maintain consistently
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Navigating the hormonal upheaval of perimenopause
You are likely carrying too much for too long without enough space to process it deeply.
You're tired of feeling emotionally unstable, having sleepless nights, being sick, being resentful, and feeling triggered all of the time.
You want so badly to find yourself and to have stability, but you don't think that it's possible.
You wonder what's wrong with you and why you can't be happy.
For many mothers, who know all too well how to multi-task, I am here to tell you that healing cannot happen in that same rhythm.
It does not happen in tiny, rushed fragments.
It happens when there is enough space, enough support, and enough structure to actually do the work
beyond what a standard 50-minute session allows.
Intensives may be the support that you need
Book A Free Consultation to Learn More
EMDR Intensives for Moms Navigating Stress, Overwhelm and Burnout During Perimenopause and Menopause
An EMDR Intensive is a concentrated, half-day or full-day therapy experience designed to accomplish in one or two sessions what might take months of weekly appointments.
Rather than checking in for 50 minutes and stopping just as things open up, an Intensive gives your nervous system the time and space to complete what it started.
For many moms who are interested in an Intensive, they may have been engaged in traditional talk therapy, or they may be feeling stuck by the lack of progress with their issues.
Intensives are time-efficient and transformational, ideal for busy women who want deep healing without weekly appointments forever.
Perimenopause makes this the right time to experience an Intensive
Perimenopause is not just a hormonal shift. It is a full-system recalibration.
Estrogen and progesterone fluctuations directly affect the the brain and body in unprecedented ways.
The very structures involved in trauma processing and nervous system regulation are disrupted and need support.
This means that unresolved trauma and stored stress often resurface during perimenopause with renewed intensity.
Sleep disruption, mood dysregulation, anxiety spikes, and rage episodes are showing up and asking to be dealt with.
They are neurobiological signals that your system ready is and overdue for deeper healing.
As a therapist specializing in trauma and nervous system regulation, I work at exactly this intersection: the place where your hormonal transition, your life history, and your identity as a mother all meet.
Is an Intensive Right for You?
EMDR Intensives are not appropriate for everyone - and I am honest about that. A good fit looks like this:
Strong candidates for an EMDR Intensive:
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You have supports and stability in your environment
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You are a high-functioning mom who feels emotionally overwhelmed beneath the surface
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You are tired of white-knuckling your way through life
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You want more than coping - you want actual healing and integration
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You have done some previous therapy work and have basic window of tolerance
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You are open to somatic and parts-based approaches alongside EMDR
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You are not in crisis
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You value high-touch, personalized care and are ready to invest in it
If you are in active crisis or have never done any therapy work before, we would start with an initial evaluation to determine the right level of support. Safety first. Always.
What does an EMDR Intensive look like?
Session formats:
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Half-day Intensive: 4–6 hours
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Full-day Intensive: 8–10 hours
Sessions can be held on consecutive days or spread across the same week
Rather than having to work on a weekly basis for an extended period of time, you can often work through many issues (depending on how it is impacting you) intensively and move forward with your life more quickly.
Each intensive is integrative - combining EMDR, IFS parts work, somatic body work, nervous system regulation, and mindfulness.
It is not one-size-fits-all. W
e design your intensive around your specific history, goals, and current readiness.
*Note: Intensives are recommended alongside, not as a replacement for your ongoing weekly therapy (with me or another therapist).
If you have a current therapist, I welcome collaborative work. Feel free to discuss this option with them and I am happy to discuss collaborative work.
Your intensive may focus on one or more of the following:
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Anxiety and chronic overwhelm
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Trauma and unresolved past experiences
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Burnout and nervous system exhaustion
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Perfectionism and people-pleasing
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Mom Rage
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Motherhood identity shifts
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Guilt, resentment, or self-worth struggles
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Stress related to parenting, relationships, or work-life imbalance
Each intensive is personalized. We will determine together what makes the most sense based on your needs, goals, and readiness.
If you are interested in exploring the idea of an Intensive, please contact me to schedule an intake session and I can help you decide if an Intensive is right for you. You can also learn more here and here.
If you would like to work with me directly for longer term 1-1 therapy, that is also an option. See your options here
*Intensives can be broken up and conducted multiple days throughout the week, the month or throughout the year.
About Edwige Theokas, M.Ed, LPC
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and EMDRIA Certified therapist based in Bordentown, NJ.
I specialize in trauma, nervous system regulation, and the intersection of perimenopause and emotional health.
I have been a therapist since 2002. I have been in private practice since 2020.
I am a mom of two young children, I am 48, and I am navigating perimenopause myself.
I know this terrain, professionally and personally.
My approach is direct, relational, integrative, and deeply grounded in the science of trauma and nervous system regulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is an EMDR Intensive?
EMDR Intensives run 4–6 hours (half-day) or 8–10 hours (full day).
Sessions can be scheduled on consecutive days or across the same week, depending on your needs and schedule.
How is an EMDR Intensive different from weekly therapy?
Weekly therapy provides 50 minutes per session, which often means stopping just as deeper material begins to surface.
An intensive gives your nervous system enough uninterrupted time to move through a trauma or stressor fully, reducing the stop-and-start fragmentation that can slow progress.
Can EMDR Intensives help with perimenopause symptoms?
Yes. Perimenopause-related anxiety, mood swings, rage, and sleep disruption are frequently rooted in unresolved trauma and nervous system dysregulation.
EMDR directly targets these patterns at the neurological level.
Many perimenopausal women find that addressing stored trauma significantly reduces the emotional intensity of their hormonal symptoms.
Do I need to be a current client to do an Intensive?
No. I offer EMDR Intensives both to existing clients and to new clients who come specifically for intensive work.
New clients complete an intake consultation first so we can ensure the format is appropriate.
Are EMDR Intensives covered by insurance?
My practice, Planting Seeds Therapy is a private-pay practice.
EMDR Intensives are not billed to insurance.
A superbill can be provided for potential out-of-network reimbursement.
Pricing details are discussed during your consultation.
Where are EMDR Intensives offered?
I offer EMDR Intensives both in-person in Bordentown, NJ (serving Burlington and Mercer County) and online via secure telehealth for New Jersey residents.
My office is in Bordentown City.
What training and credentials do you have?
I am an EMDRIA Certified therapist, which requires a minimum of 50 hours of EMDR training, 20 hours of supervised EMDR practice, and ongoing consultation.
I have completed a trauma certification program, and I am trained in the IFS (Internal Family Systems) model.
I am a level 3 Sandplay Certified Therapist and I completed my RYA 250 hour yoga certification.
I hold a Master's in Education and am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in New Jersey.
I have been in practice since 2002 and have specialized in trauma and nervous system regulation since 2020.
Investment
EMDR Intensives are a premium, private-pay service.
Exact pricing is shared during your free consultation, as sessions are scoped to your specific needs and goals.
Half-day and full-day packages are available. Check out my rates here
Book A Free Consultation to Learn More
