EMDR Therapy in Los Angeles, Weekly or as an Intensive

At Lisa Chen & Associates Therapy, weekly EMDR costs $250 to $500 per 50-minute session depending on the clinician, and $450 to $500 with founder Lisa Chen, LMFT. EMDR intensives are $400 to $650 per hour, depending on the clinician. We are out of network and provide superbills, and many employers' PPO plans reimburse a portion.

Our focused intensive includes a 90-minute planning session, one processing day of 3 to 5 hours and a 50-minute integration session, about $2,150 to $4,750 in total. The three-day intensive runs about $4,550 to $11,250. The total depends on the hours and the clinician. Laura Malandrino and Jessica Slavin are $400 an hour, and Lisa Chen is $650 an hour.

An EMDR intensive puts several hours of EMDR processing into one to three days instead of spreading it across months of weekly sessions. At our practice it includes a 90-minute planning session beforehand, processing days of 3 to 5 hours with breaks, and a 50-minute integration session within two weeks to set an aftercare plan.

Common effects are tiredness after a session, vivid dreams, memories or feelings surfacing between sessions, and a short rise in emotion before things settle. They usually ease within a day or two. We build calming skills before processing begins and plan rest time, especially around intensives, so you are not handling it alone.

Yes. EMDR can be done online using on-screen eye movements or self-tapping, with the same preparation and pacing as in person. We offer online EMDR, including intensives, to anyone located in California. In-person sessions are at our Hermosa Beach office on Pacific Coast Highway in the South Bay of Los Angeles.

It depends on what you are working on. A single recent event may need only a handful of processing sessions after preparation, while long patterns or several memories take longer. Weekly clients often work with us for a few months. An intensive covers the processing hours of many weekly sessions in a few days.

An intensive is usually not the right first step if you are in an active crisis, have never been in therapy, or often shut down or feel spaced out when emotions run high. Some medical questions are worth checking first. In those cases we typically start with weekly EMDR and build preparation before moving faster.

We are an out-of-network practice, so we do not bill insurance directly. We provide superbills through the client portal that you can submit for reimbursement, and many employers' PPO plans reimburse a portion of EMDR sessions. Intensives can often be submitted the same way. Check your out-of-network mental health benefits first.

Yes. Our EMDR-trained clinicians see clients at our Hermosa Beach office on Pacific Coast Highway, which serves Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Torrance and Playa Vista, and online anywhere in California. Weekly EMDR starts at $250 per 50-minute session, and the first 20-minute consultation is free.

Yes. EMDR is often used for fears that show up under pressure, such as public speaking and flying, and for work stress that traces back to earlier experiences. Lisa Chen works with clients on public speaking and flying fears. EMDR targets the memory or belief underneath the reaction, not only the symptom.