EMDR + IFS · Telehealth · Wisconsin & Louisiana
Focused Trauma Reprocessing
Short-term work with a particular memory, trigger, or trauma-related pattern.
Sometimes we understand exactly why we react the way we do and still find ourselves right back inside the reaction.
You may understand a memory, trigger, or pattern very clearly and still respond as though some part of you expects the past to happen again.
Focused Trauma Reprocessing is a shorter-term way to work directly with something that feels stuck.
We use EMDR and IFS together. EMDR gives us a structured way to work with memories and experiences that continue to shape how you respond in the present. IFS helps us understand and work with the protective parts that may have very good reasons for being hesitant about going near them.
We don't push past those parts. They're part of the work.
How it works
We start with what you want to work on.
01
Get oriented
We start with a 55-minute session to talk about what brings you in, understand some of the larger context, and begin identifying a target for our work.
You don't have to arrive knowing exactly what the target is. Sometimes a present-day trigger or recurring pattern leads us to the earlier experience underneath it.
02
Reprocess
From there, we use EMDR and IFS to work directly with the target and what is connected to it.
Reprocessing sessions are usually 90 minutes so we have more room to get into the work without rushing the beginning or the end.
A focused series is usually somewhere around 3–12 sessions, although trauma doesn't organize itself into a standardized timeline. We'll keep checking in about where we are and how the work is serving the focus we agreed on.
03
Integrate & end
As the target shifts, we make space to notice what has changed and what still needs attention.
When the piece of work we came together to address feels complete enough, we end. If you're working with another therapist, you continue your ongoing work with them. You can also return later if another appropriate target emerges.
Is this a fit?
Focused work may make sense if…
- There's a particular activating memory or experience that still feels present.
- A recurring trigger or relationship pattern seems connected to something older.
- You understand what is happening intellectually, but the reaction itself hasn't changed.
- You and your current therapist have identified something that could benefit from more direct trauma reprocessing.
- You already have a therapist you like and want to keep, but would like to work with someone specifically trained in EMDR and IFS for this piece of the work.
- You're a therapist yourself and want a contained place to do some of your own trauma work.
- You aren't looking for an ongoing therapy relationship, but there is something specific you'd like to work on.
Focused Trauma Reprocessing isn't intended to replace crisis care or ongoing support when those are needed. We'll talk during the consultation about whether a focused container seems appropriate for what you're bringing in.
Same approach, different scope
I also use IFS and EMDR in ongoing therapy.
Focused Trauma Reprocessing isn't a different or "deeper" kind of therapy than my ongoing work.
I use IFS, EMDR, and experiential approaches with my ongoing clients too. The difference here is the scope: we agree from the beginning that we're working together for a limited period of time around a particular target or area of trauma work.
If you're looking for a primary therapist and want more room to follow what emerges over time, you can learn more about ongoing individual therapy.
Ongoing Individual Therapy →Rates
Private pay; superbills available upon request. With your written consent, I'm glad to coordinate with your current therapist.
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