Notes on healing, EMDR, and moving through it — not around it.
Reflections and resources on trauma, burnout, and the work of feeling whole again.
If a search for “why am I still so burnt out” led you here, you’ve likely tried the obvious fixes. But burnout isn’t a personal failing—it’s your nervous system responding accurately to chronic load. Discover why weekly therapy might not be enough and how an EMDR intensive creates a different container for deep, lasting healing.
What happens in an EMDR intensive? An EMDR intensive is a structured, multi-hour or multi-day therapy experience designed to help you process trauma more efficiently than weekly sessions. Instead of stopping and starting each week, you stay engaged in the work, combining EMDR trauma processing with somatic resourcing, parts work, and guided grounding. Built-in breaks and rest days support your nervous system, allowing for deeper integration without overwhelm. Many people choose EMDR intensives when they feel stuck in therapy and want faster, more lasting relief from anxiety, burnout, or unresolved trauma.
If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy, or you’ve been in therapy for a while and feel like you’re not really getting where you want to go, you might be wondering:
Should I stick with weekly therapy, or would an EMDR intensive make more sense for me?
This is something I talk through with a lot of people. Especially those who are feeling burned out, stuck in anxiety, or noticing the same patterns show up in their relationships again and again.
There isn’t one “better” option. But there is a way to choose what actually fits you, your life, and the kind of support you need right now.
Explore whether EMDR intensives are worth it, what to expect, and who they’re for. Therapy intensives in the Berkshires, near Boston and NYC.
Do you find yourself stuck in the same relationship dynamics like overgiving, people-pleasing, fearing abandonment, or losing yourself to keep connection? Many people who appear “high functioning” on the outside quietly struggle with deep insecurity and emotional pain in their relationships.
First, understand that these patterns are not personal failures. For many who find themselves unable to break patterns, despite years of therapy, the root of the problem is unhealed relational trauma stored in the nervous system.
EMDR intensives offer a powerful way to heal these patterns at the root — not just manage them.
If you’re like most of us in the Northeast you’re beyond ready for the snow to melt and winter to be done. You’re feeling burnt out, anxious, or emotionally depleted. Maybe you’re navigating the painful aftermath of major shake-up in your relationships like infidelity, divorce, or a major breakup. You may already know that weekly therapy alone isn’t enough to create the deep reset and change you’re craving.
A spring EMDR intensive retreat in the beautiful Berkshires, near Boston and New York City, offers something different: a focused, immersive healing experience designed to help you move out of survival mode and into real, significant emotional relief.
Looking for healing retreats near Boston? Located in the beautiful Berkshires, a few hours from the city, Rachel Duvall Psychotherapy EMDR Intensive Retreats offer a powerful alternative to weekly therapy for those feeling stuck, burned out, or overwhelmed by anxiety or past trauma. These trauma-informed EMDR therapy intensives combine evidence-based EMDR and somatic therapy with the restorative natural setting of the Berkshires to help regulate the nervous system, process trauma stored in the body, and create lasting relief.
Struggling with perfectionism and anxiety? Learn how EMDR therapy with Rachel Duvall, LICSW in Great Barrington, MA, and online in Boston, helps you release the need to be perfect and reconnect with self-compassion.
If you’re exhausted, anxious, or running on empty, you might be experiencing burnout. EMDR therapy offers a way to heal deeply and rebuild balance from the inside out
Discover how EMDR therapy intensives provide personalized, evidence-based healing designed around your needs. Experience deeper progress in less time.
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How to Practice Mindfulness When You Can’t Sit Still
You have probably heard that mindfulness is good for anxiety. You may have even tried to start a daily mediation practice. If you found it challenging to stick with, you are not alone. Many of my clients report having difficulty with meditation and come away with the conclusion that it doesn’t work for them. They might find that their mind is racing with thoughts, they focus on their breath and it becomes more tense, or they simply can’t keep their body still for any stretch of time. This is a common experience. If you’ve experienced trauma in your life, sitting still with your own thoughts and sensations may feel incredibly uncomfortable or even unsafe. So how do you get the benefits of mindfulness without sitting still?