Equine EMDR Intensives for Women & LGBTQ+ Adults Healing from Eating Disorders
For the person who feels consumed by food, body image, control, shame, or trauma, and is ready for something deeper than symptom management.
If This Sounds Like You…
“Food is on my mind all day and all night long”
“I’m exhausted from constantly thinking about what I ate, what I shouldn’t eat, or how to make up for it.”
“I feel crazy around food.”
“I feel ashamed that I can’t take care of my body in the most basic way…everyone else seems to be able to do it. What’s wrong with me?”
“No matter what my body looks like, it never feels like enough.”
“I know this isn’t really about food, but I don’t know what it is about.”
“I look functional on the outside, but I’m a wreck on the inside.”
“I’m so tired of living like this.”
“Part of me wants recovery, and part of me is terrified of it.”
“I feel like I’m not sick enough for treatment; somebody else deserves the space”
Why Choose an Intensive?
Uninterrupted Focus: Deepen the healing process without the distractions of daily life.
Lasting Impact: Work through layers of trauma in a condensed, supportive container.
Tailored Care: Your intensive is created around your unique needs, history, and goals.
6 Week’s Work in One Full Day: Designed to offer the depth of 6 therapy sessions in one immersive day that is streamlined, efficient, and often aligned with what you’d spend over the time in weekly out-of-pocket care.
Together, we can work on:
The trauma beneath the eating disorder
Body shame and self-criticism
Perfectionism and control
Nervous system survival patterns
Relationship wounds
Grief, fear, and feeling stuck
Reconnecting with your body in a safer way
Building a life bigger than the eating disorder
Healing can happen faster when you have enough space to truly do the work.
The Power of Equine Therapy
Alongside evidence-based trauma therapy, Michaela offers equine-assisted sessions that invite a level of transformation talk therapy alone cannot reach. Horses mirror our nervous systems with profound accuracy, reflecting back what words can’t always capture. In partnership with them, you’ll:
Experience regulation through rhythm and connection.
Practice setting boundaries, building trust and consent, and repairing attachment wounds in real time in an embodied way.
Learn how to attune to your body’s signals while being supported by a living, responsive being.
Access deeper emotional release, often in ways that feel gentler and more organic than traditional methods.
Gain access to deeper regions of the brain responsible for trauma responses.
Many clients describe the equine work as the missing piece; the moment their insights truly “land” in both mind and body.
What You Can Expect
During your intensive, your focus will be entirely on your healing. In addition to trauma therapy (EMDR), and equine work, you may choose to integrate supportive practices such as trauma-sensitive yoga, musical healing approaches, or nature-based experiences. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a type of therapy that helps people heal from painful memories. By gently engaging both hemispheres of the brain using bilateral stimulation (BLS), often through eye movements, tapping, or sound, EMDR allows your mind and body to reprocess stuck experiences so they no longer feel as overwhelming in the present. With horses as therapy partners, we can also achieve BLS by being carried on horseback at the walk as we reprocess. Mounted work is not a requirement, and no prior horse experience is needed to participate in an intensive. Every intensive is personalized to provide a safe, nurturing space where your healing unfolds at its own pace.
You’ll leave with:
Greater clarity and integration around your trauma story.
Practical tools for regulation and resilience.
A renewed sense of self-compassion and hope for your future.
FAQS
How do I know if I’m ready for an Intensive?
-We’ll talk through this together during our free 30 minute consult call. If it feels like an intensive isn’t the right next step yet, I’ll help you identify internal and external supports you can build first so you feel more prepared and resourced.
What’s the timeline of this therapy?
-Intensives typically span 3-5 days. The exact length is decided after your intake session, based on your trauma history, attachment patterns, and any dissociative responses. If additional time is needed beyond five days, we schedule it separately to allow space for nervous-system integration, as five days of intensive work is already a significant amount of processing. Research suggests that a five-day intensive can be comparable to a year of weekly therapy
Can I keep working with my weekly therapist?
-Yes. Many therapists refer their clients to me for intensive work. After completing the intensive, clients typically return to their primary therapist for ongoing therapy. Having an established therapist is also a valuable support in preparing for an intensive experience.
Do I need horse experience?
-No, no prior horse experience is needed.
Do I have to ride?
-No. Riding is optional when clinically appropriate and never required.
How Much Does This Cost?
The cost of an intensive is $1500 for a full day. This includes 6 hours of therapy, snacks uniquely tailored for your taste and preference, and all-day access to our equine friends.
Michaela offers half-day intensives or multi-day intensives (up to 5 consecutive days).
“When the horse carries and rocks us in attuned, connected movement, as a mother carries a child, something deeply regulating activates in the brain. This physical attunement creates relational connection that reaches deep into the limbic system (part of the brain responsible for emotions, memory, and relationships).”