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How Much Does EMDR Therapy Cost In Person in San Diego, California?
If you're searching for EMDR therapy in California and wondering what it's going to cost you, you're not alone — and you deserve a straight answer, not a vague "it depends."
I'm a trauma therapist with over three years of experience practicing somatic EMDR in California, with more than 3,000 hours of trauma therapy training. I've worked with some of the most complex trauma cases in the state, and I've seen firsthand what EMDR costs, what it delivers, and where people get confused about both. Here's everything you need to know.
The Short Answer: What Does EMDR Cost in San Diego, California?
In California, in-person EMDR therapy typically runs $150 to $350 per session for a standard 50–90 minute session. In Southern California specifically — cities like Escondido, Del Mar, San Diego, and Los Angeles — the average tends to fall in the $150–$300 range per session. EMDR therapy fees in San Diego:
Here's a quick breakdown by format:
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Masters Level - $150-$350
PhD Level - $200-$450
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Masters Level - $250-$450
PhD Level - $300-$550
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Masters Level - $150-$350/HR
PhD Level - $200-$450/HR
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$1500-$2000 per day, 6 hour days.
What I Personally Charge, And Why
I charge $300 per hour for somatic EMDR, with a minimum of two hours per session, making the starting cost $600 per intensive session. That may sound steep compared to a standard therapy hour, but there's a meaningful reason for it.
Standard EMDR sessions are typically 50 minutes. The problem? Trauma doesn't follow a clock. When you're mid-processing — when the nervous system is starting to shift and the body is beginning to release — cutting a session short can leave a client more activated than when they walked in. The two-hour minimum ensures we can go deep and complete the processing safely, so you leave feeling integrated, not raw.
Somatic EMDR also requires a different caliber of training. It's not just eye movements — it's attuning to the body's signals, tracking what's happening in the nervous system, and guiding a client through a holistic, body-centered release of stored trauma. That level of care reflects in the rate.
Why Somatic EMDR Is Different From Talk Therapy (And Why It's Worth the Investment)
Here's something I wish every potential client knew before they started their search:
EMDR — and especially somatic EMDR — is not like traditional talk therapy. In talk therapy, you can articulate everything. You can say all the words, name all the feelings, gain all the insights — and still not feel meaningfully different. That's not a failure of effort. It's a limitation of the medium.
Somatic EMDR works differently. It invites the body back into the conversation. Trauma isn't just stored in our thoughts — it's held in the nervous system, in the body, in the places we've learned to brace, numb, or disconnect from. When clients work with me, they're not just processing memories cognitively. They're reacquainting themselves with their body's wisdom. They're releasing sensations that have been stuck for years — sometimes decades.
I've seen profound change happen in two hours that years of talk therapy couldn't accomplish. That's not a knock on talk therapy; it's a testament to what becomes possible when we engage the whole person.
That's why I work exclusively in the in-person, intensive format in California — because the body work requires presence, attunement, and time.
California FeesWhat Other EMDR Therapists Charge in California
From my own research and professional experience in the California therapy market, here's what I've observed:
Licensed therapists (LMFT, LCSW) with EMDR training: typically $150–$300/session
PhD-level psychologists: around $400–$450/session, though in my experience, many PhDs don't offer the intensive format at all
EMDR Intensives (multi-hour or multi-day formats): I've seen therapists charge $2,000 per day for a 6-hour intensive — which, when you break it down, is a competitive rate for the depth of work involved
Location matters too. Therapists in Los Angeles and San Francisco tend to charge on the higher end, while those in smaller cities or suburbs may price more moderately. That said, Southern California — particularly coastal areas like Del Mar and the greater San Diego region — still commands strong rates, with most experienced EMDR therapists charging $200–$350 per session.
Does Insurance Cover EMDR in California?
This is where things get nuanced — and where a lot of clients get frustrated.
The good news: If you have a PPO with out-of-network benefits, you may be able to get reimbursed for a significant portion of your EMDR therapy costs. I've had clients with strong PPO plans receive back up to 80% of session fees after submitting a superbill.
The catch: Many insurance companies will only reimburse for a single therapy hour — even if your session was two or three hours. This is a real limitation for clients doing intensive-format EMDR. Insurance companies weren't designed with trauma intensives in mind, and the billing codes for psychotherapy (like CPT 90837 for a 60-minute session) don't always translate cleanly to a two-hour somatic intensive.
Here's what I recommend:
Call your insurance provider before starting therapy. Ask specifically about out-of-network psychotherapy benefits and whether they reimburse extended sessions.
Ask your therapist for a superbill. Most private-pay EMDR therapists can provide one, which you submit directly to your insurance for reimbursement.
HMO plans are unlikely to cover out-of-network EMDR. PPO plans are your best bet.
HSA/FSA funds can typically be used for EMDR therapy — worth checking if you have one.
Is EMDR Therapy Worth the Cost?
That depends on what you're comparing it to.
Compared to years of weekly therapy that produces gradual, incremental change — EMDR intensives can compress that timeline dramatically. Many of my clients experience more meaningful shifts in one or two sessions than they had in months of traditional therapy.
Compared to the ongoing cost of not treating trauma — the relationship strain, the career impacts, the health consequences of a chronically dysregulated nervous system — the cost of EMDR starts to look very different.
My honest take: If you're dealing with trauma, PTSD, or deeply stored emotional pain, somatic EMDR is one of the most efficient, effective, and transformative investments you can make in your wellbeing. The price of a session is real. So is the cost of staying stuck.
Quick Summary: EMDR Therapy Costs in California
Standard sessions: $150–$350/session (50–90 minutes)
Intensive sessions (2–3 hours): $600–$900+
Multi-day intensives: $1,500–$2,000/day
Insurance: PPO out-of-network can cover up to 80%, but may not reimburse multi-hour formats in full
My rate: $300/hour, 2-hour minimum ($600/session), in person in Escondido and Del Mar, CA
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About
If you're interested in somatic EMDR intensives in Southern California, I work in person in Escondido and Del Mar. Feel free to reach out to learn more about whether this format is the right fit for you.