It’s about the journey.
You belong here just as much as anyone else.
Professional Mental Health Services offered
01— Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) Single-Day Intensives (6-Hours)
EMDR is a therapy that helps people process and heal from distressing or traumatic experiences. It's like a mental and emotional "reset" button that allows you to work through and reduce the impact of traumatic memories.
During an EMDR session, you'll typically talk to a therapist about the traumatic event or distressing memories. What makes EMDR unique is the use of bilateral stimulation, which can involve moving your eyes back and forth while following the therapist's hand or using other forms of bilateral stimulation like tapping or sounds. This eye movement or other bilateral stimulation helps your brain process and reorganize the distressing memories more healthily.
Think of it as reorganizing a messy room in your mind. EMDR helps untangle and sort through the memories, making them less overwhelming. Over time, the traumatic memories become less distressing, and you can gain better control over your emotions and reactions related to the trauma.
EMDR Single-Day Intensives are on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an hour break at noon. In these sessions, we address a single life event that is causing significant distress in daily life. The benefit of an intensive is that it helps you move through processing trauma at a quicker pace than one 50-minute session per week.
02 — Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Treatment
PTSD is like having your mind and body stuck in a traumatic event, even after it's over. It's a response to experiencing or witnessing something extremely distressing or life-threatening, like a severe accident, combat, or an assault. Instead of memories fading over time, they can become vivid and haunting, making you feel like you're reliving the trauma.
People with PTSD may have flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts about the traumatic event. These experiences can be so intense that they trigger physical reactions like a racing heart, sweating, or feeling on edge. To avoid reminders of the trauma, individuals with PTSD may withdraw from certain activities or situations. It can also make them feel jumpy, irritable, and emotionally distant from others.
Overall, PTSD is like carrying the weight of a terrifying experience long after it's gone. It can affect a person's daily life, relationships, and mental well-being. It's important to stress that PTSD is a natural response to trauma, and with the proper support and treatment, many people can recover and regain a sense of normalcy.
03 — Anxiety & Panic Disorder Treatment
Anxiety is like a constant worry or fear, even when there's no real threat. It's that uneasy feeling in your stomach when waiting for something important, like a test result or a job interview. It can make your mind race with negative thoughts, and your body might feel tense or shaky. Anxiety can be a typical stress reaction, but when it becomes overwhelming and interferes with daily life, it can be a problem.
A panic attack is like a sudden, intense burst of fear or anxiety that can come out of nowhere. Imagine feeling in extreme danger, even without apparent reason to be afraid. During a panic attack, your heart might race, you may struggle to breathe, and you could feel lightheaded or dizzy. Your body's alarm system is going off despite no real danger. Panic attacks are usually short-lived but can be highly distressing.
04— WPATH Standards Compliant Gender Affirming Surgery Letter Assessment for Adults Only (18+)
Includes a 50-minute comprehensive assessment and any follow-up e-mails needed to discuss any letter details, provide drafts, and revisions.
The production of a final recommendation letter from Romina M. Schnelle, LMFT.
The letter is emailed to you within 2-3 weeks of the appointment.
Existnow Therapy does NOT accept insurance for this and any other service listed on this website.
Important things to consider:
If you plan to use private insurance, you must contact your insurance company before scheduling an assessment with me. This will allow you to discuss benefits, coverage, necessary information, and specific requirements for the referral letter.
Additionally, if you know who your surgeon will be, please contact them to determine what items they need in the letter. Providers and insurance companies often have different requirements. Obtaining this information in advance will help ensure the letter’s accuracy and timely completion.
Two referral letters are often required: One from a master’s level therapist and another from a PhD level clinician. (Please note at this time, I only possess an MA degree)
Letters are valid only for a year from the date they are issued. For use anytime after that, a new re-evaluation would be needed.
FAQ
-
A 15-minute consultation with me costs $27 and this meeting is designed to help you understand how we can work together and address your concerns. It's normal to feel nervous before meeting for a 15 min. consult so here’s a breakdown of what usually happens during these consult:
1. Greeting and Introduction (2 minutes)
Welcome: I will greet you warmly and introduce myself briefly.
Purpose: I will explain the purpose of our consultation and what we aim to achieve.
2. Client's Brief Overview (4 minutes)
Presenting Issue: You will have the opportunity to briefly describe why you are seeking therapy and what your main concerns are.
Goals: We will discuss your goals for therapy and what you hope to achieve.
3. Therapist's Approach (4 minutes)
My Method: I will explain my therapeutic approach and how I typically work with clients.
Relevance: I will highlight how my approach aligns with your concerns and goals.
4. Q&A (3 minutes)
Client Questions: You can ask any questions you might have about the therapy process, my approach, or my qualifications.
Clarifications: I will provide clear and concise answers to your questions.
5. Next Steps and Closing (2 minutes)
Recommendations: I will offer initial recommendations or suggest potential next steps, such as scheduling a full session.
Availability: We will discuss my availability for future sessions and how you can schedule an appointment.
Closing: I will thank you for your time and express my willingness to assist you further.
-
A Single Incident, Single Day Intensive EMDR sessions are scheduled on Wednesdays from 9 am-4 pm, and are great for people who are already in ongoing therapy whether EMDR, or non-EMDR to help boost treatment progress, or address blocked processing from weekly therapy. Single Day intensives are a focused, immersive therapy experience designed to address a specific traumatic event within a condensed time frame. Here’s how a single day intensive typically looks:
Pre-Session Preparation (90min.) *First-time clients only. Repeat clients can skip this part.
Assessment & History-Taking: Before starting the intensive session, I will gather detailed information about your history, the specific incident we’ll be focusing on, and any relevant background information. This step helps ensure that the session is tailored to your needs.
Setting Goals: We’ll clarify the goals for the session, including what you hope to achieve and any concerns you might have.
Single-Incident Intensive (3 Hours of processing)
Duration: Overall a single day intensive lasts for 6 hours, with a break at 12 pm. If additional time is needed past the 6 hours, then another single day intensive session may be needed.
Starting with Stabilization: We begin with grounding exercises and relaxation techniques to help you feel safe and centered. This might include deep breathing, visualization, or other calming practices.
Processing the Traumatic Incident: Using the EMDR protocol, we’ll focus on the specific traumatic event. I’ll guide you through sets of bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, tapping, or audio tones) while you recall the memory. The goal is to help your brain process the traumatic memory, reducing its emotional intensity and allowing you to view it more adaptively.
Breaks and Self-Care: Throughout the day, we’ll take regular breaks as needed to ensure you stay grounded. During these breaks, we might do some light exercises or mindfulness practices to keep you present and reduce any stress.
Post-Session Follow-Up (90min.)
Closure and Stabilization: We’ll end the session by ensuring you feel grounded and safe. I’ll guide you through relaxation techniques and we’ll discuss any feelings or thoughts that arose during the session. The goal is to leave you feeling stable and supported.
Processing Time: After the session, you might continue to process the event on your own. This is normal and part of the healing process.
Check-In: We'll discuss any further processing, and plan for additional intensives if needed.
What to Expect
Emotional Intensity: While the session can be intense, it’s also structured to be manageable, with support provided throughout.
Potential Relief: Many clients experience significant relief from symptoms related to the traumatic incident, though everyone’s experience is unique.
-
No, I do not directly work with insurances, but I can provide a super bill upon request to submit to your insurance.
If you are interested in receiving services using insurance, then you may contact RULA and request to work with me as I am a contracted therapist with RULA.
**For Kaiser Permanente (KP) members who want to use their insurance, please contact KP first for a referral code in order to apply for RULA services.
RULA provider link (click here to be directed to my provider page):
-
Single day intensives are a flat rate of $1,530 for 6 hours. A full deposit is required to reserve this time. I round by the half day so if we wrap up before the afternoon, then half of the flat rate will be charged; $765. If we work after the afternoon, then the full flat rate will be charged even if the full 6 hours are not used.
-
The assessment and letter are $250.
-
At Existnow Therapy, we are committed to providing high-quality therapeutic services to all of our clients. To maintain the quality and consistency of our services, we do not offer sliding scale, session package deals, or discounts. Our fee structure is based on the expertise, experience, and professionalism of your licensed therapist and the resources necessary to support your therapeutic journey. We believe in the value of the services we provide and are dedicated to ensuring the best possible care for all clients.
-
Single-day intensives and GAS letter evaluations canceled within 24 hours of the scheduled meeting day are eligible for a 50% refund.
Instances where refunds cannot be applied:
- If any of the services have already been provided.
-If the appointment is canceled past the 24-hour window.
-If a client attends session under the influence of any mind-altering substances that can impair the ability to engage in processing work.
-If a client is physically located outside CA or NV during the session, the meeting would be considered a “no-show” as services cannot be rendered due to license restrictions.
- If a client cannot safely park within 15 minutes while driving a moving vehicle during session time, the appointment is considered a “no-show.” -If a client does not attend the meeting within 15 minutes, it is considered a “no-show.”
For consultees:
- One no-show or late cancellation is waived while working together, so we can reschedule to make up for the missed hour. Afterward, if a meeting is canceled less than 24 hours before the scheduled time again or is missed. In that case, rescheduling will not be possible, and an additional meeting hour will need to be purchased if consultation hours are still required to be completed.
Supporting your well-being with online individual therapy.
Here for you.