Autoimmune Flares, Brain Fog & Trauma: Why Pensacola’s First EMDR & Brainspotting Intensives Might Be the Missing Piece
When Your Body Feels Like It’s Fighting You
If you live with an autoimmune condition, you know how exhausting it can be.
The flare-ups. The unpredictable fatigue. The days where even thinking feels like wading through quicksand.
And the stress that comes with it — the doctor's appointments, the tests, the dismissive "your labs look fine" when you know you don't feel fine.
You might have wondered:
Why do I always feel stuck in survival mode?
Why does my body seem to crash after stressful events, even small ones?
Why does it feel like no amount of rest ever really helps?
Here is the thing. It is not "just in your head." Research shows that unresolved trauma and chronic stress keep the nervous system stuck in high alert. When your system is constantly trying to protect you, inflammation stays elevated and symptoms can flare.
If this sounds like you, there is a way to calm the system and give your body a reset, and you deserve it.
The Trauma and Autoimmune Connection
When we talk about trauma, we are not just talking about big, life-threatening events. Medical trauma, health scares, surgeries, misdiagnoses, and years of not feeling believed by providers can all be traumatic to your nervous system.
Your brain and body remember these experiences. Even if you are not thinking about them consciously, your system can stay on high alert, scanning for danger, ready to fight, flee, or shut down.
This constant "survival mode" response may:
Trigger flare-ups after stressful events
Increase pain sensitivity
Make it harder for your body to rest and repair
Lead to anxiety, panic attacks, or health anxiety
Cause brain fog and fatigue
Traditional talk therapy can be helpful, but for many people, it does not fully resolve the nervous system's overactivation and in some cases can cause an increase in the stress without resolving the root cause. That is where EMDR and Brainspotting can help.
Why Weekly Therapy Is Not Always Enough
Weekly therapy has its place. But if you have been in therapy for months or years and still feel stuck, it might not be because you need more therapy — it might be that your system needs a different approach.
In traditional weekly therapy, you have 50 minutes to check in, process (if you’re doing EMDR or another form of trauma therapy), and regulate before the session ends. It can feel like you are just starting to get into the work when the clock runs out. Then you have to “wrap it all up” and save it for next week, feeling like a ball of nerves.
For trauma held deeply in the nervous system, this stop-and-start process can feel frustrating and slow and take a toll on your nervous system.
The Power of EMDR & Brainspotting Intensives
An EMDR or Brainspotting intensive allows you to work in longer, focused sessions so your brain and body can fully process without being rushed.
What Makes These Intensives Different:
Flare-aware pacing: Breaks and grounding techniques that honor your body's needs
Longer sessions: 3 to 6 hours per day so you can reach deeper levels of processing
Safe, private space: No rushing out the door mid-cry or mid-breakthrough
Nervous system reset: Helps your system learn that you are safe so it can turn down the alarm signals
Many clients report feeling more relief in one or two days of intensive work than they did in months of weekly therapy.
Why Local Matters: Pensacola’s First Specialty Intensive Program
If you live in Pensacola or anywhere along the Gulf Coast, you do not have to travel across the country to get this level of care.
I created this program because I saw the gap in local options for trauma therapy that truly honor the complexity of autoimmune conditions.
I work with clients in:
Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Milton, and Navarre
Mobile, AL and Baldwin County
Virtual sessions throughout Florida and Alabama
Whether you want to come to my cozy Pensacola office or work together virtually, you can access an intensive that is customized for your body and your life.
If you aren’t in the area, but would like to travel to me, let’s talk about getting you in Florida or Alabama to seek this therapy!
Benefits Clients Notice
Clients often share that after their intensive they experience:
More energy and fewer stress-related flare-ups
Reduced anxiety and panic symptoms
Greater sense of calm and emotional stability
Relief from the "fight or flight" loop
A clearer plan for moving forward
This is not about quick fixes or toxic positivity. This is about helping your nervous system feel safe enough to allow healing to happen.
What to Expect
When you book a consult, we will talk about:
What symptoms and stressors you are experiencing
Your goals for healing and what has or has not worked before
Whether EMDR or Brainspotting is a good fit for you right now
What your customized intensive plan might look like
You will have all the information you need to decide if this is the right next step for you.
The Next Step Is Simple
Healing from trauma does not have to take years, and who wants it to? My goal is to help you feel better faster. Because I know first hand how stressful and overwhelming it can be dealing with an autoimmune disease.
If you are ready to explore a new approach that is compassionate, efficient, and tailored to autoimmune clients, I would love to connect.
