About Dr. Curtis
✓ EMDRIA Approved Consultant | 📅 15+ Years Experience | ⭐ 100% Recommend (8 Reviews)
Dr. Yvette Curtis, PsyD, LPC
EMDRIA Approved Consultant | Developer of Elite Mental Toughness®
Dr. Curtis is the founder and executive director of Trauma Recovery Institute. She is an EMDRIA Approved Consultant- one of only 2,611 worldwide- an advanced certification that qualifies her to train and supervise other EMDR therapists. She has specialized training in EMDR intensive therapy for complex PTSD, trained by internationally renowned experts including Dr. Ricky Greenwald, Suzy Matthijssen, and Ad de Jongh.
Providing EMDR therapy since 2011
Licensed Professional Counselor since 2015
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska & virtual telehealth
Works with young adults and adults
Areas of specializations: Complex trauma, PTSD, childhood trauma, sexual trauma, military/veteran populations
Fee: $2,490/day (Intensive therapy)*
After spending over a decade working with some of Alaska’s most vulnerable populations from adolescents and adults in residential substance use treatment, young-adult out-patient services, and to active-duty military members, she learned that traditional weekly therapy doesn't always provide the breakthrough people need.
Looking for EMDR Intensives? [Learn more here]
ELITE MENTAL TOUGHNESS® (EMT)
Elite Mental Toughness® (EMT) is a structured resilience training program developed by Dr. Curtis through doctoral research and expert consultation with senior military leaders and subject-matter experts in resilience and suicide prevention.
Originally designed to strengthen psychological flexibility and resilience in high-stress operational environments, EMT equips individuals and teams with practical skills to improve emotional regulation, decision-making under stress, performance under pressure, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Initial program research demonstrated statistically significant differences in structured expert evaluation compared to standard military resilience training:
• EMT: 87.5%
• Standard Training: 64%
• p = .0096
• Cohen’s d = 2.53
Participants also rated EMT as highly applicable to operational environments.
Today, EMT is delivered directly by Dr. Curtis through live in-person and virtual training for military units, first responders, and other high-stress professional teams nationwide and internationally.
Looking for Elite Mental Toughness® organizational training?
[Learn more here]
*Special discounted rate for pre-paid EMDR intensive services. Regular rates for therapist are as follows: Yvette Curtis, $2,790 per day.
My Specialized Training
Specialized Training
EMDRIA Approved consultant
EMDR Certified Therapist since 2015
Clinical Applications of Neuroscience (45-hour certification)
Emotionally Focused Therapy advanced training
Master Addiction Counselor (MAC)
Flash Technique Provider
Advanced training in Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS)
Intensive Therapy Training
Advanced training in intensive EMDR therapy with:
Ad de Jongh, Ph.D., leading researcher in intensive EMDR protocol
Suzy Matthijssen, internationally recognized intensive therapy expert
Dr. Ricky Greenwald, pioneer of intensive trauma therapy
Research & Innovation
Dissertation: Elite Mental Toughness® resilience and suicide risk management program
Research validated by senior military leadership (statistically significant)
Published author in peer-reviewed journals
My Clinical Experience
15+ Years with Complex Trauma
Fairbanks Native Association (2013-2023): Adolescent residential treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders
Ralph Perdue Center (2022-2025): Adult residential treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders, and out-patient mental health psychotherapy for adults 18-26
EAFB & JBER: Military installation mental health suicide risk management research
Fort Wainwright Family Life Center: Military installation couples and individual counseling
Multiple intensive EMDR trauma recovery programs delivered
Numerous Elite Mental Toughness® group training programs delivered across clinical and military settings
Populations Specialized In
Military veterans and active-duty service members
Indigenous communities and culturally diverse populations
Complex PTSD and childhood trauma survivors
Treatment-resistant presentations
Adolescents and adults in substance use recovery
Research Background
Dr. Curtis has conducted military resilience and suicide prevention research through both formal practicum and doctoral dissertation work, informing the development of Elite Mental Toughness® and her understanding of military culture, operational stress, and evidence-based prevention strategies.
EMDR Intensive Therapy
Dr. Curtis specializes in intensive EMDR therapy, a concentrated format that compresses months of healing into 1-4 transformative days. As an EMDRIA Approved Consultant with advanced training from internationally renowned intensive therapy experts including Dr. Ricky Greenwald, Ad de Jongh, and Suzy Matthijssen she has delivered intensive therapy to clients with complex trauma, PTSD, and treatment-resistant presentations.
Unlike traditional weekly therapy, intensive EMDR therapy provides:
Rapid trauma resolution (days instead of months)
Maintained momentum without week-long gaps between sessions
Immersive healing experience with comprehensive support
Ideal for clients traveling from rural Alaska or seeking destination therapy
Dr. Curtis has delivered intensive therapy to over a dozen clients presenting with single-incident trauma (accidents, assaults, disasters) and complex trauma (childhood abuse, multiple traumas, developmental trauma). Learn more about EMDR Intensive Therapy:
Serving Military & Veterans
Providing EMDR and Elite Mental Toughness® for Service Members
Dr. Curtis has specialized experience providing trauma therapy and suicide prevention to active-duty service members and veterans, including:
- Research collaboration with Eielson Air Force Base (2020)
- Clinical work with Fort Wainwright military families (2010-2011)
- Suicide prevention training for Air Force First Sergeants
- Understanding of military culture and combat-related trauma
- Experience with VA referrals
We welcome referrals from
- Veterans Affairs offices
- Military Family Support Centers
For military/veteran referrals, contact our intake team here.
Why I Do This Work
The Spark
I discovered Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in graduate school after exploring multiple therapy modalities that didn’t resonate with me. Something about EMDR felt different. It was logical, efficient, and addressed the root of people’s suffering rather than just managing symptoms. I don’t like wasting people’s time, and I saw its value immediately. I created an independent study to be trained during my first master’s program and began using it during my internship.
I also experienced EMDR myself, as graduate school required us to engage in personal therapy to understand the client experience. Choosing EMDR to process my own past trauma, I found lasting relief. Ten years later, those symptoms are gone. Learning that so many people live with untreated trauma, for example, one in four women and one in six men experience sexual abuse in the U.S., I realized that trauma treatment would be my path.
The Evolution
During my internship and early career, I witnessed how traditional talk therapy sometimes fails clients. Progress would be made in weekly sessions, but then clients would stop coming or return months later still struggling. It became clear that the “one step forward, two steps back” cycle happens when trauma is not fully addressed. Symptoms may improve temporarily, but the root memory remains stuck.
That is what drew me to intensive therapy. When trauma is processed in a concentrated week rather than scattered across years, clients actually heal. Momentum is not lost, and the work gets completed.
The Vision
I have always known I wanted my own practice, but for years my heart was with underserved populations at Fairbanks Native Association, supporting people experiencing homelessness, poverty, and other challenges. I brought EMDR to FNA in 2013. Leaving was difficult, but now several providers at the facility offer EMDR and trauma treatment, expanding access beyond substance use support. It was time to bring these skills to a broader population.
I am client-centered and outcome-focused. My measure of success isn’t dollars, it’s seeing clients move past trauma, free from symptoms, and in control of their lives. Clients do not have to spend years reliving trauma. With EMDR, they can put the past in the past and move forward with a new understanding of how their brain works, and much of this can happen in just one week.
Alaska offers something unique for this work. The northern lights, endless summer sunlight, and vast natural spaces create the perfect setting to reset, restore, and engage deeply in healing. I want clients to experience transformation they did not think was possible, share their recovery with others, and create a ripple effect, because too many people are still suffering and are unaware that this level of recovery exists.
My Approach
I believe EMDR intensive therapy works because trauma does not happen on a weekly schedule, and hearing shouldn’t either. By creating a concentrated, immersive experience, we can bypass the ‘one step forward, two steps back’ pattern of traditional therapy and create lasting transformation in days.
For organizations, I bring the same research rigor to resilience training, stress performance, and upstream suicide prevention.
Education/ Honors/ Positions
Education
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Counseling Psychology, Alaska Pacific University – 2023
Master of Arts in Psychology, Alaska Pacific University – 2022
Master of Education in Community Counseling, University of Alaska Fairbanks – 2011
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, cum laude, University of Alaska Fairbanks – 2009
Honors
Psi Chi National Honor Society - 2008 - present
Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society - 2008 - present
Gold Key National Honor Society - 2008 - present
Psychology Department Student of the Year 2008-2009
President, Psi Chi National Honor Society, Fairbanks Chapter - 2008-2009
Chancellor’s Honor Roll List - 2007, 2008, 2009
Positions
2013-2023 - Mental Health Clinician, FNA- Graf Rheeneerhaanjii - Adolescent substance use treatment center
2022-2025 - Mental Health Clinician, FNA- Ralph Perdue Center - Adult substance use treatment center & young adult outpatient mental health services
If You’ve Tried Therapy and Still Feel Stuck
Many clients who schedule this call have already done therapy and are looking for a more focused approach to trauma treatment.
This is not a general consultation; it is a structured conversation to assess whether EMDR intensive is appropriate for your needs.
Most clients schedule this consultation to determine fit. There is no obligation to proceed.
Schedule Your Intensive Therapy Consultation
This consultation is designed for people who have tried therapy and still feel stuck.
In this 30–60 minute consultation, we will:
discuss what has and hasn’t worked in previous therapy
assess whether intensive therapy is appropriate
review treatment structure, timeline, and logistics
determine next steps if we are a good fit
Limited intensive availability. Most clients book 3–6 weeks in advance.
A 30–60 minute confidential consultation to explore whether an EMDR intensive is the right fit.
Limited intensive spots available each month. Most clients book 3–6 weeks in advance.
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