EMDR Intensive Program
What are the benefits of an EMDR Intensive Program?
EMDR Intensive programs have been shown to be highly effective in improving, reducing, and even in some circumstances eliminating trauma-related symptoms in a much shorter timeframe than traditional therapy. By processing and resolving traumatic memories and symptoms through EMDR Therapy, you may experience a decrease in trauma-related symptoms such as:
- Hypervigilance
- Intrusive thoughts and memories
- Nightmares
- Persistent negative feeling states
- Feelings of guilt, shame, or despair
- Emotional numbing
- Trauma-related physical symptoms such as: headaches, migraines, pain without a medical cause, and digestive issues
You may experience significant improvements in:
- Day to day functioning
- Mood and well-being
- Relationships
- Ability to focus
- Clarity of thought
- Insight into yourself and your life experience
I believe that trauma is treatable, and it doesn’t have to be something you just manage for life. Opting for an intensive program can accelerate relief from trauma symptoms and improve well-being. Don’t let trauma hold you back from living a fulfilling life. Get in touch with me today if you would like to learn more about my Intensive Programs.
How does it work?
EMDR intensives support the busy parent with kids doing virtual learning, the working professional who has even more on their plate since 2020, or the client who needs help now. Whatever the reason that weekly sessions just won’t work for you, EMDR intensives are available to support you during times you need help the most.
I offer EMDR intensives for my current clients when they need extra support, as well as new clients who prefer to work intensively. EMDR intensives are personalized treatment plans that allow you to skip the waitlist by giving you faster access to select spots and are designed to support your preferred schedule and timeline for your treatment goals.
EMDR is not just for trauma; it is also used for performance enhancement to excel in areas such as athletics, business, and relationships.
Ongoing intensive therapy is available if you want long-term support towards several treatment goals.
What are the benefits of an EMDR Intensive Program?
EMDR Intensive programs have been shown to be highly effective in improving, reducing, and even in some circumstances eliminating trauma-related symptoms in a much shorter timeframe than traditional therapy. By processing and resolving traumatic memories and symptoms through EMDR Therapy you may experience a decrease in trauma-related symptoms such as:
- Hypervigilance
- Intrusive thoughts and memories
- Nightmares
- Persistent negative feeling states
- Feelings of guilt, shame, or despair
- Emotional numbing
- Trauma-related physical symptoms such as: headaches, migraines, pain without a medical cause, and digestive issues
You may experience significant improvements in:
- Day to day functioning
- Mood and wellbeing
- Relationships
- Ability to focus
- Clarity of thought
- Insight into yourself and your life experience
I believe that trauma is treatable, and it doesn’t have to be something you just manage for life. Opting for an intensive program can accelerate relief from trauma symptoms and improve well-being. Don’t let trauma hold you back from living a fulfilling life. Get in touch with me today if you would like to learn more about our Intensive Programs.
How does it work?
EMDR intensives support the busy parent with kids doing virtual learning, the working professional who has even more on their plate since 2020, or the client who needs help now. Whatever the reason that weekly sessions just won’t work for you, EMDR intensives are available to support you during times you need help the most.
I offer EMDR intensives for my current clients when they are needing extra support, as well as new clients who prefer to work intensively. EMDR intensives are personalized treatment plans that allow you to skip the waitlist by giving you faster access to select spots and are designed to support your preferred schedule and timeline for your treatment goals.
EMDR is not just for trauma; it is also used for performance enhancement to excel in areas such as athletics, business, and relationships.
Your Pre-Intensive Interview
A 90-minute session to determine the goals of your therapy intensive and to prepare you for the experience. We will identify the painful memories, the beliefs, emotions, or images from which you are seeking relief.
Your Customized Treatment Workbook
Your workbook will include assessments and activities to prepare for your intensive. The workbook will allow you to keep a record of progress on your treatment goals before, during, and after our sessions.
Your Customized Treatment Program
Intensives are structured from 1 to 3 days for 3 hours each day. Your program will include targeted treatment and may include resourcing activities such as visualization techniques, movement/dance, a reflection activity, sandtray, installation of essential oils, or expressive art, all customized for your experience.
Your Post-Intensive Integration
This 90-minute session is used to debrief your experience and reflect on areas of insight, relief, and transformation. We will discuss your next steps for continued growth, follow-up on the reflection activity, and review plans for continued healing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if an EMDR Intensive is right for me?
Every clinical presentation is different, which is why I offer a free consultation to determine if this would be a good treatment option for your specific needs. However, an EMDR Intensive may not be the right approach for you if you experience:
Current drug or alcohol use abuse
History of suicide attempts
Previous psychiatric hospitalization
Engaging in self-harm behaviors
Experiencing psychosis or dissociation
Those with a history of Complex PTSD may require thorough assessments before participating in an EMDR intensive.
Why are Intensives more expensive than regular weekly therapy?
An Intensive is a premium concierge service, similar to buying a fast pass at Disneyland. Less wait time, more rides (intense change therapy) in a shorter period of time but with maximum benefit and in premium time slots like Fridays, evenings, and Saturdays. Also see the research on benefits of Intensives listed on this or the EMDR therapy page.
EMDR intensives allow the opportunity to progress through your symptoms in a more succinct and focused way without the interruption of a 60-minute session. An intensive format may decrease overall treatment time because of time not spent on: a) checking in at the beginning of each session, b) addressing current crises and concerns, c) focusing on stabilizing and coping skills that the client won’t need after healing, or d) assisting the client in regaining composure at the end of the session.
Do you require a deposit to schedule?
Yes, 50% of the total fee will be required prior to scheduling your intensive experience. The remainder of the balance will be required 48 hours prior to the start of the first Intensive session. You may pay the entire balance in full at any time.
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I live outside of Ohio, can I participate in the EMDR Intensive Program with you?
You are more than welcome to travel to Ohio for your in-person Intensive. You will be required to stay for the duration of treatment. I am happy to provide suggestions for lodging and activities during your stay!
What are the benefits of EMDR Intensives?
1. Experience life-changing results in days, not months or years.
2. Cost-effective, since the therapy is concentrated and focused – you’re likely to not need long term therapy.
3. More accessible: instead of needing to fit a weekly therapy session into your schedule, you will be able to see results in a shorter amount of time. This may be especially important for executives or those with a busy schedule.
Will I be cured after an EMDR intensive?
I cannot make any promises or guarantees. (This is true of any therapy modality or technique no matter how it is offered). Each client has a different background, different experiences, and different kinds of coping skills that may or may not be as helpful. Some people may feel that one Intensive is sufficient for their concerns.
Others may choose to come back for another Intensive later on, or continue their work with myself or another therapist in a more traditional model. Either way, what I can be certain of is that no matter what, we will work through many weeks or months worth of therapy in just a few hours or days.
If I'm already a weekly client, can I participate in an EMDR intensive?
Yes. EMDR intensives for current clients are available in modified formats and pricing.
If I already have a primary therapist, can I do an EMDR intensive as adjunct therapy?
Yes. Perhaps you have a felt sense that something profound has yet to change, but you’re not quite sure how to shift all the way into a new experience of yourself with your current therapist. Maybe you now cognitively understand new things, yet your body is still confused, so you’re curious about how adjunct EMDR intensive therapy can help. After your intensive you will have a comprehensive client workbook to share with your primary therapist for future sessions.
What is the structure of a typical EMDR Intensive day?
Typically the Intensive will start with a brief check-in, review of coping skills, target review and reprocessing. Each hour we will take a break (have a snack or quick lunch, coffee/tea/water), stretching exercises, and check-in again. After, we will either continue reprocessing targets or resourcing. No time is wasted in an intensive.
What research backs the efficacy of EMDR Intensive Therapy?
Good question and glad you asked. I will post the links to several articles. You can start with THIS discussion on Intensives and PTSD
Continue reading HERE
HERE is another article supporting the use of Intensive therapy.
Continue HERE
And finally a comparison of daily and weekly intensive therapy HERE
Five Myths of EMDR Intensives
Let’s debunk Five Myths about EMDR Intensive Treatment
1. Trauma therapy needs time between the sessions to obtain the best treatment effects.
Myth! Research shows that there is no need to prolong suffering. Intensive application of trauma-focused therapy seems well tolerated in patients with PTSD, enabling faster symptom reduction with similar, or even better, results while reducing the risk of stopping treatment prematurely. Learn more here and here.
2. Healing in days and its symptom improvement won’t last when obtained in a short time.
Good news! This is also a myth! Twelve studies with PTSD populations assessed treatment maintenance by analyzing differences in outcome between post-treatment and follow-up. Follow-up times have varied, including 3, 4, 9, 15 months, and five years after treatment. See here for more.
3. Participating in intensive trauma therapy is unsafe because your body cannot handle it.
The opposite is actually true! Temporarily destabilizing memories that might come up may be minimized because any surface reactivity can be immediately addressed. Additionally, research shows that an intensive program using EMDR therapy is a potentially safe and effective treatment alternative for complex PTSD. Learn more here.
4. Your trauma has to be “big” to consider an EMDR Intensive Treatment option.
Myth! You can target a one-off highly traumatic event or some embedded memories of more minor or hidden traumas, which can be the basis of depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, phobias, fears, or performance issues. No one type of trauma is “worse” than another. The event’s magnitude does not define traumatic memory but how the body processes and stores the memory. You can experience the same type of trauma—or even the same event—as someone else and have different reactions to it. If something hurts you, it hurts, and your natural emotional response is valid. In an EMDR intensive, we can address several types of traumas or even conduct a full story-clearing intensive.
5. Intensive trauma treatment programs are too expensive.
Again, the opposite is true when comparing them with traditional weekly trauma therapy. Making progress in such a condensed format will eliminate the associated costs of living with the trauma symptoms, e.g., its effect on relationships, work, attachment, performance, etc. Learn more here.
The intensive therapy format may decrease treatment time because of time not spent: Checking in at the beginning of each session. We are addressing current crises and concerns. Focusing on stabilizing and coping skills the client will not need after trauma healing. Assisting the client in regaining composure at the end of the session. Learn more here.
And on top of that, in 2020, EMDR was announced as the most cost-effective trauma treatment, empirically validated and seen as highly effective in treating traumas.
To sum up, Intensive EMDR treatment is a quick, efficient, & effective healing approach that is well tolerated & represents a significant advance in psychotherapy delivery.
Used by permission from Dr. J. A. Andre, 2023.