Perhaps you’ve been meaning to get into weekly therapy for a while now or you don’t have the space for spending months of time in weekly or biweekly therapy. Your schedule is so hectic and demanding that weekly or biweekly therapy appointments feel more overwhelming than supportive.

Perhaps you have been making really great strides and progress with your primary therapist, but you are noticing that there is still a disconnect between the thoughts, emotions, and body sensations, leading you to still feel stuck, confused, and frustrated.

EMDR Intensives may be a good fit for you.

What is an EMDR Intensive?

EMDR Intensives are a more flexible treatment model that can more succinctly allow you to progress through disturbing symptoms from adverse life experiences or traumas. My goal as an Intensive EMDR Therapist is to help you get relief faster and more efficiently, so that you can get back to your values-driven life worth living. 

During the EMDR Intensive, we can address very specific past traumatic events, recent traumatic events (within the past 6 months), other significant events that contribute to feelings of distress, negative cognitions and beliefs, and complex traumas.

EMDR Intensives are NOT intended to be a long-term solution to therapy. They are intended to get you in, bring you relief in DAYS, and get you moving forward in your values-driven life worth living.

This all sounds great, right? 

What does an EMDR Intensive look like?

EMDR Intensive programming includes the following services:

• 6-Hour Weekday with Rates (M, T, W, Th)
  • Psychotherapy intake assessment and beginning EMDR Phases 1 and 2 (2 hours) - $275
  • EMDR Intensive sessions (3 hours each) - $555 per 3-hour session
  • Post-EMDR Intensive psychotherapy session and check-in (1 hour) - $100
• 6-Hour Weekend with Rates (F, Sa, Su)
  • Psychotherapy intake assessment and beginning EMDR Phases 1 and 2 (2 hours) - $412
  • EMDR Intensive sessions (3 hours each) - $825 per 3-hour session
  • Post-EMDR Intensive psychotherapy session and check-in (1 hour) - $137

How does it work?

• Intake Assessment and EMDR Phases 1 and 2 (2 hours)
  • After reviewing your history provided prior to session, we will discuss your desired goals for the EMDR Intensive sessions, narrow down your focus for the intensive sessions, and being with EMDR resourcing exercises if there is time. Together we will also assess how many EMDR Intensive sessions to schedule for the current phase of short term psychotherapy.
• EMDR Intensive Sessions (3 hours)
  • We will begin or continue with resourcing exercises, begin to identify your target memories/images/beliefs, and begin reprocessing the distress associated with these memories/images/beliefs.
• Post-EMDR Intensive Psychotherapy Session and Check-in (1 hour)
  • This check-in session is scheduled at 2-3 weeks after we complete the EMDR Intensive sessions. During this session, we can discuss how your day-to-day has been after completing EMDR, re-evaluate needs, and discuss recommendations for your next steps. Some recommendations may include continuing therapy with your primary therapist, being referred to a primary therapist, continued EMDR work that focuses on other memories, or termination with you living your values-driven life worth living, free from trauma.

How do EMDR Intensives compare to traditional weekly EMDR therapy from a financial standpoint?

Let's break down an example 2-day Weekday EMDR Intensive:

• Psychotherapy intake assessment and EMDR Phases 1 and 2 (2 hours) - $275
• EMDR Intensive sessions #1 (3 hours each) - $555 per 3 hour session
• EMDR Intensive sessions #2 (3 hours each) - $555 per 3 hour session
• Post-EMDR Intensive psychotherapy session and check-in (1 hour) - $100
• Grand total: $1,485

With the traditional therapy model, therapy sessions range from 53 to 60 minutes per session. This usually recurs for months, sometimes years. While EMDR is an accelerated therapy model that can be done in the traditional format, it sometimes leaves clients feeling frustrated from the time constraints.

Routine weekly therapy sessions may cost on average around $150 per session.

For 6 months, that is $3,600. For 1 year, that is $7,200.

While results will vary client by client, EMDR Intensives can allow for more relief not only from distress but from a financial standpoint.

Payment Information 

I do not accept insurance for EMDR Intensives. You may submit out of network claims for potential reimbursement from your insurance plan. Any reimbursement from out of network insurance is your responsibility to manage with your insurance provider. Payment is due in full at the time of the appointment. Credit card on file is required.

Supporting Research on the Efficacy of EMDR Intensives

Intensive application of trauma-focused therapy seems to be well tolerated in patients with PTSD, enabling faster symptom reduction with similar, or even better, results, while reducing the risk that patients drop out prematurely. Learn more here and here.

Even compared to other trauma therapy, the intensive format may decrease treatment time, because of time not spent on:

• checking in at the beginning of each session,
• addressing current crises and concerns,
• focusing on stabilizing and coping skills that the client may not need after trauma healing, or
• assisting the client in regaining composure at the end of the session. Learn more here.

An intensive program using EMDR therapy is a potentially safe and effective treatment alternative for complex PTSD. Learn more here.