EMDR Intensives

What’s an EMDR Intensive Session? 

I offer both STANDARD EMDR sessions (1 hour maximum) and EMDR INTENSIVE sessions (a minimum of 2 hours). An EMDR intensive can be thought of as being similar to a healing workshop in terms of the profound change that can arise from the work. Those who enjoy trying new things and are looking for EMDR to resolve one or two specific issues will likely find an Intensive will work well for their needs. It’s a fantastic option for individuals who are from out of state who want to pursue medical tourism. It’s also a great option for those who have limited time during the week for therapy, but would like to dedicate some weekend or evening time to healing past trauma. Individuals who travel a lot will find that an intensive session may make more sense for them than pursuing a weekly or twice-monthly regimen of EMDR treatment.  

Why should I consider an EMDR Intensive treatment course? 

I can say from my experience, I see profound transformation and change result from EMDR intensive sessions. An EMDR intensive is more flexible in scheduling than a standard session, and can meet the needs of people who are not able to pursue standard care for various reasons. Some people who complete intensives with me travel to work with me in my office once a month or once every two months. Results may be quicker and more durable in an intensive EMDR session. Ultimately, there is no ‘best’ way to do EMDR, but the EMDR intensive session is more adherent to the EMDR model, which endorses 90-minute sessions at a minimum. Trying to compress the work of 90 minutes into a 60-minute session does have its drawbacks. Regardless of what you choose, EMDR is an effective way to help resolve issues that have been bothering you for a long time.

Not being burdened by the compressed time limits that are part of standardized care routines appears to provide patients deeper focus and ultimately more rapid healing. We can tackle harder memories without the distraction / disturbance of a time limit. We will not need to use the ‘container’ exercise as much, which means when the memory is fresh, we’ll hopefully be able to move through the whole thing in one sitting. Sometimes it takes 3-6 standard sessions to process one particularly ‘sticky’ memory. The goal is that it will take just one EMDR Intensive session, though this is not a guarantee. 

Does insurance cover this service? 

EMDR intensives are not covered by insurance, and are offered at a rate of $250 per hour for the first hour, then $200 an hour for subsequent hours in a session.