emdr fast track intensives

What is an EMDR Intensive?

The purpose of an EMDR (eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing) Intensive program is to offer a path to healing for people who struggle to schedule or create time and space for traditional long-term weekly or bi-weekly therapy. The ability to meet consistently and regularly can be crucial to making progress toward therapeutic goals, and .

A 52 minute ‘typical’ therapy session takes a few minutes to settle in, a few minutes to catch up, and some time to prepare for EMDR processing. We might do actual brain processing for 15 -20 minutes, and then it’s time to wrap up, stabilize, and make sure you feel good before our session time ends. This is effective and efficient trauma therapy for many people.

Ongoing weekly or bi-weekly (every other week) therapy is not the best fit for everyone.

An EMDR fast track intensive will offer the traditional 8 phase EMDR protocol in the format of 2 sessions per week for 4 weeks, and one post review/evaluation session at a later date.

8 sessions in 4 weeks. Each session will be 75-90 minutes in length and occur typically on Sunday and Thursday. Clinician will conduct a preliminary meeting (30-50 minutes) to assess suitability for this protocol, and session 1 will include a standard intake for therapeutic services. Session 9 (30-50 minutes) will be scheduled at client’s convenience, preferably 2-4 weeks post final processing session.

Who is suitable for a fast track EMDR Intensive?

A person who

• recognizes they are stressed and overwhelmed, but is able to self-soothe and maintain daily functioning

• knows they would benefit from trauma processing if they could only find the time to engage in therapy

• notices they experience emotional responses or nervous system activation that is out of proportion to an event or incident

• is fairly certain they carry trauma from a specific incident but is able to avoid thinking about it too much

• is willing to be reflective of the therapeutic experience in between sessions (thinking, writing, engaging in art, being in nature)

• is able to be gentle with themselves for 4 weeks (temporarily decrease work or social demands)

Some people feel heavy and tired after EMDR processing, and some feel like a great weight has been lifted from their shoulders or chest. It is not possible to predict with any certainty how people will feel in between sessions, so I recommend that people do what they can to create space in their lives for healing during the 4 weeks of an intensive. Read a book you’ve been looking forward to, or an old favorite. Watch beloved films or comfort series in your down time. Enjoy your favorite music. Journal. Go for walks. Visit a peaceful place in nature. Connect with supportive people in your life.