emdr intensives

EMDR is an evidence-based treatment to help you unlearn unhelpful patterns of thinking rooted in past experiences.

This form of therapy offers support in a condensed time frame to people who may be suffering from a range of symptoms, including nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, negative self-worth, and somatic pain. 

EMDR intensive therapy allows you to concentrate your therapy and progress in a shorter time frame. Treatment occurs in 3-6 hour increments over the course of one to multiple days. This form of treatment uses the brain’s natural healing capabilities to make quicker progress than other therapy methods, basically “stacking” multiple weeks of therapy into one day or week. Just like any other therapy treatment, we will spend time discussing your history and building skills to prepare you for deeper work. It is possible you may benefit from more than one intensive.

This form of therapy is not guaranteed to be a “quick fix”. You are likely to feel much better after an intensive therapy session, but depending on your history and trauma, results will vary according to your particular situation.

EMDR Intensives may be a great fit for you if…

​…you’ve been meaning to get into weekly therapy for a while now, but your schedule has been so hectic and demanding that a weekly therapy appointment feels more overwhelming than supportive.

​…something has happened that has shown you that you need help right now, and you don’t want to spend months doing weekly sessions or sitting on a waiting list.

….you have a clear space to do therapy work for a short period, such as summer break for educators, time off to use at work, or parental leave, and would like to dig in and do some serious inner work then.

​…you want to try to do a large amount of therapy work before an approaching deadline like moving, having a child, a family reunion, starting a new job, etc.

​…you have been attending regular therapy, but an issue related to trauma has arisen which your current therapist does not feel trained to manage.  You can attend an EMDR intensive as an adjunct to your counseling and continue your work with your original therapist.


Benefits of working intensively

  • Flexibility

    It may be easier for you to take a block of days off from work rather than taking time off weekly for months or years.

    An EMDR intensive experience allows you to travel to Illinois to work with me distraction-free, returning home with your healing kick-started.

  • Efficiency

    In an intensive format, you spend less time focusing on weekly stressors and more time digging out “the root” of the issue you are facing.

    While no time goal is guaranteed, intensives have the mechanisms that allow us to incorporate a preferred timeline into your treatment.

  • Collaboration

    EMDR intensives can also be used as an adjunct therapy. Maybe you have a regular therapist you meet with for talk therapy or CBT and it feels like a great fit, but you’re still struggling with PTSD symptoms or negative beliefs about yourself. EMDR intensives can allow you to get trauma-focused treatment that complements the work you’re doing with your primary therapist.

  • Compassion

    I know that life continues on when you leave the therapy room, which means that we have to give you as many tools as possible while gently and efficiently uprooting the trauma that caused your symptoms in the first place. I am your partner and guide in healing, and will make sure that you have sufficient coping skills and tools to do this deep work before, during, and after treatment.

What does an intensive format look like?

One day

We meet for 3 hours or 6 hours (with a break for lunch), to help you really sink into your goals. A 90-minute intake is completed before the intensive (usually the week before) so we already have “EMDR targets” picked out.

two day/multiple days

We can meet for several days in a row or meet every week for 3 or 6 hour chunks of time to allow you to further your progress.

weeklong

We meet every day for four or five days in a row, either in 3 or 6 hour increments. This is a great option for folks who have an extended amount of time off for a short amount of time, like a parental leave or summer break.

FAQs

  • 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.

    Intensive EMDR treatment is feasible and is indicative of reliable improvement in PTSD symptoms in a very short time frame. Learn more here.

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

    The economy is compelling: even compared to other trauma therapy, the intensive format may decrease 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 trauma healing, or d) assisting the client in regaining composure at the end of the session. Learn more here.

  • Check out the fees for intensives (including building a custom intensive format) here.

  • I encourage you to treat the days surrounding the intensive like a personal retreat. It is best to allow time outside of sessions to be unscheduled or filled only with self-care activities like exercise, body work (acupuncture or massage), and creative expression – drawing, painting, cooking, etc.

  • Schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation. These calls are NOT therapy, but an exploration to see if an intensive is a good fit.

  • All intensives are conducted in my therapy office in Chicago, IL or virtually in the state of Illinois. I am not able to work with clients outside the state of Illinois, unless they travel here for an intensive.

  • Learn the basics here.

    Learn the 8 phases of treatment here.

    Watch this introductory video about EMDR.

    Watch EMDR experts explain the benefits of EMDR.

    Hear EMDR patients share their stories.

    Hear an EMDR therapist share her experience.

    See more frequently asked questions about EMDR here.

  • This model is not best for you if you…

    …are looking for weekly ongoing support (which you can learn more about here!)

    …have difficulties that need stabilizing first, such as a suicidality, self-harm, substance abuse, significant dissociative difficulties, or current life crises

    …rely on benzodiazepine use

    …are not ready for change

  • Not at all! We can use EMDR together in the typical weekly session format. We can also do a combination of intensives and weekly sessions - all treatment is completely customized for you.