EMDR & ART Intensives: A focused, accelerated approach to trauma recovery.
Why choose an intensive?
Intensives are designed to process and resolve trauma in a short amount of time, allowing you to move on, without negative beliefs or upsetting memories holding you back. They can be a stand alone therapy experience, or a compliment to ongoing therapy.
Many clients choose an intensive because they don't want to spend months revisiting painful experiences while actively moving through fertility treatment, pregnancy after loss, or other major life transitions. An intensive offers the opportunity to address those experiences in a focused, contained way so they can move forward with greater confidence and clarity.
How is this different from weekly therapy?
Weekly therapy is designed for ongoing support and insight, but when you consider the average time allowance of a 50-minute session - 15 minutes to settle in and give updates you on the week, 30 minutes of working, and 5 minutes of winding down and scheduling - it’s time to wrap up right as we’re getting into the deep stuff. With an intensive, we don't have to stop just because the clock says 50 minutes.
The biggest argument I hear from those considering intensives is, “Why would I pay for a service out of pocket when I can have it covered by insurance?” and this is a completely valid question, especially at a time when most people are cutting back. The reality is, you can achieve the same results in weekly sessions that you can with an intensive - and lots of my clients do - but the time commitment is significantly different. Not just by a matter of weeks, but months, sometimes years. When you consider the cost of deductibles and co-pays for years of therapy, the investment of an intensive starts to become far more reasonable.
What can I expect from my intensive?
Intensive packages can be customized to meet your needs, but the standard structure is an intake appointment, the intensive session or sessions, and a follow up session. Clients are also given a workbook to help prepare them for, and support them through the intensive.
Whether you attend in person or we connect virtually from your home, I always recommend that clients create a comfortable, safe, and distraction free environment for their intensive session. This might include drinks, snacks or a nourishing meal, a blanket or sweatshirt, fidgets or other sensory objects, and your client workbook. If you choose to attend in person, you’ll also have access to snacks, a fridge, hot water kettle, Nespresso, and water dispenser in my office.
For in-person intensives, I can also connect you with trusted providers in my building who offer Reiki and Massage Therapy, which can be a supportive complement to your emotional healing process.
Here’s what a simple day might look like:
Full Day (6 hours)
9:15a Arrive and get settled into the space.
9:30a-12:30p Intensive Block 1 - Reviewing preparation materials, emotional regulation skill building, exploring and mapping out targets, and processing work. Breaks taken as needed.
12:20p - 1:30p Break for lunch
1:30p - 4p Intensive Block 2 - Continuation of processing, installing and amplifying positive self beliefs, and future triggers work. Breaks taken as needed.
4p - 4:30p Debrief and scheduling
What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) uses guided eye movements or tapping to help people process and heal from distressing or traumatic experiences. It’s based on the idea that unprocessed memories can get “stuck” in the brain, continuing to trigger emotional and physical distress long after the event has passed. In EMDR, the client briefly focuses on a troubling memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation (guided eye movements or tapping), which helps the brain reprocess the memory. Over time, the memory becomes less vivid and emotionally charged, allowing more adaptive beliefs to emerge. EMDR does not require detailed verbal recounting of the trauma, making it different from many traditional talk therapies.
What is Accelerated Resolution Therapy?
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) also uses bilateral stimulation (guided eye movements or tapping) to help clients quickly resolve traumatic memories and distressing emotions. Like EMDR, it uses guided eye movements, but it also incorporates visualization and imagery techniques to “rewrite” how the memory is stored in the brain. During ART, clients vividly recall the target memory while the therapist guides their eye movements and helps them replace negative images or sensations with positive or neutral ones. The process can rapidly reduce emotional intensity, physical tension, and intrusive thoughts associated with the memory. ART is often effective in just one to five sessions, making it a time-efficient option for trauma, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Its focus on imagery transformation allows clients to leave a session with a sense of relief and a new perspective on past experiences.