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 includes 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 sample day might look like:
Full Day (6 hours)
9:30a Arrive and get settled into the space.
9:45a-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
Pricing
Half-Day Intensive ($1000) - Includes a 60 minute initial intake, a 3 hour intensive session with breaks given as needed, and a 60 minute follow up session.
Full-Day Intensive ($1500) - Includes a 60 minute initial intake, 6 hours of intensive work (3 hours each in the morning and the afternoon, with a 60 minute lunch break and additional breaks as needed) and a 60 minute follow up session. Additional days can be added at a rate of $1200 per day.
50% deposit is required when scheduling intensives.
Please note that Intensives are not covered by insurance, but a super bill can be provided for submission to your insurance company upon request.
What are EMDR & ART?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) use bilateral stimulation (guided eye movements or tapping) to help people process and heal from distressing or traumatic experiences. In EMDR, the client briefly focuses on a troubling memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation, which helps the brain reprocess the memory. Like EMDR, ART also uses guided eye movements, but it also incorporates visualization and imagery techniques to “rewrite” how the memory is stored in the brain. During Intensives, I utilize a blend of both EMDR and ART, depending on the situation, client, and flow of the session.
You can find more information on both these therapies by following the links to their websites: EMDR & ART
I’m ready! How do I get started?
Getting started is simple. Click the button below to schedule a consult to see which intensive format is right for you. Or if you’re ready to get started right away, book for a half or full day intensive.