EMDR Intensives

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, better known as EMDR, is an evidence-based treatment for trauma. EMDR is an eight phase model and does not only include trauma reprocessing. An important component of EMDR is to ensure that the client's system has the capacity to process the traumatic material and to prepare the client if they're not ready. EMDR is a three-pronged approach that focuses on processing past events, present triggers, and preparing the client for future situations.

When using EMDR to reprocess trauma, bilateral stimulation (BLS) is used to assist in processing. EMDR is not hypnosis. The goal is for the client to continue to maintain present awareness as they process the traumatic material and have the option to stop as needed. EMDR assists in processing the material using all three parts of the brain. This allows for cognitions/beliefs (thinking), emotions, and body sensations to be processed which allows for the disturbance level to be decreased and negative beliefs to be replaced by positive beliefs. Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) is foundational to EMDR and explains how the adaptive (helpful) information that we have stored in our brain helps to process the traumatic experience and replace the narrative that was stored in the overwhelmed traumatized state.

You can find more information on EMDR here.

An EMDR Intensive provides an opportunity to do a significant amount of therapeutic work in a short amount of time. It allows for the therapy time to be spent focused on a specific issue that the client wants to address. Sometimes the client knows exactly what that is, and sometimes working with the therapist to identify the focus for the intensive can be helpful.

An EMDR Intensive starts with a 90 minute intake session so that the therapist can gather information, explore the client's goals, and determine the needed time for treatment. Once that has been agreed upon by therapist and client, the intensive dates will be scheduled. The intensive sessions are three hours each, and the sessions are typically scheduled to be completed within 1-2 weeks.