How is an EMDR Intensive Different than Regular EMDR?

An EMDR Intensive is similar to EMDR therapy that happens in weekly sessions, but there are a few key differences.

• In regular EMDR therapy, we spend part of each hour checking in and then part of the hour grounding before closing, meaning that only a 30-45 minutes is spent doing processing. In an EMDR intensive, we do long chunks of work at once, so that once we get into the more intense pieces of processing, we can keep going until we finish the memory we are working on and reach a calm place.

• In regular EMDR therapy, when a memory doesn't get fully processed, a client may need to sit in some discomfort for a week or more until their next appointment. In an EMDR intensive, we have plenty of time to process multiple memories fully and get to a very grounded place by the end of our time together.

• In regular EMDR therapy, clients usually do an hour of work every 1-2 weeks, so 15 hours of processing would take 4-6 months. In an EMDR intensive, 15 hours of processing takes 1 week.

• In regular EMDR therapy, it can be easy to get sidetracked by issues that come up between sessions and spend time talking instead of processing. In an EMDR intensive, the focus is on processing and the days are all together in one chunk, which minimizes distractions from "regular life".

For clients who would like to get a large chunk of EMDR done efficiently, EMDR intensives can be a great alternative to regular EMDR therapy sessions. Clients who are willing to do the work in this way can accomplish up to 6 months worth of therapy in one week, jump-start their healing, and achieve huge shifts in a few days of focused work. Click here to learn more about our Multi-Day Intensives and see if they might be a good fit for you!

This article is cross-posted at www.thebrannencenter.com

Keywords: EMDR, EMDR Intensive, Trauma Therapy, Trauma Intensive, PTSD, CPTSD