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Writer's pictureShannon Stern

EMDR Intensives vs EMDR Therapy Sessions: Which Do I Choose?

The Benefits of EMDR Intensives


EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) intensives are a concentrated form of therapy that can provide significant benefits for individuals dealing with trauma, anxiety, phobias, and other mental health issues. Here are some key advantages of trying EMDR intensives:


Accelerated Healing

EMDR intensives allow you to delve deep into trauma (big T or little t trauma) and work through it intensively over a shorter period of time compared to traditional therapy. This can lead to accelerated healing and faster progress. It can feel like multiple weeks of therapy just in one day.


Comprehensive Treatment

During EMDR intensives, clients have the opportunity to address multiple aspects of their trauma or mental health concerns in a focused and customized manner. This can lead to more profound insights and breakthroughs, without the time constraints of a typical 50 minute session.


Immersive Experience

By dedicating a day or two to EMDR therapy, you can immerse yourself fully in the process without the distractions of daily life, or worrying about using your lunch break to attend therapy. This framework can be useful for busy professionals, parents, or students who have a rigid schedule and may not have the flexibility to take off an hour each week for therapy. While you may have to take a day off work, the EMDR intensive is booked in advance with plenty of time to plan for your day off.


Intensive Support

EMDR intensives often mean you are the only client your therapist will see that day, dedicating their full presence and focus .to your needs that day. An EMDR Intensive can feel more like a retreat, in that after the intake session, the day is full of grounding, resource building, processing, and remaining comfortable in a calm environment with snacks, breaks, and check ins.


The Benefits of Extended EMDR Sessions (90 minutes)


Extended EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) sessions, typically lasting 90 minutes, offer several advantages compared to shorter weekly 50 minute sessions. Here are some of the benefits:

Deeper Processing

Longer sessions allow for more in-depth exploration and processing of traumatic memories or distressing experiences, leading to more profound healing. In a typical 50-60 minute session, much of that time is spent opening up and closing down with limited time for actual processing in between. The 90 minute model allows for more complete processing each session.


Increased Comfort

With extended sessions, clients have more time to establish a sense of safety and build trust with the therapist, leading to a more comfortable therapeutic experience. Typically EMDR is a shorter term adjunctive treatment, but rapport can be built just as quickly as with a talk therapist.


Enhanced Connectivity

Extended sessions provide an opportunity to delve deeper into the root causes of issues and establish stronger connections between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. 90 minute sessions also allow more time to reduce distress in the moment and then reflect upon this experience.


Flexible Scheduling

Some clients may decide to attend multiple EMDR sessions a week to increase their processing experience, while others may decide to attend one or two a month. This model doesn't require you to take a full day off of work, and can be scheduled based on your needs and availability. Typically, a lot of work can be accomplished in 3-7 extended EMDR sessions.


Overall, both options can greatly improve your well-being and functioning. Reach out if you'd like more information!






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