What Happens in an EMDR Intensive?

Part 2: What happens in an EMDR Therapy Intensive?

This is a very good question, and usually one question of many when it comes to EMDR Intensives. The idea of embarking on an EMDR intensive can feel both exciting and daunting. At the most basic level, an EMDR Intensive is an extended therapy sessions or sessions—which can range from a 3 hour session in one day to several hours a day over multiple days. The timing and format at an EMDR Intensive depends on the

Pre-Intensive Interview:

The process usually starts with a 60-90 minute pre-Intensive interview. This is where the EMDR therapist does a comprehensive assessment; gathering information about the client’s history, current challenges, and hopes for the intensive. Often the client will fill out an EMDR Intensive workbook in preparation. The pre-intensive interview lays the groundwork for a safe and productive experience. It’s also a time for setting goals and intentions: What are your most pressing concerns? What are you hoping to get out of the intensive and how are you hoping to feel afterwards? This collaborative planning ensures that the intensive is truly personalized.

The EMDR Intensive:

The outline framed in the Pre-Intensive Interview will guide the timing, format, and pacing of the intensive itself. Each intensive is structured, yet flexible. Intensive day (s) might begin with grounding exercises, identifying and building resources to draw on during the intensive as well as after. The EMDR processing on the specific “target” or issue itself is usually in segments that last 60-90 minutes each. Interspersed between processing sessions, are usually breaks for reflection, integration, and self-care. The pace is based on the needs of the client and how the process flows. It is gentle but focused; the EMDR therapist monitors the client’s emotional state closely, adjusting as needed to maintain safety and comfort.

EMDR intensives allow uninterrupted time for processing leveraging the windows of heightened neuroplasticity. In a traditional therapy model, clients often need to “pause” their work and wait another week to continue, which can slow progress and sometimes leave difficult feelings unresolved. Intensives eliminate this stop-start pattern. Clients can move through memories and emotions with momentum, supported every step of the way.

Self-care is woven into the fabric of the intensive. EMDR therapists may include mindfulness practices, somatic grounding, or creative expression to help clients stay present and regulated. If it is an in person EMDR Intensive, the physical environment strives to be calming and nurturing. Clients also have the option to do a virtual EMDR Intensive, either from the comfort of their own home, surrounded by familiar supports of comfort and/or pets or in an AirBnB or hotel.

Post-Intensive planning:

At the close of each day and at the end of EMDR Intensive, the EMDR therapist will assist the client in grounding, reviewing the day’s process, and developing a self-care plan which usually involves down time for reflection, journaling, time in nature, massage or just rest, depending on the needs of the client. It may also involve bridging the client back to their primary therapist (if they have one) or referring to additional therapeutic resources. This aftercare plan is essential to support the EMDR processing and to maximize the gains the EMDR Intensive provides. This is why scheduling and timing of an EMDR Intensive is especially important.

It’s also important to note that EMDR intensives are not right for everyone. Current safety concerns or acute mental health crises are among the factors that may contraindicate an EMDR Intensive. One role of the EMDR therapist is to ensure that the timing, format, and clinical knowledge/expertise of the provider is appropriate. And if determined that an EMDR Intensive may not be beneficial at a particular time, the

Want to find out more about how an EMDR Intensive in Atlanta could be beneficial for you?

To explore whether an EMDR / Brainspotting Intensive might be helpful to you, feel free to reach out for a free consultation. If you are a therapist and wondering if your client could benefit from a Brainspotting or EMDR Intensive, also feel free to reach out and learn more. You can click the button below or email me at: kim@kimaustin.com or call 207-2957427