EMDR Intensives
One of the most common complaints from my EMDR clients is, we start scratching the surface in session, and then our 60 minute session is over! While minimally invasive thoughts may be processed in one to two sessions, it is more often that reprocessing happens over weeks and weeks of EMDR. With an intensive we can streamline the processes utilizing 3-6 hour time blocks.
Benefits of EMDR Intensives:
Cost-Effective – Intensives are highly focused and often require less time and overall cost with months of weekly therapy packed into hours and/or days.
Feel better faster – Intensives are highly concentrated and focused so that you can make faster progress and lasting change NOW!
No weekly appointments needed – You don’t need to schedule your life around weekly therapy.
Therapeutic Body movement – My Intensives are unique in that I have added therapeutic healing through yoga, somatic practices, and bodywork to aid in releasing traumatic stress in the body.
Why you may choose an intensive:
Struggling with chronic pain and or chronic illness- Looking for acceptance, relief, and symptom reduction.
Recent disturbing events have disrupted your life, and you want to feel better and get back to your previous functioning quickly.
• You may have witnessed or experienced a disturbing or traumatic event in your life and have symptoms that bother you (ie. car accident, sexual assault, traumatic medical procedure, severe injury, violence, childhood bullying, emotional abuse, recent medical diagnosis, managing symptoms of diagnosis, domestic violence).
• You want to improve your performance on the job or in the field and don’t want to attend weekly therapy for months or years on end.
Performance enhancement for athletes, creatives, performers, and executives to develop new neural pathways and resources that will help you level up.
EMDR can decrease:
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Hyper-vigilance
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Intrusive thoughts and memories
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Nightmares
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Persistent negative feeling states
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Feelings of guilt, shame, or despair
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Emotional numbing
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Trauma-related physical symptoms such as: headaches, migraines, pain without a medical cause, and digestive issues
EMDR can increase:
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Day to day functioning
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Reduction in pain
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Acceptance of self
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Mood and well-being
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Ability to focus
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Clarity of thought
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Insight into yourself and your life experience
What would it look like?
Two to Three weeks before our session you will receive the following:
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An Intake with questions about your current struggles
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An assessment to assess for safety and other variables
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The Dissociative Experiences Scale
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60-90 minute (tele-health or in person) pre-intensive interview to target unpleasant beliefs, body sensations, emotions, or images from which you are seeking relief, create personalized goals for your intensive, install positive resources, and complete history taking.
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Intensives are offered in Urbana, Il. on Wednesdays and Saturdays
Day of Intensive
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Therapist will have snacks, drinks and lunch (if it is a 6 hour intensive). We will make sure there are adequate breaks.
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You will spend the majority of the time reprocessing in accordance with the treatment plan created.
After the Intensive
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You will receive a personalized treatment workbook, which allows you to work on your treatment goals during, and after our sessions.
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One 30 minute follow up appointment 2-3 weeks after the intensive.
What is the investment?
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Half day (3 hours) is $600
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Full day (6 hours) is $1,200
A 50% deposit will be required to confirm your appointment times.
The remaining 50% will be paid on the first day of the EMDR Intensive.
There is no insurance reimbursement
FAQ
Why an intensive instead of a normal 50-minute psychotherapy session?
EMDR intensives allow the opportunity to progress through your symptoms in a more succinct and focused way without the interruption of a 50-minute session. An intensive format may decrease overall treatment time because of time not spent on: a) checking in at the beginning of each session, b) addressing current crises and concerns, c) focusing on stabilizing and coping skills that the client won’t need after healing, or d) assisting the client in regaining composure at the end of the session.
If I’m already a weekly client, can I participate in an EMDR intensive?
Yes. EMDR intensives for current clients are available in modified formats and pricing.
If I already have a primary therapist, can I do an EMDR intensive as adjunct therapy?
Yes. Perhaps you’ve a felt sense that something profound has yet to change, but you’re not quite sure how to shift all the way into a new experience of yourself with your current therapist. Maybe you now cognitively understand new things, yet your body is still confused, so you’re curious about how adjunct EMDR intensive therapy can help. We will identify what format is best for you during your initial consultation.
What can I expect to accomplish in a half-day intensive?
A half-day intensive offers a multitude of resources and can help to either increase performance and confidence, or significantly decrease the devastating effects of single event trauma (e.g. negative cognitions, disturbing emotions and body sensations). While significant healing can occur in one half-day intensive, Complex PTSD deserves more treatment than one half-day intensive. Many of my clients experiencing Complex PTSD may continue to work on their trauma histories through monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly half-day intensives.
Research
Learn about EMDR in the treatment of chronic pain here and here
Intensive application of trauma-focused therapy seems to be well tolerated in patients with PTSD, enabling faster symptom reduction with similar, or even better, results, while reducing the risk that patients drop out prematurely. Learn more here and here.
Intensive EMDR treatment is feasible and is indicative of reliable improvement in PTSD symptoms in a very short time frame. Learn more here.
An intensive program using EMDR therapy is a potentially safe and effective treatment alternative for complex PTSD. Learn more here.
The economy is compelling: even compared to other trauma therapy, the intensive format may decrease treatment time, because of time not spent on a) checking in at the beginning of each session, b) addressing current crises and concerns, c) focusing on stabilizing and coping skills that the client won’t need after trauma healing, or d) assisting the client in regaining composure at the end of the session. Learn more here.