When an Hour a Week Isn’t Cutting It: EMDR Intensives for When You’re Ready to Go Deeper

Have you ever left your therapy session feeling like you just scratched the surface and didn’t have enough time to really go into things? You’re feeling frustrated because you want to dive into things but you have to wait another week to pick it back up again? If so, you’re not alone. Sometimes the traditional idea of therapy being 50 minutes once a week or bi-weekly isn’t enough for some people. If this sounds like you, know that you’re not alone. This is a common feeling we hear from people on a regular basis. It can feel frustrating because you’re doing the work, showing up consistently and still feel stuck in old patterns and negative beliefs. For some of us who are navigating big life transitions, burnout, trauma or other thing, the weekly therapy format just isn’t enough. That’s why we offer EMDR intensives. 

What’s an EMDR intensive you ask? Well, let me tell you. It is one of my favourite things actually. It’s one of my favourite ways to do treatment with clients. I find that extended therapy sessions whether EMDR focused or not, can be so powerful for clients because it’s a focused time to be able to truly dive deep into things without feeling a time pressure of watching the clock. 

EMDR intensives are extended therapy sessions, they are typically offered over consecutive hours or even over multiple days. We design them to help you go deeper in an area of your life to process through it. For example, often people talk about having pervasive negative beliefs about themselves. These can be things like “I’m not good enough,” “I’m a failure,” or “I’m not worth being loved,” just to name a few. We would pick one of these belief systems, and then map out different experiences you may have had in your life that have “confirmed” these beliefs. We then target these experiences with EMDR to help you process these experiences so they’re not loaded anymore or carry as much weight. We find that doing this type of therapy intensive helps people process through these experiences in a faster way. 

We often talk about this idea of dominos. EMDR intensives can feel like a game of dominos, we set up all the dominos, and then we start to work on the first one. Once the first one is processed, the rest of the memories start to be processed like dominos, they just start falling and clearing quickly. Now, there are always exceptions of course and that’s ok. Sometimes we have to spend more time on one of the dominos than the other and that’s ok. It just means that it’s a more loaded memory or experience for you.  

We have found that people think EMDR intensives are going to be the magic bullet, they can come in and do an EMDR intensive then everything is fixed and they’re good to go. Not true! EMDR intensives tend to be most effective with people who have already been doing the therapeutic work, and just need that extra boost to be able to work through things in a more condensed way. Sometimes people aren’t ready for an intensive, because their nervous system can’t quite manage all the emotions and memories that come up yet. That’s ok, it just means that there needs to be some preliminary work done first to ensure that you have the skills that you need to be able to manage the emotions and memories that come up. 

Before we jump right in, we set up an EMDR Initial Assessment, this is a chance for us to get to know you, understand your goals, and explore what feels most supportive for you right now. We’ll talk about pacing, readiness, and all your options and then we can make a decision from there. 

If an intensive is the best option for you it could be a half-day, a full day, or even up to five days. These are one-on-one sessions where your safety, co-regulation, and flexibility are our top priorities. You're always in the lead, and we'll be right there with you, every step of the way.

We'll wrap up with dedicated time for integration, what you want to carry forward, what still needs tending, and what comes next for you. That might include additional sessions, ongoing care, or simply some well-earned rest and space to integrate the shifts.