Reclaiming Time, Rebuilding Self: The EMDR Intensive Difference
Anyone who has taken the leap to begin therapy work knows that it takes time and effort. The idea of attending weekly therapy sessions to achieve some positive results can seem daunting, as in this stage of our lives, who has the time to set aside an hour a week to discuss difficult things that we have spent a lifetime trying to forget? The desire for lasting healing, a hopeful path forward, and true relief can feel like a daunting task, but that is where EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) comes into play. EMDR is a transformative form of therapy that reprocesses the past and reshapes belief systems, and encourages profound empowerment and hope for the future. It can help mold new understandings of the past, change the way we manage the present, and give us more to look forward to in the future. So the big question is, what is EMDR therapy, and is it right for you?
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy was discovered by Dr. Francine Shapiro when she was taking a walk in a park, thinking about some upsetting thoughts, and came to realize that the feelings suddenly disappeared. She soon discovered that it was due to her eyes moving back and forth that helped to process and relieve herself of those negative thoughts and feelings. From there, she was able to develop research and a study to support the benefits this protocol provided for individuals facing unpleasant memories. She created a controlled study with 22 people who had PTSD symptoms from experiencing rape, molestation, and Vietnam veterans. Their symptoms had decreased and started to feel better after the sessions she created (Shapiro, 2018, pp. 8 - 13). As time has progressed, people have been able to find relief that they struggled to find within traditional talk therapy.
EMDR is an eight-phase therapeutic approach designed to help individuals identify the roots of their trauma, confront the experiences shaping negative beliefs, reprocess those memories into more accurate understandings, and install new beliefs that foster self-acceptance, compassion, and personal growth. EMDR therapy has the potential to lower the overall time and cost of therapy services because of its intense focus on facing the issues head-on and no longer being subject to the torment created within. EMDR has been successful in helping people with complex trauma, anxiety, abuse, grief, depression, chronic pain, and addiction.
Common Misconceptions about EMDR
There can be some common misconceptions that keep people from trying EMDR therapy. To best help, I have provided some common concerns that can be challenging if you want to see the relief that you've been yearning for but have yet to find.
The first question I hear from people is the worry of whether or not EMDR therapy is considered a hypnotic-based therapy. The answer is no, and here is why. EMDR is designed to help a person effectively process the information that they have been avoiding. It is structured to engage the brain and body in a way that aligns with our natural ability to process and heal from distressing experiences. There will not be so much talking as there is mentally working through those memories in a safe and controlled manner.
This leads perfectly to the next question. “Do I have to re-live my trauma and potentially get retraumatised?” This is one of the most common struggles people have with EMDR therapy. Confronting trauma isn’t easy, and you will be facing these issues head-on. Rest assured, the process is guided, and you remain in control every step along the way. Breaks are encouraged, and grounding techniques are integrated throughout to help you face challenging memories with confidence.
Another question I wanted to address is “what if it doesn’t work for me?” Many people accomplish great outcomes with EMDR, while others can struggle. It doesn’t mean you will be doomed to face these triggers for the rest of your life. With this approach being a powerful tool, it isn’t the only one out there. Some struggle to connect with the memories they want to process, while others dislike the approach and want to try something else. Overall, there is always a path forward, and there are other forms of therapy that can help you overcome trauma.
Now that you understand how EMDR works and have seen how common concerns are addressed, I want to place you directly into what you can explore by utilizing this form of therapy. If you've ever doubted yourself, thought about opportunities lost because they didn't seem 'in the cards,' or felt held back by negative self-beliefs, EMDR offers a powerful way to reprocess those experiences. It helps us see beyond those focused memories of loss or failure, revealing the inherent resilience and courage you've always possessed. It's recognizing that your best self is standing right in front of you, and the only thing keeping you back is you.
Now we take a look at EMDR therapy and how it connects to traditional talk therapy. In most settings, EMDR therapy follows a weekly structure. Each session begins with a check-in, transitions into focused EMDR reprocessing, and concludes with grounding techniques to contain the work and ensure emotional safety before returning to daily life. This is an incredibly beneficial approach and has proven to be a valuable tool for people’s healing. With that being said, what if healing could be deeper, more efficient, and aligned with the urgency so many feel?
Intensive EMDR Therapy
There is a way to find all those things! It is not commonly available for use due to the extended duration of time devoted to a single session. Some will block off a couple of days in a row to address greater depth in the complex trauma that has been keeping them stuck. This approach helps people find sustained focus to delve deeper into these experiences that have gone forgotten and unexplored. They will be able to follow the path towards healing by staying with it longer. At times, someone might come to a realization that has never been discovered before, and then they must wait for their next session due to time limitations. It can take valuable minutes in another session to pick things back up where they left off to begin that work again. We see around 20-30 minutes of actual EMDR work, 10-15 minutes of checking in, and 10-15 minutes of concluding the session. With a 2-4 hour EMDR intensive session, you will usually have at least 90 minutes of effective EMDR work. This uninterrupted time allows for deeper, more continuous processing, as the brain can maintain focus on the target memory without the disruption of weekly breaks, often leading to more profound and lasting shifts in understanding.
A concern most would worry about is the cost of one of these intensive sessions. While a focused intensive session is a significant investment, many clients find it a more efficient path to lasting change, potentially reducing the overall time and associated costs compared to prolonged weekly therapy over many months. It tends to be more upfront, but the reward will save you more in the long run.
Who Can Benefit from Intensive EMDR Therapy?
Intensive EMDR isn’t about shortcuts or cramming for relief. It’s more than just accelerating what traditional therapy offers. It’s about carving out meaningful space to go deeper with fewer interruptions. This format is for those who feel stuck in the weekly therapy loop, not because they aren’t trying, but because life doesn’t always accommodate transformation in 60-minute increments. Sometimes we are just surviving week by week, and those therapy sessions can feel like we are putting out one fire after the next.
It’s for people who’ve tried to heal but still feel like something’s missing. Those with demanding schedules, persistent emotional pain, or unresolved relationship dynamics that seem to repeat without resolution. It’s for the people who want change and are ready to take action, even if they’re unsure what that change will look like. Whether you’ve felt trapped by self-doubt, overwhelmed by grief, or caught in cycles of fear and avoidance, Intensive EMDR therapy offers a different way through. There’s no checklist or criteria, just a willingness to show up, face what’s been hidden, and discover the resilience that’s already within you. When healing isn’t fragmented, transformation becomes more possible.
What Can You Expect?
At Ashrise Therapy, Intensive EMDR sessions are provided to ensure the healing process lasts. These aren’t just longer sessions that you have to endure or suffer. You are signing yourself up for a much-needed self-care opportunity that will help you strengthen your emotional and mental muscles, which teach you how to face challenging situations with more confidence and resilience. You will begin with a 20-minute free consultation to determine the goals and desired outcomes of the intensive work. Next, you will be provided with a guided workbook to help orient yourself for the upcoming session. This workbook is designed to help you clarify your goals, understand what you are working through, and tune into the emotions associated with these challenging memories. Given the depth of the work, it's recommended to treat the day of your EMDR intensive as a full-day event set aside for rest, reflection, and healing. You won’t want to schedule it at the beginning, middle, or end of a busy day. This is trauma work! Imagine getting an intense surgery performed on you and then trying to plan a day around it! It doesn’t work that way! You will feel more sensitive to your surroundings after the session, and you don’t want to be distracted during the session, thinking about all the things you have to do afterwards.
Now that I have gotten off my soapbox here, let’s continue! During the session, you can expect as many breaks as necessary to ensure a healthy and beneficial experience. It is not a marathon to get through, and you won’t find the results you want if you are trying to just get through it and move on. Intensives may be a faster-paced concept, but you still need to have those breaks to recenter, evaluate, and apply what you are learning. Once the session is done, you will be guided to transition back to living your normal life. From here, you will have time to process and apply what you gained from the session. A week later, we will check in to see how things are settling and discuss where to move forward from there. There is no guarantee that all your problems will be resolved in one intensive session, but the progress can be far greater than anything you would have experienced in a weekly session. Most likely, you will have gained more in that intensive session than in a month’s worth of sessions.
Check the Facts!
Below are some articles to help support the value of intensive work! If you have further questions feel free to reach out and I would be happy to help you explore if an Intensive EMDR session is right for you! Contact me today!
Hurley, E. C. (2018). Effective treatment of veterans with PTSD: Comparison between intensive daily and weekly EMDR approaches. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 1458. Read the full article.
Bongaerts, H., Van Minnen, A., De Jongh, A., & De Roos, C. (2022). Fully remote intensive trauma-focused treatment for PTSD and Complex PTSD: A pilot study. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 13(2), 2103287. Read the full article.
Van Woudenberg, C., Voorendonk, E. M., Bongaerts, H., Zoet, H. A., Verhagen, M., Lee, C. W., van Minnen, A., & De Jongh, A. (2018). Effectiveness of an intensive treatment programme combining prolonged exposure and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for severe post-traumatic stress disorder. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 9(1), 1487225. Read the full article.
Ehlers, A., Hackmann, A., Grey, N., Wild, J., Liness, S., Albert, I., Deale, A., Stott, R., & Clark, D. M. (2014). A randomized controlled trial of 7-day intensive and standard weekly cognitive therapy for PTSD and emotion-focused supportive therapy. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(3), 294–304. Read the full article.
Greenwald, R. (n.d.). The economic value of intensive trauma therapy. Trauma Institute & Child Trauma Institute. Retrieved July 29, 2025, from https://www.ticti.org/economic/
References:
Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
