How Can EMDR Intensives Help With Processing Trauma & Attachment Wounds?
When Weekly Therapy Isn’t Enough
Maybe you’ve been in therapy and made real progress, but something still feels unfinished. Or you’ve hit a wall, repeating old patterns even though you feel like you've tried everything.
That’s where EMDR Intensives can help!
Why an Intensive?
Weekly therapy is like wearing glasses where you have steady improvement over time. EMDR Intensives are more like LASIK: same goal, but in a concentrated window so you don’t have to wait months to notice change.
Instead of squeezing intense, deep work into 55-minutes, we meet for 3–6 hours in one sitting. This allows you to feel less rushed and to have room to process at a pace that actually works for your nervous system. Plus, you don't have to wait a week to come back to what you were working on if it was not completed.
How They Support Attachment Wounds
Attachment injuries often show up as:
Feeling “too much” or “not enough”
People-pleasing, conflict avoidance, or over-functioning
Fear of abandonment, jealousy, or clinging/withdrawing cycles
Freeze/shutdown when closeness or conflict appears
In an intensive, we can slow down and identify the protective patterns that once helped you survive but now keep you feeling stuck. Together, we trace these reactions back to the earlier experiences that shaped them and reprocess the emotional charge so your present-day relationships feel safer, more secure, and more flexible.
This work can be woven directly into EMDR reprocessing. In a 55-minute session, there’s often limited time to explore how old survival strategies, like withdrawal, perfectionism, or caretaking, surface during trauma processing. In an intensive, we have the space to notice those protective urges as they arise, work through them in real time, and return to the trauma target with more grounding and clarity.
Who They’re For
EMDR Intensives are especially helpful if you:
Have done therapy and want to address the “last piece”
Feel stuck and can’t break through familiar cycles
Want focused relief without months of weekly sessions
Need support around a specific memory, event, or upcoming stressor
Benefits
Faster movement: Results in weeks, not months
Sustained focus: No stop-start momentum
Regulated pacing: Time to breathe, reflect, and integrate
Safer landings: Built-in resourcing and grounding so you leave steady
What to Expect
20-Minute Consultation (Fit & Safety) We’ll meet briefly to clarify your goals, review a bit of your background, and ensure that an EMDR Intensive is the best fit for your current needs and level of stability.
2-Hour Personalized Planning Session Before your intensive, we’ll take a deeper look at your history and identify the areas you’d like to focus on. Together, we’ll create a personalized plan outlining the themes, goals, and pacing that will guide your intensive.
The Intensive (3–6 Hours) During your intensive, we’ll engage in focused EMDR reprocessing with built-in breaks, regulation tools, and ongoing collaboration. You’ll have time to explore, process, and integrate without feeling rushed.
Integration & Follow-Up You’ll leave with practical tools, a written integration plan, and resources to continue your healing after the session. A 90 minute follow-up check-in (approx. 2-3 weeks after) is designed to ensure you feel grounded and supported moving forward.
Safety & Fit
Intensives aren’t “more is better”; they’re more intentional. If you’re in acute crisis, actively using substances to cope, or without enough daily support, recommendations may be provided to stabilize first prior to intensive work.
How to Prepare
Sleep and nourish well the day before.
Clear your post-session time (light schedule, comfort meal, gentle movement).
Create a small “after” plan: water, journal, calming music, a short walk.
Aftercare
Expect to feel lighter, tired, or reflective for a day or two. You’ll have grounding skills, check-in options, and a clear next step.
Quick FAQ
How many intensives will I need? Many people notice meaningful shifts in 1–3 intensives depending on goals.
Do you take insurance? EMDR Intensives are not covered by insurance In- nor Out-of-Network. Many use HSA/FSA; I can provide a superbill if appropriate for HSA/FSA only.
Will I fall apart afterward? The day is designed with resourcing, breaks, and a steady close; we plan aftercare so you’re supported.
Can we work on more than one target? Yes; your plan will prioritize what creates the biggest relief first.
Ready for Your Next Step?
You don’t have to stay stuck. EMDR Intensives give you the time, space, and support to finally move forward—without dragging out the process.
👉 SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION or CHECK OUT MY PAGE with more information about EMDR Intensives with me.
