EMDR Intensives

Focused Healing for a Specific Trauma, Memory, or Area of Distress

Sometimes, the hardest part of healing isn’t knowing you need support — it’s feeling like you’ve been carrying the same emotional weight for far too long.

Maybe there’s a specific experience that still feels close, even if it happened years ago. Maybe your mind keeps returning to the same moment, the same fear, the same “what if.” Maybe you’ve done a lot of work already… but something still feels unresolved.

We offer EMDR intensive therapy at our Chicago and Westmont offices, designed to help you move through that stuck place with depth, focus, and meaningful momentum.

What Is an EMDR Intensive?

An EMDR Intensive is a 2-hour or 4-hour, extended therapy session focused on healing and resolution around:

A specific traumatic event
A distressing memory that continues to intrude
Persistent anxiety or rumination
A particular fear, trigger, or emotional block
A single theme that feels “stuck,” even after other therapy

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation in a structured process for working with distressing memories. An EMDR intensive therapy format creates more time and focus for the work.

Instead of spreading EMDR therapy across many short weekly sessions, intensives allow us to create a sustained window of time where deeper processing and relief can occur.

Why EMDR Intensives Can Be So Effective

Traditional weekly therapy is an invaluable tool for maintenance and support. However, for deep-seated trauma and chronic stuckness, the standard 55-minute session can inadvertently create a “clinical ceiling.”

Just as the brain begins to access the deeper layers of a traumatic memory, the clock runs out, forcing the nervous system to close down before the work is finished.

EMDR intensives remove the ceiling. By dedicating extended blocks of time to a single objective, we honor the natural pace of your nervous system rather than the constraints of an appointment book.

The Anatomy of an Intensive

An intensive isn’t just a longer appointment. This EMDR therapy format gives you more time to move through the process without repeatedly stopping and starting.

Neural Flow State: Extended sessions allow you to enter a “flow state” of processing. This sustained focus enables the brain to make connections between past experiences and present triggers that often remain obscured during shorter sessions.

Reduced “Re-entry” Fatigue: Weekly therapy requires you to open a wound, work on it for 40 minutes, and then quickly patch it up to go back to work or pick up the kids. Intensives reduce this repetitive tax on your energy, allowing for a more thorough cleaning of the wound in one go.

Resolution, Not Just Regulation: While weekly sessions often focus on managing symptoms, intensives are designed for resolution. We aren’t just helping you cope with the weight; we are helping you put it down.

The Outcome: From Survival to Integration

An EMDR Intensive is not a temporary reprieve; it is a recalibration of your nervous system. By staying in the processing phase for an extended duration, we move beyond “managing” distress and toward a fundamental shift in how your body stores the past.

Our intensives are designed to facilitate:

Neurological De-escalation: We don’t just “lower” the volume of a traumatic memory; we aim to strip it of its physiological charge. The memory remains, but the “alarm system” in your body—the racing heart, the tightness in the chest—is deactivated.
Cognitive De-fragmentation: Breaking the cycle of “mental looping” and intrusive thoughts. We help the brain move a memory from the “active/emergency” file into the “historical” file, allowing it to finally feel like it’s in the past.
Somatic Reclamation: Shifting from a state of hypervigilance to a baseline of grounded safety. You move from “knowing” you are safe intellectually to feeling safe in your bones.
Internal Re-alignment: Replacing the persistent, negative self-beliefs born from trauma (“I am powerless,” “It was my fault”) with an earned sense of agency and resilience (“It is over,” “I am capable”).

The Goal: Integration, Not Erasure

This work is not about erasing the past—it is about reclaiming your present.

Trauma traps the nervous system in a loop of “then,” making it impossible to fully inhabit “now.” An intensive breaks that loop, allowing your brain and body to finally recognize that the danger has passed. You aren’t just moving on; you are moving forward with a nervous system that is finally at peace.

Our Process: Thoughtful, Supported, and Personalized

Step 1: Pre-Intensive Planning Session

Before your intensive, you’ll meet with one of our senior EMDR-trained therapists for a 55-minute preparation session.

This session allows us to:

Understand your history and current concerns
Identify the most appropriate focus for the intensive
Ensure EMDR therapy is a good fit for your goals
Build emotional safety and coping strategies
Create a clear plan and agenda for the day of your intensive

You won’t walk into deep work without a roadmap.

Step 2: Your 2 or 4-Hour EMDR Intensive

Your intensive is a dedicated, structured block of time focused on healing one specific area of distress.

Breaks are built in, pacing is collaborative, and the experience is carefully guided.

This is deep work — but it is not rushed work.

Step 3: Follow-Up Support (As Needed)

After the intensive, some clients feel complete resolution, while others benefit from additional integration sessions.

We offer follow-up 55-minute sessions to:

Process what emerged
Support emotional regulation
Continue progress if needed
Help you integrate change into daily life

You will not be left to figure things out alone afterward.

Investment

Your EMDR Intensive is a focused, high-touch therapeutic experience designed to support meaningful progress in a dedicated setting.

The investment for this service is $600 for the 2-hour intensive, or $1,200, for the 4-hour intensive with one of our senior EMDR-trained therapists.

Because of the extended time, preparation, and specialized nature of this work, EMDR intensives are not billable to insurance and are offered as a private-pay service. If additional support is beneficial following your intensive, follow-up sessions are scheduled separately as standard 55-minute appointments and may be eligible for insurance billing, depending on your plan.

We are always happy to help you understand your options so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.

Is an Intensive Your Next Step?

If you’re tired of managing the same symptoms and ready to focus on what’s keeping them stuck, an EMDR Intensive may be worth considering. It could be a fit if you’re dealing with:

The “Unfinished” Memory: You have a specific event—a loss, an accident, or a betrayal—that still feels “live” in your body. Even years later, the sensory details remain sharp and the emotional charge hasn’t faded.
Acute Foundational Shocks: Processing a single-incident trauma that has knocked you off your baseline, where a rapid return to “self” is a priority.
The Loop of Rumination: You are exhausted by the mental “treadmill” of intrusive thoughts or “should-haves” that talk therapy hasn’t been able to quiet.
Persistent Somatic Anxiety: Your body maintains a state of high alert or “bracing” tied to a specific past experience, even when you know—intellectually—that you are safe.
The Efficiency Gap: You recognize that your progress in weekly therapy has hit a plateau, and you want to bypass months of incremental work to reach a place of deep, integrated resolution.

When an Intensive May Not Be the Right Fit

While intensives are powerful, they are not designed for every situation.

An EMDR Intensive may not be appropriate for:

Highly complex or multi-layered trauma requiring longer-term stabilization
Active crisis situations
Ongoing unsafe environments or relationships
Concerns that require broader, long-term therapeutic support

During your pre-intensive session, we’ll talk through your needs and decide together if this format is a safe, supportive fit.

Our priority is always safety, pacing, and sustainable healing — not rushing the process.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

You don’t have to keep carrying the same emotional burden.

If there is a specific experience or area of distress you feel ready to work through, an EMDR Intensive may offer the focused support and momentum you’ve been looking for.

Reach out today to schedule your pre-intensive planning session and learn whether this approach is right for you.

Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Intensives

How much does an EMDR Intensive cost?

The cost of the 4-hour EMDR Intensive is $1,200.

Because this is an extended, specialized service, insurance does not cover the intensive block itself. Payment is private pay and due in advance.

Can I use insurance for any part of the process?

Yes. While the intensive session is not billable to insurance, the surrounding care often is.

The pre-intensive planning session (55 minutes) can typically be billed to insurance
Any follow-up integration sessions (55 minutes) may also be billed to insurance, depending on your plan and benefits

We’re happy to help you understand what to expect and answer billing questions before you begin.

What happens before the intensive?

Before your intensive, you’ll meet with one of our senior EMDR-trained therapists for a preparation session.

During this appointment, we will:

Learn more about what you’d like to work through
Identify the most appropriate focus for your intensive
Build a plan and pacing strategy for the day
Ensure this format is the right fit for your needs
Help you feel grounded, prepared, and supported going in

You will not be asked to jump into deep work without a thoughtful foundation.

Is EMDR an Intense Form of Therapy?

“Intensive” describes the longer, focused format. Your therapist will not rush or push the process. We assess readiness beforehand, set the pace together, and include breaks during the EMDR intensive session. EMDR intensive therapy stays focused without turning the day into a race.

How should I prepare for the day of my intensive?

We’ll guide you through preparation during your pre-intensive session, but in general, we recommend:

Wearing comfortable clothing
Planning for a calm day afterward if possible
Bringing water and a small snack
Arriving with the mindset of giving yourself space to focus inward

Breaks are built into the session, and we will move at a pace that feels steady and supportive.

Will there be breaks during the intensive?

Yes — absolutely.

Your comfort and regulation are a top priority. We incorporate breaks throughout the 4-hour block so you can:

Rest and reset
Get grounded
Have water or a snack
Take a breath between phases of work

This is focused therapy, but it is never meant to feel overwhelming or rushed.

What is the environment like?

Our office space is intentionally designed to feel cosy, warm, calm, and safe.

We want you to feel cared for from the moment you arrive. Your therapist will be attentive to your comfort throughout the session, and the environment will support deep work with a sense of steadiness and ease.

What happens after the intensive?

Many clients experience meaningful relief and progress after the intensive, but healing is also a process of integration.

If needed, we offer follow-up sessions to:

Support emotional processing afterward
Reinforce gains
Continue deeper work over time

You won’t be left without support once the intensive is complete.

What is your cancellation and rescheduling policy?

Because Intensives involve a significant block of dedicated time and clinical preparation, we have a structured scheduling policy.

Payment for the intensive is due 72 hours prior to your scheduled appointment.
We require at least 72 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule.
Cancellations made with less than 72 hours’ notice will be charged 50% of the intensive fee.

We appreciate your understanding, as this time is reserved specifically for you and cannot easily be filled on short notice.