EMDR Intensives available in both Massachusetts and North Carolina!
What is EMDR?
EMDR is a powerful psychotherapeutic approach that helps lessen, even eliminate, the painful mental and physical responses raised by the memory of traumatic events and seeks to create new healthier patterns in your brain.
In EMDR we work with you through eight critical phases to safely identify the distressing memory or memories and those situations that bring emotional and physical suffering, desensitize your body and brain to harmful responses, and aim for rapid and positive therapeutic change. We teach you techniques to manage stress on your own and enable optimal therapy.
So what does all of that actually mean? When we have something happen to us that results in a strong emotional response (ex. getting bit by a dog leading to fear of dogs, or growing up with critical or absent parents leading to reduced self esteem or confidence) these emotions can generalize to other situations and parts of our lives- (ex. fear of leaving the house or social anxiety). Our brains and bodies are so smart, that they remember the traumatic event and deliver us an emotional response to protect us if we are in a similar situation. Ie. Sending us a jolt of anxiety to “protect” us from speaking up in a work meeting. As you could imagine though, this is not always to our advantage.
EMDR works to desensitize the emotional response to current scenarios and lessen the emotional response to past memories. The cool part is most clients feel at least partial relief after just one session. In some cases, we don’t discuss the trauma directly, but rather you think about it, while your therapist uses distraction techniques which provide relief from the emotional response of the trauma memory. The goal is for you to leave the session feeling better than when you showed up.
What is an EMDR intensive?
An EMDR intensive is a deep dive into healing a single incident, or even a lifetime of traumatic experiences. These sessions range any where from three hours, to a full five days of intensive EMDR treatment. You and your therapist would decide during a consultation call what treatment length would be most appropriate for your unique healing journey.
What are the benefits of EMDR intensives vs weekly EMDR sessions?
There are a whole bunch!
-Full relief comes faster. EMDR intensives are a concentrated time to get right to healing without having to take weeklong breaks in between trauma targets. Healing happens more quickly without the week to week life interruptions.
-EMDR intensives are more cost effective because you are receiving concentrated amount of treatment at once, rather than weekly session spread out over time. This means the treatment gets done in one intensive rather than months of EMDR therapy.
-EMDR intensives are easier to schedule. For some people, weekly therapy is not possible due to family obligations or an unpredictable schedule. An EMDR intensive is a one time treatment where you can commit to a full day or full 5 days of healing.
Who would be a good candidate for an EMDR intensive?
Anyone who wants to feel better FAST and get on with their lives with a healthier, happier, more balanced mental and emotional space. EMDR is the gold standard treatment for anyone who has been exposed to traumatic events. Yes-EMDR works great for First responders and military, but also for the socially anxious mom or the teenager who has experienced bullying. If things have happened to you or you have seen things in the past that color the way you see things today- we can help.
What are the cons of an EMDR intensive vs weekly EMDR sessions?
Insurance companies do not cover EMDR intensives.
Why don’t insurance companies cover EMDR intensives?
I would love to know the answer to this question as well! The current literature shows that EMDR intensives provide the same amount of efficacy as weekly EMDR sessions, but in a condensed amount of time. It would be in the insurance companies best interest TO cover EMDR intensives, so I am not sure why they do not.
How do I schedule an EMDR intensive?
Email Toni@DonatiCounseling.com to inquire about availability for EMDR intensive scheduling
How do I prepare for an EMDR intensive?
If at all possible, keep your schedule clear on the days that you have committed to your EMDR intensive. This leaves space for the maximum amount of healing. Schedule activities that you enjoy for the evenings after your sessions, for example a massage, your favorite exercise class, or a hike.
How much does an EMDR intensive cost? What does the day look like?
This depends on the amount of time your therapist determines it will take to process your unique set of trauma targets. EMDR intensives range from the following:
-1/2 day (3 hours) $600
-full day (6 hours) $1200
-5 full days $6000
A 50% deposit is due at scheduling, and the remainder is due the first day of your intensive.
Intensives usually begin at 9:00 am and end at 4:30 pm. This allows for an hour and a half lunch break. Breaks are taken as desired, but usually are about 5-10 minutes per hour.
Where can I learn more about EMDR?
For lots of great information, click here