LET’S GET TO THE NITTY GRITTY

Trauma, trauma, trauma.

Whether it’s events from your childhood, personal life, or professional life - trauma leaves a mark. Even if we ignore it, responses and symptoms still find their way to the surface, impacting our lives and our relationships.

One of the most effective treatments for trauma and other distress is called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). The video below provides a brief overview of how it works.

Why intensives?

EMDR therapy can absolutely be done in a standard weekly scheduling pattern, but we have found that for us and our clients, an intensive format works most effectively.

In an intensive format, multiple hours of EMDR processing are completed over the course of a full day. Sometimes several days, depending on what we need to work on.

This format allows us to deep dive into areas of distress and move through them without interruption, leading to more efficient outcomes. If you are someone who likes to dive in and get sh&% done, an intensive might be the right option.

SO WHAT’S THE PROCESS?

The process will be individualized to your specific needs, but here is a general overview:

  1. To ensure foundational coping skills, each Intensive participant must complete a Bootcamp or the Skills Coaching program.

  2. Each intensive consists of three parts - a preparation session, the intensive, and a follow-up session. The preparation and follow-up sessions will be standard 60-minute sessions and can be completed virtually.

  3. Before the preparation session, we will send you assessments that will be used to determine intensive length. During the preparation session we will discuss your goals and the assessments, working together to decide how many days of EMDR will be appropriate.

  4. Then we schedule the intensive day(s). A 50% deposit is required to reserve your spot.

  5. Each intensive day will run from approximately 10:00am - 5:00pm, with a 60-minute lunch break and any other breaks desired. Up to 6 hours of EMDR processing are available, but are not required. Some clients prefer to process continually, others prefer to work in breaks for walks, yoga, or other activities.

  6. EMDR intensives are a lot of emotional and mental work, often leaving participants quite tired. Even if you live locally, we often recommend staying in a hotel the night of the intensive to allow space from parenting or other relationships. We also recommend not going back to work the next day, allowing some space for rest and recovery. We will discuss your specific needs during the preparation session.

  7. Our follow-up session will be approximately two to three weeks after the intensive. This will be a check-in just to process any lingering thoughts and assess symptoms.

EMDR Frequently Asked Questions

  • Our main concern is that you have some foundational coping skills in place, so if you have done that work with another clinician, that’s great. We will need an ROI to speak with your clinician. Because more preparation time will be needed on our side, an additional fee of $250 will apply for those who are not completing the Coaching Program.

  • The intensive is $1,000/day. The number of days will be determined together during our preparation session. Although expensive, doing EMDR in an intensive format often costs cumulatively less than doing regular weekly sessions.

  • Yes. We don’t want finances to impede mental wellness, so we have a scholarship fund available. Depending on the funds available and your needs, we can work together to find a solution. Note that maximum scholarship funding is 75% of treatment. We’ve found that “skin in the game” is essential to a successful outcome. Scholarships are available based on your need and fund availability, shoot us an email to learn more.

    We are also an enrolled Care Credit provider. You can use their deferred interest offers to assist with financing. There is a link at the bottom of the page for more information.

  • Probably not, due to limited availability we generally reserve our intensive openings for those who work in a guardian role. Feel free to reach out if you would like to discuss.

  • No, intensives take place in our Reno, NV office. The preparation and follow-up sessions can be completed virtually.

  • EMDR intensives aren’t for everyone. They are named appropriately, and the experience is quite intense. Effective, but intense. One thing to consider is your level of distress tolerance. In general, those who work in guardian roles have a high level of distress tolerance, and therefore the model is a good fit.

    EMDR intensives also aren’t a good fit if you aren’t ready to do the work, to be blunt. Sometimes we want to feel better, but we aren’t really ready to dive into the trauma. EMDR is very effective, but it requires you to be ready to wrestle with your trauma and the way you respond. If you aren’t ready, no judgment, we’ve all been there. You might just want to wait a bit.

    If you aren’t sure whether you are ready or have a level of distress tolerance, the Coaching Program is a great place to start. We can help you assess both and identify growth paths.

  • In order to reserve your Intensive day(s), we require a 50% deposit. The remaining balance will be paid when the Intensive begins. This deposit is fully refundable with 60 days notice of a cancellation. 30 days notice will result in a 50% refund, and 14 days notice will result in a 25% refund. Due to the large amount of time being reserved, there is no refund available with less than 14 days notice.