EMDR Intensive Trauma Therapy
Transformational Trauma Therapy
What are EMDR Intensives? (and Who They’re For)
Traditional therapy takes place in 50–60 minute weekly sessions, which means progress can unfold slowly over months or even years. EMDR intensives offer a different approach: a focused, personalised block of therapy delivered over a few days, giving you the opportunity to make months’ worth of progress in a much shorter time.
People choose EMDR intensives for many reasons. You may have a busy schedule that makes weekly therapy difficult, or you might prefer to take a few days away from your usual commitments to focus fully on your wellbeing. Intensives can also be helpful if you’ve struggled to find an in‑person therapist in your area, or if you’ve found that weekly sessions leave you waiting too long between appointments to build momentum.
Many clients come to intensives because they’re dealing with a specific trauma, a recurring trigger, or a stuck point in therapy that they’re ready to finally move through. Intensives are also suitable for people who have a complex history but want to focus on one clearly defined problem that would make the biggest difference to their day‑to‑day life.
If you’re looking for a safe, structured, and evidence‑based way to work through something that’s been holding you back, an EMDR intensive may be the right fit for you.
FInd out more about EMDR here
What happens before an EMDR Intensive?
We start with a short 20‑minute consultation call to explore whether an EMDR intensive is the right option for you. If it feels like a good fit, we’ll book an initial assessment session where we take a deeper look at what you’re struggling with, what you hope to achieve, and what kind of intensive structure would best support you.
If we decide to go ahead, you’ll receive a preparation workbook to help you get ready for the intensive. This includes reflective exercises, practical guidance, and space to identify anything you might need to put in place so you can fully focus during the intensive days. We’ll also agree on your dates well in advance so you have time to prepare emotionally and practically.
What to expect during an EMDR intensive
Your intensive is tailored to you, but most clients complete 3–4 sessions of around 3 hours each. This extended time allows us to build momentum, stay focused, and work through EMDR targets without the stop‑start rhythm of weekly therapy.
In the first session, we’ll review your goals, check in with how you’re feeling, and begin the EMDR work at a pace that feels safe and manageable. The following sessions may include processing specific memories, working with triggers, strengthening internal resources, and integrating the changes that emerge.
Because we only open and close the work once per day, we have significantly more time for the actual EMDR processing — which is why intensives can feel so efficient and impactful.
What happens after an EMDR intensive?
EMDR intensives can feel like deep emotional work, so we always start with the ending in mind. Before you leave, we’ll create a personalised aftercare plan to help you feel grounded and supported in the days that follow.
You’ll also be offered a follow‑up appointment to check in, review your progress, and decide whether any further therapy would be helpful. Many clients find that the intensive gives them the clarity and relief they were hoping for, while others choose to continue with occasional sessions to consolidate the changes.
What makes my approach different?
EMDR intensives are most effective when they’re delivered in a way that feels safe, contained, and tailored to the individual. Because I have trained in different trauma focused therapies, I can tailor the way we work within our intensive to include the best tools and techniques for you.
My approach combines EMDR with a compassion focused attachment‑aware lens, which means we work at a deeper level, we go beyond focusing on the fear or panic of trauma and we touch on the inner nurturing that can sometimes be missed. It’s often this deeper work that creates meaningful change.
My training in Compassion Focused Therapy means I have a specialist training in working with shame based trauma. I am able to adjust the way we work with trauma to be sensitive to feelings of shame. This can include using the ‘silent trauma processing’ model (read more here) enabling you to keep your memories and experiences private.
Because I specialise in trauma that occurs within relationships, whether that’s family, romantic partner or trusted adults, I’m used to working with clients who have been carrying their experiences for a long time or who have felt stuck in weekly therapy. Intensives allow us to stay with the work long enough to build momentum, without the emotional “drop” that can happen between weekly sessions.
I also take time to prepare you properly before the intensive begins. You’ll receive a workbook, grounding strategies, and a clear plan so you know exactly what to expect. During the intensive days, I check in regularly to make sure you feel steady, supported, and in control of the process.
This combination of structure, safety, and personalisation is what helps clients move through difficult memories without feeling overwhelmed. It’s also what makes the work efficient, as we spend more time on the EMDR processing itself and less time opening and closing the work each week.
If you’ve been looking for a focused, compassionate, and evidence‑based way to move forward, this approach may be a good fit for you.