Frequently Asked Questions

Choosing an EMDR intensive is a meaningful investment in your healing. The questions below are designed to help you understand how EMDR intensives work, what to expect, and whether this format is the right fit for you.

About EMDR Intensives

  • An EMDR intensive is a focused, time-limited format of EMDR therapy that allows for extended sessions over one or more days. This structure gives the brain enough continuity to build momentum and integrate trauma processing more fully than is often possible in weekly sessions.

  • Intensives vary based on individual needs. Many clients participate in multi-day intensives with extended sessions, along with preparation and follow-up appointments to support safety and integration.

    Details are discussed and tailored during the consultation process.

  • Weekly EMDR sessions often involve brief periods of trauma processing with time gaps between sessions. EMDR intensives allow for:

    • More sustained focus

    • Less start-and-stop processing

    • Greater continuity for the nervous system

    • Often faster access to relief

    Both formats can be effective; the right choice depends on your goals, readiness, and capacity.

Eligibility & Logistics

  • EMDR intensives can be a good fit for adults who:

    • Feel stuck despite ongoing therapy

    • Want to supplement work with their individual therapist

    • Are seeking a more focused, accelerated format

    • Feel ready to engage in deeper trauma processing

    A consultation helps determine whether this approach is appropriate for you at this time.

  • Nope! Many clients continue working with their individual therapist and use EMDR intensives as a complement to that work. With your consent, collaboration can help support continuity and integration.

  • Yes! EMDR intensives are offered virtually, allowing you to participate from a familiar and comfortable setting. In my experience, virtual EMDR is just as effective as in-person EMDR.

  • I provide virtual EMDR intensives to adults located in New York, California, Washington DC, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Utah, Florida, and South Carolina.

Safety & Approach

  • Safety is central to my work. I use Somatic and Attachment Focused EMDR (SAFE EMDR), which emphasizes preparation, pacing, nervous system regulation, and attunement throughout the process.

    Each intensive includes:

    • Careful preparation and resourcing

    • Flexible pacing based on your capacity

    • Ongoing check-ins during sessions

    • A follow-up session to support integration

    The goal is effective trauma processing without overwhelm.

  • When EMDR is approached thoughtfully and with proper preparation, it does not need to be retraumatizing. SAFE EMDR is specifically designed to reduce the risk of overwhelm by prioritizing stabilization and nervous system awareness throughout the process.

  • As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), I often call upon somatic approaches in intensives in order to reduce overwhelm and increase stabilization.

Fees & Payment

  • EMDR intensive sessions are billed at $250 per hour. The total cost of an intensive depends on the number of hours and days scheduled, which we determine collaboratively during the consultation process.

  • To reserve EMDR intensive dates, a 50% deposit of the total intensive rate is required. This deposit is applied toward your total balance.

    The remaining 50% is due at the start of the first intensive session. Payments are processed using the credit card on file.

  • I do not accept insurance, and EMDR intensives are generally not covered by insurance plans. Because intensives fall outside the structure of standard weekly therapy, most insurance companies do not reimburse for this format.

    While I do not bill insurance directly, you are welcome to contact your insurance provider to ask whether out-of-network reimbursement is available. I can provide a superbill upon request, though reimbursement cannot be guaranteed.

How to Get Started

  1. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation by filling out the contact form

  2. We’ll talk about your goals, history, and what type of intensive is the best fit

  3. If it feels right, you’ll schedule your preparation session and reserve your intensive dates

You don’t have to keep carrying this alone.