INtensive EMDR

The traditional model of weekly psychotherapy is shifting to meet your family’s needs. Now more than ever, we need flexibility in how we get support.

• Perhaps you’re needing help for yourself or your child —- and a lot of it—- right now, and you don’t want to spend months in the traditional weekly model of therapy treatment, waiting to feel better.
• Perhaps has been a recent distressing or traumatic event which has been taking a toll, and you want to address it head-on, right away.
• Perhaps you’ve been meaning to get yourself or your child into weekly therapy for a while now, but your schedule has been so hectic and demanding that a weekly therapy appointment feels more overwhelming than supportive.
• Perhaps you or your child has tried traditional weekly therapy but it has not been as effective as you had hoped.

EMDR intensives support people for whom weekly therapy is a barrier; whether the parent cannot miss work to transport the child to sessions, or the child cannot miss school on a weekly basis, or perhaps because there are no therapists available in their area. 

For some people, it takes time to feel safe and comfortable in a new space, with a new person. Their nervous system may warm up more slowly, and in a weekly session, their appointment may be finishing up by the time this happens. The intensive model provides individuals the space they need to warm up and stay present in that safe state, allowing for more moments of connection and engagement in therapy. 

Some people have difficulty engaging in different activities or focusing on different things without feeling limited by time. With the time constraints of traditional sessions, they may feel pressured to sustain their focus. The intensive model eases the pressure, allowing the client to stop focusing on the clock and engage fully without feeling pressured. 

Whether they want faster results than weekly therapy offers, or whether they need help now. Whatever the reason that weekly sessions just won’t work for your family, EMDR intensives are available to support you during times you need help the most.

I offer EMDR intensives for my current clients when they are needing extra support, as well as new clients who prefer to work intensively.

EMDR is not just for trauma; it is also used to enhance other areas of life such as  relationships, self-esteem, school performance, and mood improvement. 

EMDR intensives are personalized treatment plans that allow you to skip the waitlist by giving you faster access to select spots, and are designed to support your preferred schedule and timeline for your treatment goals.

RESEARCH ON INTENSIVE EMDR THERAPY IS POSITIVE

• Intensive application of trauma-focused therapy seems to be well tolerated in patients with PTSD, enabling faster symptom reduction with similar, or even better, results, while reducing the risk that patients drop out prematurely. Learn more here and here.

• Intensive EMDR treatment is feasible and is indicative of reliable improvement in PTSD symptoms in a very short time frame. Learn more here.

• An intensive program using EMDR therapy is a potentially safe and effective treatment alternative for complex PTSD. Learn more here.

• The economy is compelling: even compared to other trauma therapy, the intensive format may decrease treatment time, because of time not spent on a) checking in at the beginning of each session, b) addressing current crises and concerns, c) focusing on stabilizing and coping skills that the client won’t need after trauma healing, or d) assisting the client in regaining composure at the end of the session. Learn more here.

YOUR EMDR INTENSIVE INCLUDES:

• Pre-consultation interview to assess for candidacy, as well as target unpleasant beliefs, body sensations, emotions, or images from which you are seeking relief.

• A customized treatment program with targeted treatment goals. Therapy with Aliza is done in person, often for 5-8 sessions (2-3 hours each session). 

• Post-treatment interview to assess and support your adaption to positive changes from treatment.

EMDR Intensive Options:

• Foundational Intensive: One Intake Session (60 min),  fifteen hours of intensive therapy (divided into 2-3 hour blocks), one follow-up interview (60 min). For children and teens: two virtual 30-minute parent check in sessions scheduled between intensive sessions. 

• Half-Day Intensive: One Intake Session (60 min), three hours of intensive therapy, one follow-up interview (60 min).

• Two-Day Intensive: One Intake Session (60 min), three hours of intensive therapy per day for two days, one follow-up interview (60 min). 
• Additional days can be added on.

Note: EMDR Intensives are scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, between 9:30 AM-3:00 PM, depending on availability. No evening or weekend sessions are available. All intensive sessions take place in-person in our New City office.