Have you heard of EMDR therapy intensives?

Perhaps you're new to counseling, or you're a therapy veteran. Have you heard of EMDR therapy intensives? Indeed, many people choose to explore EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy because they may feel that traditional talk therapy has not adequately addressed their needs, especially when dealing with trauma or distressing memories. A lot has been written about EMDR treatment in recent years. You should know that it’s somewhat different from traditional talk therapy, you may be skeptical, and that’s a normal response. Many of us felt the same way before we participated in rigorous and extensive training in EMDR. As part of the training, we were required to be the EMDR client and saw the gains immediately. Many EMDR therapists love the way EMDR elegantly treats clients with rapid results. Clients regularly report that their lives feel different, and improved following EMDR. This is why many of us continue to weave it into our sessions.

What if you could make the therapy gains without the long wait? For some, an EMDR intensive offers a way to heal from psychological suffering without years of weekly therapy. We love weekly therapy, and especially the relational healing aspect of months and years with a nurturing and therapeutic partner, but sometimes you have a problem that talk therapy has not been able to resolve. It may be a pattern, a habit, a belief, or something else that may need a different approach. EMDR intensives may be your solution to boosting your current therapy or trying something new and different.

What is meant by an EMDR intensive?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) intensives refer to extended, concentrated sessions of EMDR therapy conducted over several consecutive days, often lasting several hours each day. Here are some potential benefits associated with EMDR intensives:

• Accelerated Progress: EMDR intensives allow clients to work through traumatic memories and associated emotions more quickly than traditional weekly sessions. This can lead to faster symptom relief and recovery.

• Deep Processing: Extended sessions provide more time to delve deeply into traumatic memories and related experiences. This can facilitate more thorough processing and integration of these memories, emotions, and beliefs.

• Rapid Resolution: EMDR can often lead to quicker resolution of traumatic memories and related symptoms compared to traditional talk therapy, which may take longer to achieve similar results.

• Reduced Retraumatization: By spending longer periods focusing on processing trauma in a safe and supportive environment, clients may experience less retraumatization compared to spreading out sessions over a longer period.

• Enhanced Focus: Continuous sessions can help clients maintain focus on their therapy goals and maintain momentum in their healing process without the interruption of waiting between sessions.

• Efficiency: EMDR intensives can be more time-efficient for individuals who may have limited availability for weekly therapy sessions due to work, family commitments, or travel constraints.

• Comprehensive Treatment: Intensives allow therapists to cover more ground in terms of processing past traumas and addressing related symptoms, potentially leading to a more comprehensive treatment outcome.

• Greater Emotional Regulation: Clients may experience improved emotional regulation skills as a result of intensive processing of traumatic memories and associated emotions.

• Enhanced Therapeutic Relationship: Spending extended time with the therapist can strengthen the therapeutic alliance, which is crucial for effective trauma treatment.

• Evidence-Based Effectiveness: EMDR is recognized as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Research has shown its effectiveness in reducing symptoms related to trauma and other conditions.

• Holistic Healing: EMDR aims not only to alleviate symptoms but also to promote healing and resilience by addressing underlying trauma and its impact on thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

• Longer-lasting Effects: Some research suggests that EMDR intensives may result in more sustained treatment effects over time compared to traditional weekly sessions.

EMDR is effective at treating:

• PTSD

• Panic attacks

• Motor vehicle accidents

• Natural disasters

• Major illness

• Traumatic medical event

• Traumatic labor and delivery

• Death or family injury

• Loss of a pet

• Family conflict

• Raised by a depressed or anxious parent

• Raised by a parent with mental illness or addiction

• Having a parent with anger or other big emotions

• Having a narcissistic parent

• Feeling hated or unloved by a parent

• Having a sibling who was loved more

• Humiliation at school or work

• Feeling different from others

• Feeling unlovable

• Feeling excluded

• Never feeling chosen

• Feeling like you’re never enough

• Feeling valuable only for achievements

• Having to be perfect

• Being left behind by family members

• Feeling abandoned by a loved one

• Feeling abandoned by a parent

• Harsh criticism from a parent

• Being raised by a depressed parent

• Feeling rejected by a love interest

• Being shamed by a teacher

• Being shamed by a parent

• Experience of being bullied

• Feeling like your emotions don’t matter

Of course, there are many more feelings, emotions, beliefs, perceptions, and experiences that can be processed using EMDR. We can help you figure out if you could benefit from EMDR. It's important to note that EMDR intensives may not be suitable for everyone, and individual responses to therapy can vary. Clients need to discuss with their therapist whether an intensive format would be appropriate and beneficial for their specific needs and circumstances. We can help you determine if EMDR Intensives are a good fit for you. From there we plan your EMDR Intensive weekend.

While both EMDR and traditional talk therapy (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or psychodynamic therapy) can be effective forms of treatment, the specific benefits of EMDR make it particularly suitable for individuals who have experienced trauma or who struggle with processing distressing memories. Ultimately, the choice between EMDR and talk therapy may depend on individual preferences, the nature of the concerns being addressed, and the client’s therapeutic goals.

About Integrative Psychotherapy & Mind Body. Medicine Montana

Integrative Psychotherapy Montana is a collective of experienced heart-centered and neuroscience-based psychologists and psychotherapists who provide evidence-based therapy as well as mindfulness and somatic practices. They are based in Bozeman, Montana, and practice locally and throughout Montana virtually. The clinicians offer a range of psychological services provided by licensed practitioners at the doctoral and master levels, with additional advanced training in many therapeutic modalities. We provide individual, relationship, and family therapy and EMDR intensive services to adults and couples and specialize in areas such as trauma, PTSD, addiction, depression, anxiety, stress, emotion regulation skills, relationship conflict, loss, divorce, and life transitions. We accept most forms of insurance. Schedule today!