Online EMDR Intensive Information

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EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s an evidence-based psychotherapy approach originally developed in the late 1980s by Francine Shapiro, who discovered that rhythmic left-to-right eye movements helped reduce the emotional intensity of distressing thoughts. Over time, EMDR evolved into a comprehensive, structured therapy used to help people process and heal from traumatic or overwhelming experiences.

At the heart of EMDR is the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which suggests that the brain has a natural ability to heal and integrate experiences—much like the body heals from a physical wound. But when we experience trauma or overwhelming stress, that natural processing system can get disrupted. The memory, along with the emotions, sensations, and beliefs attached to it, can get “stuck” in the nervous system in an unprocessed form, leading to symptoms like anxiety, reactivity, shame, or feeling frozen.

EMDR helps “unstick” those experiences and move them through to resolution. This is done through a structured 8-phase protocol that includes preparation, resourcing, memory processing, and integration.

A key element of EMDR is the use of bilateral stimulation—which means engaging both sides of the brain alternately. When EMDR was first developed, this was done by having clients move their eyes from left to right, following the therapist’s hand or a light bar. Today, we know that other forms of bilateral stimulation are just as effective—including bilateral tapping, where you gently tap your hands on opposite sides of your body (often on your thighs or shoulders).

This rhythmic stimulation supports the brain’s natural healing process and allows previously stuck material to be reprocessed and integrated in a way that feels safe, resolved, and empowering. Clients often report that distressing memories lose their emotional charge, negative beliefs shift into more compassionate truths, and their body feels more settled and grounded.

Unlike talk therapy, where one might revisit and rehearse the same story, emotions, and body sensations in the same format week after week, EMDR actually facilitates reprocessing. It helps your system transform how the memory is stored and experienced—so it no longer holds the same emotional weight, allowing you to move forward with more freedom and ease.

An EMDR Intensive is a focused, extended-format therapy session designed to support deeper healing in a shorter amount of time. Unlike traditional weekly sessions—which typically allow for only about 30 minutes of actual EMDR processing once check-ins and closure are included—an intensive provides the space to go deeper, stay with the process longer, and often experience faster results. Rather than stopping just as something important is emerging, intensives give us time to stay with your system, follow its rhythm, and work at a pace that’s actually supportive. We don't push—we listen to your nervous system and titrate the work, finding the right amount of processing your system can safely handle. This approach helps reduce overwhelm while allowing for more integrated, meaningful change. The intensive package includes thorough preparation, including somatic work, parts work (Internal Family Systems-inspired), and a personalized plan tailored to your needs and goals. You’ll be fully supported before, during, and after your intensive. And the best part? It can all be done from the comfort of your own home. As a licensed Arizona therapist, I offer virtual EMDR Intensives for clients across the state. I’ll guide you in setting up a calming, grounded space, so we can create a safe, effective container for the work—no travel required.

EMDR Intensives are designed to help you go deep—quickly and effectively—by focusing on one central theme or issue you’re ready to work through. Instead of the traditional therapy model where sessions are spread out over weeks (with the natural rhythm of starting, stopping, and reorienting each time), intensives give us the opportunity to stay with the work in a continuous, uninterrupted flow.

Whether it’s a specific memory, a life event, a pattern you’re ready to shift, or a stuck trauma response—this format allows you to engage in deep, focused processing over the course of a few concentrated hours or days. With this approach, clients often experience powerful breakthroughs in a fraction of the time it might take with weekly therapy.

You’ll have the chance to move through preparation, memory processing, and integration—all within the intensive container—so nothing feels left open or unfinished.

This format is ideal for those who want to:

• Dive into something they’ve been avoiding or unable to reach in weekly therapy or talk therapy alone
• Resolve lingering trauma responses or stuck patterns
• Make meaningful progress when time, schedule, or urgency call for a focused experience
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The result? You walk away with real movement, greater clarity, and a sense of closure—without needing to pause and reorient week after week.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a powerful, evidence-based therapy designed to help you heal from distressing experiences, trauma, and limiting beliefs—by working directly with your brain and nervous system’s natural ability to process and integrate difficult memories.

Instead of just talking about what happened, EMDR helps you actually resolve the emotional charge and shift how the experience lives in your body and mind.

• Relief from symptoms of anxiety, PTSD, and emotional overwhelm
• Reduced reactivity to triggering situations
• More clarity, confidence, and self-compassion
• A shift in limiting beliefs (like “I’m not enough” or “I’m not safe”) to more empowering truths
• Improved nervous system regulation and the ability to stay grounded under stress
• Faster healing compared to traditional talk therapy—especially when done in an intensive format
• The ability to feel more at ease in your own body and reconnected to your authentic self

Whether you're healing from childhood trauma, a recent event, or a long-standing emotional pattern, EMDR offers a path to transformation that goes beyond surface-level change.

EMDR Intensives offer a focused and transformative approach to healing. Unlike weekly therapy, where sessions are often limited to 50–60 minutes and progress can feel slow or interrupted, an intensive gives you the time and space to go deeper—without having to stop just as things are starting to open up.

By working in longer sessions over the course of a few days, EMDR Intensives allow you to:

• Experience faster results: What might take months of weekly therapy can often be addressed in a few extended sessions.
• Deepen into the work: With 2–3 hour blocks, you can stay with what’s emerging instead of constantly pausing and restarting the process.
• Reduce overall therapy fatigue: If you're feeling stuck or like you’re rehashing the same things in weekly therapy, intensives offer momentum and resolution.
• Address a specific issue or theme with focused intention—such as a traumatic event, recurring emotional pattern, or stuck memory.
• Support your nervous system more intentionally: You’ll have ample time to prepare, regulate, process, and integrate—without rushing or pushing.
• Honor your natural healing pace: The structure of the intensive is responsive to your system’s readiness, capacity, and needs.
• Work from the comfort of your own home: As a licensed Arizona therapist, I offer virtual EMDR Intensives that are just as effective as in-person, with the added safety and ease of being in your own space.

Think of this as more than just therapy—it’s intentional space for transformation. Carving out time for an EMDR Intensive is a powerful act of self-care. It’s like giving yourself a personalized at-home retreat, rather than squeezing a 50-minute session into the middle of a busy workday. You deserve uninterrupted time to focus on you—to heal, release, and reconnect with your wholeness.

 There are many options for how an EMDR Intensive can be structured, and we’ll tailor the format to meet your unique needs, goals, and nervous system capacity. I typically recommend splitting the 12-hour intensive into four 3-hour sessions spread out over multiple days. This pacing allows for plenty of spaciousness, regulation, and integration, which is essential when working with deeper layers of the nervous system. It also helps prevent overwhelm while still maintaining momentum, so we’re not starting and stopping like in traditional weekly sessions. Whether you’re looking to process a specific life event or begin to untangle a longer-standing pattern, this format gives us room to prepare thoroughly, go deep into the work, and gently integrate what arises along the way.

Below is an example schedule of an EMDR Intensive, which can be split over about 4 weeks. 

(3 hours per day | Total: 12 hours)

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• Welcome, intention setting, and overview of the intensive process
• Somatic and grounding tools to build internal safety and regulation
• Parts work education and exploration – connecting with protective parts and internal roles
• Build your trauma/life timeline and identify key moments or themes
• Collaboratively select a target memory to begin processing in the next session

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• Begin with grounding + resourcing check-in
• Start EMDR reprocessing using bilateral stimulation
• Track images, emotions, body sensations, and beliefs
• Gentle pacing based on your nervous system’s needs
• Pause for grounding and short integration before session close

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• Continue EMDR processing with the same or next target (as appropriate)
• Deepen into the memory network and explore shifts in belief or sensation
• Integrate somatic and parts-based tools to support regulation throughout
• Gentle closure and nervous system reset

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• Reflect on shifts in thoughts, emotions, and nervous system regulation
• Connect with parts that showed up during processing
• Explore meaning-making, insight, and the story your system is ready to tell
• Create a personalized aftercare and support plan
• Grounding, resourcing, and a closing ritual to honor your work

Yes—you can absolutely do EMDR from the comfort of your own home. In fact, many clients find that being in a familiar, safe space supports deeper work and easier integration.

As a licensed Arizona therapist, I offer virtual EMDR Intensives that are just as effective as in-person sessions. Before we begin, I’ll guide you through how to set up your space so you feel grounded, private, and supported throughout the process. We’ll also practice using bilateral tapping techniques, which can easily be done with your hands or other tools right where you are.

Virtual EMDR allows you to:

• Feel more at ease in your body and environment
• Avoid traffic or commute-related stress
• Create a personalized space with your favorite grounding tools, scents, or comforts
• Move into rest and integration right after the session ends

If you’re someone who values depth, privacy, and flexibility, doing EMDR at home might actually enhance your experience.

EMDR can be challenging—but in a deeply meaningful and transformative way. Because it involves gently turning toward difficult memories, emotions, and sensations, it’s natural for things to come up that feel uncomfortable or vulnerable. But you’re never doing it alone.

The beauty of EMDR is that it helps your brain and body reprocess what was once overwhelming—so it no longer feels as intense, triggering, or stuck. While some moments can feel emotionally charged, the process is always paced in collaboration with your nervous system’s capacity. We use somatic tools, grounding practices, and parts work throughout to ensure you stay supported, resourced, and empowered.

Clients often say:

“It was hard—but it felt like the right kind of hard.”
 

Challenging doesn’t mean unsafe. It means we’re working with the parts of you that are ready to heal—and I’ll be right there with you, every step of the way.