EMDR INTENSIVES

What is EMDR? 

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of psychological therapy to address distress associated with difficult or traumatic life experiences. EMDR includes different phases including assessment, emotion regulation skills, processing of key traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation such as eye movements or alternate tapping, and strengthening of new beliefs for the present and future. EMDR is currently one of two psychotherapeutic approaches recommended by the National Institute of Care Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of PTSD (NICE, 2018). The other approach is trauma focused CBT. 

You can read more about EMDR in our blog

What is an EMDR Intensive?

Typically EMDR is delivered in once-weekly sessions. EMDR intensives deliver therapy more frequently and often in combination with holistic therapies. Studies have shown that delivering EMDR intensively can provide faster and greater reduction in symptoms, improved clients’ experience and reduced dropout rates (Najavits, 2015).

Our EMDR intensive program 

Our trauma intensives begin with a thorough assessment with one of our EMDR clinicians, which may span across a few sessions. During this time we will be able to determine whether an intensive course of treatment is suitable and appropriate, or whether we recommend something else such as weekly sessions, at least to begin with.

In the next phase of EMDR we will begin with a course of weekly preparatory sessions before commencing trauma processing. The aim of the initial weekly sessions is to gather all of the history we need, identify the targets to focus on in the intensive phase, and learn and practice emotion regulation skills such as stabilisation and grounding. We will decide with you who is involved in this phase, including our holistic team*.

Should you progress to the trauma intensive week, you will then have two sessions per day, of one hour each. One session will be EMDR processing and one session will be with one of our holistic team. We will work as a team during this time ensuring consistency of your care and a collaborative approach. 

Following the intensive week, you will meet again with your psychologist two weeks later in order to review your progress and either to bring the therapy to a close or decide if additional therapy is advised. Additional therapy may then be standard once per week sessions. 

We will also gather outcome measures across your therapy so that we can monitor your progress.  

* Holistic sessions may be one of the following: Somatic experiencing and/ or trauma informed yoga

Our program can be delivered in person or online. 

What Can EMDR Help With?

Adverse life experiences and trauma are linked to many mental health difficulties. While EMDR was initially developed to treat PTSD, research has developed to show it’s effectiveness for a range of other mental health difficulties and it has been used to address difficulties such as:

• Trauma and PTSD (including childhood trauma and single-incident trauma)

• Anxiety and phobias

• Depression and low self-esteem

• Grief and loss

• Performance anxiety and creative blocks

• Substance use