Am I a good candidate for an EMDR intensive?

An intensive isn't automatically the right choice for everyone. We'll determine that together.

Before beginning intensive EMDR, we look at what you want to work on, your history, previous therapy experience, current stressors, emotional resources, and your ability to stay grounded when difficult material comes up.

You may be a good candidate if there is a particular experience, trigger, belief, relationship pattern, or emotional response that you understand intellectually but still can't seem to move past. You may be functioning well in your career and relationships while still struggling with overthinking, perfectionism, anxiety, people-pleasing, feeling responsible for everyone, difficulty trusting yourself, taking time for yourself, or feeling like you're never quite enough. Still, part of you wants to work through the experience or reach a deeper resolution.

You don't have to arrive perfectly prepared. Preparation is actually part of EMDR. We'll make sure you understand the process and have emotional regulation tools available before moving into deeper processing.

Do I need to have PTSD to benefit from EMDR therapy?

No. EMDR is well established as a treatment for PTSD, but therapists also use EMDR to address other concerns, including anxiety, panic, distressing life experiences, imposter syndrome, and performance-related anxiety.

Sometimes you don't identify what happened to you as "trauma." You simply know that something from the past still seems to have a vote in how you respond today.

Part of our work is understanding what is driving the current pattern and determining whether an EMDR intensive is an appropriate treatment to help resolve it.

I'm successful and doing pretty well — why would I need trauma therapy?

Because functioning and healing aren't the same thing. Most of the professionals I work with are excellent at presenting well, but are deeply hurt and struggling on the inside.

Trauma doesn't always look like falling apart. For high-achieving women, it can look like being incredibly competent while privately overthinking every decision, overpreparing, struggling to rest, taking responsibility for everyone, avoiding opportunities that make you feel exposed, or constantly questioning whether you're good enough.

You've learned how to perform around the pattern. EMDR gives us an opportunity to work on what may be underneath it, so your success doesn't have to require so much internal effort — so your inside experience can finally match your outside.

Can I keep my current therapist while doing an EMDR intensive?

Absolutely. In fact, EMDR intensives can work especially well alongside ongoing therapy. You can keep the therapist you already trust while coming to us for focused EMDR work.

Your intensive can target specific trauma or patterns, while your regular therapist continues supporting your broader goals and helps you integrate what comes up. When appropriate and with your permission, we can also coordinate with your therapist to support continuity of care.

And it's completely okay if you don't have another therapist and simply want to do an intensive on its own. An intensive is time-limited, focused work — not ongoing weekly therapy.

Do you see men for EMDR intensives?

I typically work with women. However, you're welcome to set up a consultation to discuss your particular case if you're interested in an intensive.

What happens during an EMDR intensive?

Your intensive is built around your treatment goal, not a set number of hours.

Depending on your needs, our time may include assessment and treatment planning, preparation and grounding, identifying memories or experiences connected to the current problem, EMDR reprocessing, breaks, regulation strategies, and planning for what happens after the intensive.

We also pay attention to your pace throughout the process. The goal isn't to process as much trauma as humanly possible. The goal is meaningful work your nervous system can tolerate and integrate, using bilateral eye movements, tapping, and some somatic integration.

How intense is an EMDR intensive — will it be overwhelming?

Not as scary as it sounds. It's called "intensive" because we spend more time together on the issue (3 to 6 hours), not because it's harder or heavier. The actual emotional intensity isn't increased.

EMDR intensives are carefully structured with plenty of grounding, resourcing, and breaks. You're never rushed or forced to process more than you're ready for. The goal is a focused, contained space that feels safe enough to do deep work without emotional overload.

This condensed format lets you get into your healing without the interruptions of the standard once-a-week model and whatever life throws at you between sessions. Most women leave feeling lighter, clearer, and — if anything — in need of a good nap from the emotional lift.

How many hours or days of EMDR intensive therapy will I need?

It depends on you and what you're bringing into the room.

Someone coming in with one clearly defined experience may need something very different from someone whose current struggle is connected to several experiences over many years.

During your consultation, we'll consider your history, whether you've worked on the issue in therapy before, how it's affecting you now, and what you hope will be different afterward.

For some clients, we may recommend starting with a 90-minute extended session followed by a three-hour intensive. For others, a three-hour session may be an appropriate starting point, with the option of adding another three-hour session if more processing or integration would be beneficial.

We can't know exactly where your mind will take the work once processing begins, but we'll give you our best clinical recommendation based on what we know about you.

Can an EMDR intensive really work in one or a few sessions?

It can. EMDR intensives are designed to create focused progress in a dedicated block of time. We've seen clients experience relief, greater insight, and meaningful shifts within a single three-hour intensive, though every person and trauma history is different.

Think of trauma like a ball of yarn: several experiences may reinforce beliefs like "I'm not safe" or "I'm not enough." One intensive may help unravel one of those patterns, while another may need continued work.

The goal isn't to process your entire life in three or six hours. It's to identify what's at the root, work deeply on what you need, and give you space to return to your life and practice what has shifted. Some clients are complete after their intensive; others choose additional intensives or 90-minute sessions for continued support.

Intensives are for women ready to do focused work, heal, and move forward.

What should I expect after an EMDR intensive?

People respond differently. You may leave feeling relieved, tired, reflective, emotional, clearer — or some combination of those things.

Your brain may also continue processing after the session, which is why we discuss aftercare and integration before you leave. Whenever possible, avoid packing your schedule immediately afterward and give yourself room to rest and notice what comes up.

Intensives can happen in our office, from the comfort of your home virtually, or even in a designated location where we build out a retreat-type experience for you — all so you have the space to feel safe enough to do the work and recover as you need to.

We will discuss what support or follow-up makes sense for you.

Not sure which format fits your life right now?

How much does an EMDR intensive cost?

The cost depends on the length and type of intensive recommended for you. The full-day rate is $1,200, the half-day (three-hour) rate is $600, and 90-minute extended sessions are $300.

Rather than choosing solely based on the number of hours, we recommend starting with a consultation. We'll learn more about what you want to address and your history, then discuss the intensive option that may best fit your needs and the associated investment.

When I reserve your intensive, I'm reserving that entire block of time for working with you. A 50% deposit is required to confirm your reservation, and the remaining 50% is paid on the day of the intensive.

Deposits are non-refundable if cancellation is made within 14 days of the scheduled intensive. If something comes up and you're unable to attend, please contact me to discuss rescheduling. Rescheduling will not affect your deposit if the request is made more than 14 days before your scheduled intensive.

Do you accept insurance for EMDR intensives?

Intensives are not covered by insurance because of their extended, customized structure. They're ideal for anyone who believes their time is their most precious resource and that their healing is a priority.

Some clients use their FSA/HSA accounts, and payment resources are accessible through options like CareCredit and Klarna.

Healing at this level is an investment — and many women say it's one of the most important investments they've made in themselves.

Are EMDR intensives worth it?

For many of our clients, yes.

Intensives are an investment, particularly because insurance does not cover extended intensive sessions. But it can also be helpful to consider the cost of continuing to put off work that has been affecting your relationships, career, confidence, or quality of life.

With an intensive, you're paying for focused time with an experienced trauma therapist and the ability to work on a specific issue without having to repeatedly stop and restart the process in traditional weekly sessions.

We often work with busy professionals, therapists, educators, coaches, women in leadership, and women navigating major transitions — career pivots, divorce, relationship decisions, identity shifts — who don't have a lot of extra time for weekly therapy, or who want dedicated time to address what has been weighing on them so they can get back to the business of living.

For someone who has been carrying the same issue for years, or who doesn't have room for another weekly appointment, that concentrated time can be incredibly valuable.

What if I don't live in New York?

I'm licensed in New York, which means you need to be located in New York when we do the intensive — but you don't need to live here. Many clients fly in for several days and treat it as a therapy retreat.

I can do half-day intensives online. Full-day and multi-day intensives are in person.

How do I get started with an EMDR intensive?

Start with a consultation.

We'll talk about what's bringing you in, what you've already tried, what you want to be different, and whether an EMDR intensive is clinically appropriate for you.

From there, we'll recommend the level of support that makes the most sense, rather than asking you to choose an intensive based on session length alone.

Ready to explore whether an EMDR intensive is right for you?