What to Expect in an EMDR Intensive
What to Expect in an EMDR Intensive
Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC
You’re ready for relief and you’re ready for it now. You know you need EMDR Therapy, but the thought of extending out over months and months just seems so daunting. You’re ready to handle the issues that have been holding you back, but the idea of meeting for weekly sessions feels long and drawn. You want results faster and you don’t want to deal with processing your trauma while you’re handling all of your life’s responsibilities. It’s hard enough to work through your trauma. You don’t need the weight of the daily grind on your shoulders while you’re trying to heal your past.
In an EMDR Intensive, you carve out one to three days that are dedicated solely to your healing process. You give yourself the biggest gift by setting aside all of your responsibilities and allowing yourself to fully yield to an immersive healing experience. You set aside all of your responsibilities and an EMDR Intensive is an effective way to heal years of trauma in one to three days. An intensive is a great option for someone who has a busy schedule and finds it difficult to fit weekly sessions into their packed schedule.
As an EMDR therapist in Orlando, I have fallen in love with EMDR Intensives! There are so many benefits to Intensives, but my clients repeatedly comment on how much relief they feel in such a short amount of time. EMDR Intensives save time and money and offer more immediate results.
What to Expect Before Your EMDR Intensive
Schedule a Consultation Call
First things first, we’ll meet for a 30-minute phone consultation to determine if an EMDR Intensive is the best course of action to meet your needs. We’ll discuss your goals and determine if we can best meet them in an intensive. We’ll determine how much time we need between one, two, or three days and we’ll figure out the best time to schedule.
Forms, Consents, and Assessments
After we’ve decided to move forward, our Client Care Coordinator will get you established in our Client Portal. Inside the portal, you’ll complete your history-taking form and sign the necessary paperwork. You’ll also complete a few assessments. These assessments will help me understand your symptoms a bit more and also provide an additional assessment to ensure intensive format is the best way to meet your needs.
6 Steps in Your EMDR Intensive Journey
1. Creating a Safe Space
When we first meet, I will orient you to how we will spend our time together. We’ll map out our daily schedule and set the stage for our work together. I’ll explain EMDR and answer any questions you may have for me. We will take our time so that you feel safe and grounded so we can navigate our process together. Together, we will make sure the space feels comfortable and free of distractions
2. Crafting Your Treatment Plan
When we initially meet during the EMDR Intensive, we will review your goals and your present-day symptoms. We’ll look to understand what in your unique history is contributing to your symptoms. We’ll identify any resources or coping that you are currently using and perhaps what we can do to add to your toolkit. This allows us to create your personalized treatment plan mapping out the memories and events we plan to process.
3. Establishing Resources
Prior to doing a deep dive into EMDR, we will make sure your nervous system has what it needs to regulate during and after our EMDR Intensive. During this phase of our intensive, we will develop tools to keep your system regulated. Examples of these resources include mindfulness, visualization, and breathing exercises.
4. Processing EMDR Targets
After we develop emotional regulation tools, we begin EMDR processing the memories that we mapped out while creating your individualized treatment plan. I will be with you every step of the way ensuring that you feel safe and comfortable through this healing journey. We may pause and use some of the resources we created together if needed.
5. Creating a Future Template
As part of the EMDR processing, we will develop a future template of you handling a situation that has historically been a challenge for you. We will work through any blocks that might prevent you from achieving your goals.
6. Integration and Closure
At the end of our time together, we will integrate the insights and healing that you experienced throughout the process. We’ll highlight the major takeaways and discuss what you will do to continue your healing journey after our intensive.
It’s important to remember that each EMDR intensive will be customized for each individual. The above is an outline and will most certainly be adjusted to meet your individual needs. To learn more about EMDR check out the EMDRIA website.
One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is the gift of healing years of accumulated trauma and struggle. Setting aside time for an intensive is a big commitment, for you sure. But it’s the time invested now that will pay dividends for your mind, but an even bigger investment into your health and healing. Reach out to schedule a consultation for an EMDR Intensive. Your future self will thank you.
Are you ready to start an EMDR Intensive in Orlando?
EMDR Intensives can calm the turbulence of emotions, reactions, and negative thoughts. It will help you regain your sense of control and stability. To get started:
Fill out our New Client Consultation Form
Get scheduled with Lauran Hahn, LMHC for a free 30-minute phone consultation
Start your healing journey!
Not ready for EMDR Intesive in Orlando?
We understand that everyone needs their own time and space. Whenever you feel ready, please don't hesitate to reach out to us the team at Mindful Living Counseling is here to help. In the meantime, feel free to browse through our blog page, which offers a plethora of free resources and guided meditations.
Additional Resources for EMDR Intensives
Enhancing an EMDR Intensive with Diverse Therapeutic Techniques
How EMDR Therapy Can Heal Emotional and Somatic Flashbacks
EMDR Therapy Orlando for a Recent Trauma
Orlando Therapist Explains How EMDR Therapy Works
Orlando Therapist Explains What to Expect in EMDR Therapy
Orlando Therapist Answers the Question - What is EMDR Therapy?
Is EMDR Therapy Right for You?
Types of Counseling: What is EMDR?
Additional Therapy Services Offered at Mindful Living Counseling Orlando
At Mindful Living Counseling, we want you to know that we offer many types of therapy services to help you with whatever you may be going through. Our therapists understand that there's more to therapy than just EMDR Therapy. We also offer Toxic Relationship Therapy, Eating Disorder Therapy, Anxiety Therapy, and Teen Therapy. So no matter what you're dealing with, we're here to help.
About the Owner of Mindful Living Counseling Orlando
I'm Lauran Hahn, LMHC, and I'm super excited to be offering EMDR Intensives at Mindful Living Counseling Orlando. I discovered EMDR Therapy about six years ago and was completely blown away by the amazing results my clients saw. This therapy helped them heal from so much trauma, pain, and suffering that had been holding them back. I became really passionate about EMDR Therapy and decided to pursue further certification.
Today, I'm a Certified EMDR Therapist, an EMDRIA Approved Consultant, and an EMDR Facilitator for ConnectEMDR, which is our local EMDR training center. When I'm not working, you can usually find me hanging out with my family, doing some yoga, or going for a nice long run.