EMDR Intensive Therapy in Chicago, Illinois, Washington & Beyond
What is an EMDR Intensive?
Sometimes, something happens in life that we just can't seem to move past. Maybe it's a painful breakup, a difficult experience, or something that happened years ago that still brings up more emotion than we'd like. Even when we understand what happened and why it affected us, we can still feel stuck.
EMDR intensives offer a focused way to work through these experiences.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a well-researched form of therapy that helps people process difficult or distressing experiences so they no longer have the same emotional impact in the present. The goal isn't to forget what happened, but to be able to look back without feeling like you're right back in it.
An EMDR intensive takes this approach and offers it in a more concentrated format, allowing us to dedicate focused time to addressing a particular issue, experience, or pattern rather than spreading the work across traditional weekly appointments.
New to EMDR? Learn more about EMDR Therapy.
Why Choose an EMDR Intensive?
One of the biggest advantages of an EMDR intensive is having the time and space to really stay with the work. In traditional weekly therapy, just as you begin getting into something meaningful, it can already be time to wrap up. Then, by the time you meet again, you may need to spend part of your next session reconnecting with where you left off.
An intensive allows us to work more efficiently, with fewer interruptions and more time to build on the progress you're making as it happens. This can be especially helpful if you're looking to work through something specific in a more concentrated timeframe, without repeatedly starting and stopping.
It's also a great option if weekly appointments are difficult to fit into your schedule, you'd like to supplement the work you're already doing with another therapist, or you're hoping to address something before a meaningful life transition—like getting married, becoming a parent, starting a new relationship, or making a big career change.
Neither approach is inherently better than the other. We'll work together to determine what makes the most sense for you.
Who Might Benefit?
EMDR intensives can be especially helpful if you're generally doing okay in your day-to-day life but have a particular experience, emotional trigger, or recurring pattern you'd like to work through.
You don't need to have experienced a major traumatic event to benefit from EMDR.
An intensive might be a good fit if you:
Have experienced something upsetting or painful recently and are having trouble moving past it.
Have a particular memory or past experience that still brings up distress.
Notice a recurring emotional reaction that feels bigger than the situation in front of you.
Want to work through a specific fear, anxiety, or negative belief about yourself.
Feel stuck after a breakup, betrayal, rejection, or other difficult life experience.
Have made progress in talk therapy but feel there's a particular issue you haven't quite been able to move through.
Want focused support around something specific without necessarily beginning another long-term therapy relationship.
Intensives tend to be best suited for people who have a relatively focused treatment goal and enough stability in their day-to-day lives to engage in concentrated therapeutic work.
Can I Travel for an EMDR Intensive?
Due to licensing requirements, you must be physically located in Illinois or Washington during our sessions, but you don't need to live in either state to work with me! We can meet in person or virtually, as long as you're in one of these states at the time of your appointment.
Some clients choose to travel to Chicago for a single or multi-day intensive, treating the experience as a personal retreat while enjoying everything the “city in a garden” has to offer.
Format and Investment
Intake
We'll meet for an initial session to explore your history, treatment goals, and readiness for intensive EMDR therapy. We’ll talk through scheduling and logistical details, and make sure you understand what to expect from the process. This session allows both me to better understand your needs, and for both of us to determine whether moving forward with an intensive is appropriate.
Intensive Session(s)
Our intensive sessions will involve both creating a personalized treatment plan, identifying the core sources of distress, underlying beliefs, memory or memories to be addressed, and making sure you feel well resourced. Once we do so, we’ll begin focused EMDR processing, working through identified targets at a pace that supports your needs and goals.
Typically, intensive sessions last anywhere from 2-4 hours, depending on what we are working on, as well as scheduling preferences and capacity.
Follow Up
Following your intensive, we'll schedule a follow-up appointment to reflect on your progress, evaluate any remaining areas for treatment, and discuss next steps. This might involve additional EMDR sessions, returning to your ongoing therapist, or concluding our work together.
EMDR Intensives are charged at $225/hour.
Complete pricing is based upon the total time needed for your intensive sessions, depending on the issues or memory(s) to be addressed. We’ll discuss the anticipated number of hours in advance, prior to scheduling and payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, and I am happy to collaborate with your therapist with your written permission.
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No. Some people know exactly what experience they want to process; others come in with a theme, belief, relationship, or collection of related experiences. We can determine the most useful focus together.
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EMDR Intensives take place either in person in my office in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, or virtually for clients located in Illinois or Washington when telehealth is clinically appropriate.
If we meet in person, you’ll have the benefit of a comfortable, private space, and to engage with me in person.
If we meet virtually, we use virtual tools that allow you to experience the same benefits. You’ll have the advantage of being in your own space and being able to set up your environment in a way that feels most comfortable for you.
Neither setting is more or less effective; its typically a matter of preference or the reality of living far from Chicago.
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Everyone responds to EMDR a little differently. You might leave feeling lighter, relieved, or with a new perspective on something that's been weighing on you. You may also feel emotionally or physically tired, as processing difficult experiences can take a lot of energy.
It's also normal to notice additional thoughts, emotions, memories, or dreams in the days following your intensive as you continue to integrate the work. I recommend keeping your schedule relatively light afterward and giving yourself some time to rest. We'll also discuss what to expect and how to care for yourself between sessions.
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EMDR intensives tend to be best suited for people who are generally stable in their day-to-day lives and looking to address a specific experience, issue, or pattern. If you're currently navigating a crisis, significant emotional instability, active substance use concerns, or more extensive and complex trauma, a slower-paced approach with ongoing therapeutic support may be more appropriate. We'll discuss your history, goals, and readiness during the initial intake to make sure an intensive is a safe and appropriate fit for you.
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EMDR intensives are a private-pay service and are generally not eligible for insurance reimbursement, including through out-of-network benefits.
This is because insurance companies typically reimburse therapy based on standard appointment lengths and billing codes, rather than the extended, individualized format of an intensive. There is currently no dedicated insurance billing code that adequately captures the full scope of this work, including the additional treatment planning and preparation involved.
Offering intensives outside of insurance also allows us to tailor the length, pace, and focus of treatment to your needs without being limited by insurance requirements.
Curious about EMDR Intensives?
An initial 15-minute phone or video consultation gives us a chance to meet and answer any initial questions you may have.