Already Going to Therapy? How an EMDR Intensive Can Complement Weekly Therapy

Already In therapy? You could still benefit from an Intensive Retreat

Already Going to Therapy?

How an EMDR Intensive Can Complement Weekly Therapy

If you’re already working with a trusted therapist, you might wonder — do I really need anything else?

The truth is, weekly therapy is powerful, especially when you have a strong relationship with your provider. But there may come a time when life demands a deeper level of healing — or when you hit an emotional plateau that weekly 50-minute sessions just can’t move through.

That’s where an EMDR intensive comes in. Not as a replacement — but as an accelerator.

Whether you're navigating a life transition, facing emotional burnout, or simply ready to move beyond coping into real transformation, an EMDR intensive can deepen the work you're already doing in therapy — helping you move through emotional roadblocks with clarity and speed.

What Is An EMDR Intensive anyways?

What Is an EMDR Intensive?

An EMDR intensive is a structured, time-rich therapy experience that uses EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help process unresolved trauma, anxiety, or emotional pain in a concentrated format.

Rather than traditional 50-minute sessions spread out weekly over months or years, intensives involve:

• 2–6 hours of focused therapy in one day

• Customized preparation and nervous system resourcing

• Deep trauma processing using EMDR protocols

• Integration and post-session support

  
  

The experience is designed to create significant emotional shifts in a short amount of time — all while supporting your long-term growth with your existing therapist.

You Should Consider Adding An Intensive

Why Add an EMDR Intensive to Weekly Therapy?

You don’t need to stop weekly therapy to experience the benefits of an EMDR intensive. In fact, one of my strongest recommendations for someone who wants to schedule an intensive is to already see a therapist they love.

Here's why combining both can be so effective:

An Intensive Can Jumpstart Healing

1. Intensives Jumpstart Deeper Healing

Weekly therapy is ideal for ongoing support, relationship work, and gradual insight-building. But when you’re facing something that feels bigger — like trauma, anxiety, or a major life transition — 50-minute sessions may not offer enough time to get to the emotional core.

An EMDR intensive allows you to:

• Spend uninterrupted hours on one issue

• Move through painful memories without being “cut off” by the clock

• Complete a full memory reprocessing arc in one sitting

This often leads to breakthroughs that re-energize your weekly therapy work.

2. You Can Clear Emotional Roadblocks

Sometimes in therapy, we circle around a problem for weeks. Not because the therapist isn’t doing their job — but because trauma lives in the body, and it can take time to feel safe enough to access it.

An EMDR intensive gives you:

• Greater focus on your feelings and your body sensations (the seat of trauma)

• More time for nervous system regulation

• Supportive space to “drop in” without pressure

• The ability to work through trauma with enough time for integration

When that block is cleared, your weekly sessions become more productive, because you're no longer stuck in the same loop.

You don't have to give up weekly therapy

3. You Stay Connected to Your Therapist

One of the biggest myths about EMDR intensives is that they replace your therapist. In reality, they can become part of a collaborative, holistic process. Maybe your therapist focuses on couples work and doesn't specialize in EMDR. Maybe your therapist is not well-versed in the protocol and doesn't feel comfortable providing EMDR. Maybe your therapist doesn't offer intensives.

With your consent, a therapist who offers EMDR Intensives can:

• Coordinate with your current therapist

• Focus the intensive on specific areas that need extra attention

• Share insights and post-intensive care suggestions (only if you choose)

You remain anchored in your therapeutic relationship — while adding a specialized layer of support.

4. Life Doesn’t Wait — Neither Should Healing

Sometimes life throws something big at you that cannot be processed over a few months: A breakup. A health crisis. A trauma trigger you didn’t expect.

An EMDR intensive offers focused healing support during times when you need extra care — but don’t want to start over with a new therapist long-term.

Think of it like calling in a specialist. You keep your weekly therapist, and receive an intensive when life calls for deeper attention.

Types of EMDR Intensive Formats

Every EMDR intensive is customized, but here are the most common structures:

Half-Day Intensive (2–3 Hours)

Perfect for working on a specific target memory, recent event, or anxiety trigger.

Best for: Clients who want to test out the format or address a focused issue.

Full-Day Intensive (4–6 Hours)

Offers enough time to process multiple memory targets, regulate the nervous system, and create integration strategies.

Best for: Life transitions, grief work, or longstanding trauma patterns.

Multi-Day Intensive (2–5 Consecutive Days)

These retreat-style experiences offer deep, layered work for clients looking for comprehensive emotional transformation.

Best for: Clients with complex trauma, burnout, or deep emotional wounds.

Who Is an EMDR Intensive Right For?

EMDR intensives are ideal for therapy-savvy individuals who want to make meaningful progress quickly.

If you already have a therapist, that’s not a barrier — it’s actually a strength.

You may benefit from an EMDR intensive if:

• You feel stuck in your current therapy process

• You’re facing a life challenge or trauma activation

• You want relief from anxiety, burnout, or emotional exhaustion

• You want to do deep healing work without leaving your therapist behind

• You’re ready to stop coping and start transforming

• You also need to know who is NOT a good fit for an Intensive. Read more here

What Happens After an Intensive?

Transformation is powerful

After an EMDR intensive, clients often report:

• Less reactions to prior triggers

• Greater self-love and acceptance

• Clarity around long-standing issues

• Reduced anxiety, reactivity, or stress

• New insights to bring back to weekly therapy

• Calm

• Greater peace within their nervous system

You’ll return to your therapist with renewed momentum, emotional capacity, and a clearer nervous system.

Many clients feel like they’ve accelerated months of work in just a few days.

Conclusion: An EMDR Intensive Can Be A Powerful Add-On to Your Healing Toolbox

If you’re already in therapy, you’re ahead of the game. But that doesn’t mean you need to wait months for the kind of relief you know you deserve.

An EMDR intensive does not have to be a replacement for your therapist — it’s a complement, an enhancement, a moment of emotional reprieve in a busy life.

It allows you to go deeper, faster — and return to your therapeutic work with renewed energy and deeper capacity.

You’re allowed to want more. More clarity. More peace. More healing. And with the right support, you can have it.

Curious if an EMDR Intensive Is Right for You?

I offer personalized EMDR intensives for women who are already in therapy — and ready to take their healing to the next level. Whether you're local to New Jersey or prefer virtual options, we can design a format that fits your life.

If you are seeking rapid and profound relief from distressing symptoms, consider exploring EMDR Intensives as a viable option. Book a consultation call with me to help you determine if this approach is right for you. You can also check out my YouTube video for more information.

 My name is Edwige (Eddie) Theokas and I am a trauma-based therapist in Bordentown, NJ. I specialize in EMDR to address trauma, anxiety, and stress. I provide in-person and online counseling throughout the state of NJ and specifically in Mercer and Burlington County, NJ (Bordentown, Chesterfield, Robbinsville, Hamilton and Princeton). I also provide EMDR Intensives. Contact me to schedule a consultation.

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