EMDR | Clinical Psychologist Harley Street, London

EMDR Intensives: A Fast-Track to Recovery from Trauma

EMDR is an evidence-based intervention for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), recommended by the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE). It has been shown to reduce the intensity and severity of trauma symptoms, with many people no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD at the end of treatment. EMDR helps us process negative feelings and change the way we think about traumatic memories and ourselves. An EMDR Intensive condenses trauma-focussed therapy into days, instead of months, helping people recover faster. They typically take place over one weekend, suiting people with busy lives.

Pros of doing an EMDR Intensive

Cons of an EMDR Intensive (or why an Intensive might not be for you)

Instead of unpacking trauma weekly over months, we give this dedicated focussed attention over 1-3 days, allowing you to move on faster. The work is intense but so is the healing.
An Intensive can be easier to tolerate as it takes less time. You’re not revisiting the trauma every week.
Cost effective: as Intensives are highly concentrated and focussed, they can take less time and overall cost in the long term. Rather than opening things up and closing things down each week, we only do this per day, so more time is spent healing. Many prefer the fixed cost of an Intensive rather than the unknown cost of ongoing weekly therapy.
You don’t have to schedule around weekly therapy sessions.
Research following up people a year after treatment has show that treatment effects are sustained.

EMDR Intensives can be demanding, so require that you can avoid drugs or alcohol for at least 5 days. You should not be on medication that has significant sedating effects (e.g. benzodiazepines).
The 1-3 day Intensive is suitable for working on one specific memory. If you have experienced multiple traumatic events, we can still work on the event that is impacting you the most, but the effect may be limited by the other events.
It is important to have someone available who helps you feel safe in the evenings after an intensive, like a family member or friend.
Trauma therapy can be physically demanding. It can also help processing to be able to do physical activity afterwards (e.g. walking). It is advised that you can undertake regular moderate physical activity.
Ongoing threat (e.g. current violence in a relationship) or other ongoing serious stressors can make it difficult to benefit from a 1-3 day EMDR Intensive.

FAQs

What does a typical day on an Intensive look like?

Intensives are delivered face to face at 117 Harley Street. Sessions usually start at 9am and last until 5pm, with 6 hours of therapy and 2 hours for breaks.

While the therapy finishes at 5pm, your brain will still be processing in the evening. It is important to plan activities to help soothe your nervous system afterwards, e.g. yoga, walking in nature, massages. It is advised that you treat the days of the Intensive as a complete personal retreat. It is best not to schedule social activities or work in the evenings. This time is for you to focus on healing.

How much time do I need to schedule?

That is the magic question! The answer is: it depends. During your assessment, we will discuss what you would like to work on and the goals you would like to achieve through the Intensive. At that time, we will agree an estimate of how much time will be needed.

How much does an Intensive cost?

You will first have a 2 hour psychological assessment to understand if this a suitable intervention for you. This costs £280. The assessment can take place online or face to face. At the end of the assessment, a recommendation will be made on how long an Intensive should take given your unique circumstances. An Intensive focussing on 1 event typically takes 1-3 days.
Intensives are charged at a flat fee day rate of £840.
You will have a follow-up session after the Intensive which costs £140.
All sessions are paid in advance. Please note that a date is not reserved until payment is received.

How do I prepare for an Intensive?

It is important that any drug or alcohol use is stabilised by the time of the Intensive.
Make sure you are taking any medication, as prescribed.
You will be asked to complete several questionnaires before the assessment session.
It is important that you have someone that helps you feel safe around you in the evenings after an Intensive, for example, a family member or friend.

What if I’m still experiencing difficulties at the end of the Intensive?

We will schedule a 50 minute follow-up session 1-2 weeks after the Intensive to see how things have settled. Many people can complete an Intensive and return to their lives, ready to move forward. Some people will benefit from having a working relationship with a therapist who can help them deal with things as we will only be working on one specific traumatic event in the Intensive. Some people need to schedule several Intensives to fully heal their stories, in such cases a weekly therapist to help manage things between Intensives may be recommended or required. We can think about this together in the assessment.