When Healing Can’t Wait: The Power of EMDR Intensives
Weekly therapy or EMDR intensives? Understanding your options for healing
You’ve made the decision to seek therapy for anxiety, trauma, or overwhelming life stress. As you start exploring your options, you might feel uncertain about which therapy format is the best fit, especially when you're introduced to choices like weekly sessions or EMDR intensives.
Learn how EMDR therapy works in the brain and Your EMDR questions answered in my blog posts.
Both weekly EMDR therapy and intensives are powerful and effective, but they offer different experiences and meet different needs. In this blog, I’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each, so you can feel more confident and supported in choosing the path that feels right for your healing journey.
What is Weekly Therapy?
Weekly therapy is what most people picture when they think of counseling: you meet with your therapist once a week for about 45-60 minutes. This consistent, gradual approach helps you build a safe relationship with your therapist and gives you time between sessions to reflect and practice new coping skills.
✅ Pros of Weekly Therapy
Consistency: A set appointment each week gives you a steady, predictable space to unpack thoughts and emotions at your own pace.
Relationship building: A strong therapeutic relationship develops gradually, which is key to feeling safe and supported.
Affordability: Holding sessions just once a week keeps costs manageable and makes it easier to plan for therapy in your monthly budget.
Time to integrate: Weekly pacing gives you space to practice new skills, reflect on insights, and return with fresh perspective.
⚠️ Cons of Weekly Therapy
A slower pace – When sessions are limited to an hour or less, it can take longer to work through deeply rooted trauma or complex issues.
Disruptions can break momentum – Holidays, illnesses, or an unexpected schedule change may interrupt the flow of therapy and slow your progress.
Slower progress – When sessions are limited to roughly an hour and part of that is spent catching up, you may not have enough time to reach the deeper layers of pain, so healing can start to feel stalled.
What is an EMDR Intensive?
Many people are used to the idea of weekly therapy. It’s the most common format and often the default in many practices. But just because it’s widely practiced doesn’t mean it’s the only option or the best fit for everyone.
There’s no rule that says therapy has to happen once a week. In fact, how often you meet with your therapist should depend on your needs, not tradition. EMDR intensives offer that freedom: a concentrated, flexible format designed around you, so progress can unfold at the pace that feels right.
An EMDR intensive condenses therapy into longer, focused sessions, typically 2 to 3 hours at a time, often over one or several days a week. This format gives you the space to go deeper into trauma work or stuck emotional patterns without the interruption or slower pace of weekly sessions.
✅ Pros of EMDR Intensives
Faster results: Many people experience significant relief in a much shorter time frame compared to traditional weekly therapy.
Deep focus: Longer sessions mean fewer interruptions, helping you get to the root of painful memories without feeling rushed.
Fits busy schedules: If you have a tight schedule or travel for work, intensives reduce the need for ongoing weekly appointments.
Targeted healing – Ideal for working through a specific traumatic memory or pushing past a stuck point when progress has stalled in ongoing therapy.
⚠️ Cons of EMDR Intensives
Upfront investment: Intensives require a greater commitment of time and money up front, which may not work for everyone.
Emotionally demanding: Because intensives involve deep, concentrated work, the process can feel more emotionally intense. you’ll need time and support to rest and recover.
Limited availability – Not every therapist offers intensives, and spots can fill quickly. It is important to give yourself space and support afterward to rest, recharge, and process what surfaced during the intensive work.
What the Research Say About EMDR Intensives?
EMDR intensives pack several hours of EMDR into a few days instead of the usual “once-a-week” pace. Studies from Europe over the past decade reveal three encouraging findings about EMDR intensives: change can happen quickly, people rarely drop out, and the results tend to last well beyond the treatment itself.
Fast results, even with tough cases.
In the first intensive study, Dutch psychologist Dr Hanneke Bongaerts gave seven adults with long-standing, complicated PTSD two 90 minute EMDR sessions a day for four days. Four of the seven no longer met PTSD criteria when they finished, and the relief persists three months later. Nobody quit the treatment. research.vu.nl
A five-day hospital program showed PTSD symptom drops.
Dr Mayaris Zepeda Méndez ran a five-day inpatient schedule that included two 90-minute EMDR sessions and one hour of trauma-sensitive yoga a day. Twelve adults took part. Nine of the 11 patients who completed treatment showed reduction in PTSD symptoms. Two of the patients no longer met criteria for PTSD. Only one person dropped out after the first day. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
An eight-day intensive outpatient program showed significant change in PTSD symptoms. Norwegian psychologist Dr Trude Julie Auren offered an eight-day outpatient mix of EMDR, exposure therapy and daily exercise. Eighty-nine clients reported significant reductions in symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression. None of the clients dropped out of treatment, and they reported high treatment satisfaction. tandfonline.com
Large-scale evidence backs the model.
In the biggest study so far, Dutch researcher Camiel van Woudenberg treated 347 people who had severe, treatment-resistant PTSD. Over eight days they did exposure therapy in the morning and EMDR in the afternoon. More than half no longer had PTSD at the end, and fewer than three percent dropped out. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Benefits can last well beyond the intensive.
In a follow-up study led by Dr. Julie Rendum Klæth, 35 of Dr. Auren’s clients were reassessed one year after completing an 8-day EMDR-based program. Nearly half no longer met the criteria for PTSD a year later, and 91% returned for the follow-up, suggesting the change held. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
What the Research Means for You
If you’re thinking about EMDR intensives but feeling unsure, here’s what the research shows and why it matters:
💡You don’t have to be in therapy for months to feel better.
Many people in the studies felt major relief after just a few days of EMDR intensives, showing reduction in symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression.
💡Even with a complicated past, healing is possible.
These intensives helped people with long histories of trauma, including those who had tried other therapies that didn’t work.
💡 Most people stick with it and feel supported.
Even though EMDR intensives might sound intense at first, studies show that very few people drop out, which means the format is not only manageable, but often feels safe and helpful.
💡 The results last.
Many people continued to feel better not just days after, but months and even a year after their EMDR intensive. The progress wasn’t just fast; it stuck.
💡 It’s not for everyone, but it could be right for you.
If weekly therapy feels too slow, if you’re stuck, or if your schedule is tight, EMDR intensives might be the right fit.
✅ Is an EMDR Intensive Right for You?
Use this checklist to see if an intensive format might be a good fit for your needs right now:
I feel stuck in weekly therapy and want to make faster progress
I’m ready to focus on a specific issue, memory, or trauma
I have time in my schedule to commit to a few days of focused healing
I feel emotionally ready to dive deeper into the work
I can take a short break from daily responsibilities to prioritize my healing
I’ve tried therapy before but didn’t feel like it went deep enough
My schedule is busy or unpredictable, and weekly sessions are hard to maintain
I’m motivated and open to doing focused, meaningful work in a shorter time frame
If you checked several of these items, an EMDR intensive may be a powerful option to help you move forward with greater clarity, relief, and lasting change.
You Don’t Have to Decide Alone
If you’re unsure which path fits you best, I’m here to help. I offer both weekly sessions and intensives across Oklahoma and Texas, I can help you design a plan that feels right for your goals, pace, and lifestyle.
✨ Ready to get started? Schedule a free consultation and let’s talk about how you can move forward, whether that’s week by week, or in focused, deeper work.
References
Bongaerts H., van Minnen A., de Jongh A. (2017). Intensive EMDR to treat patients with complex PTSD: A case series.Journal of EMDR Practice & Research. researchgate.net
Zepeda Méndez M. et al. (2018). A five-day inpatient EMDR treatment programme for PTSD: Pilot study. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
van Woudenberg C. et al. (2018). Effectiveness of an intensive treatment programme combining Prolonged Exposure and EMDR. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Auren T. J. B. et al. (2022). Intensive outpatient treatment for PTSD: An open trial combining Prolonged Exposure, EMDR, and physical activity. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. tandfonline.com
Klæth J. R. et al. (2024). 12-month follow-up of intensive outpatient treatment combining Prolonged Exposure, EMDR and physical activity. BMC Psychiatry. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.go
