What Is an EMDR Intensive? (And Why It Might Be the Deep Reset You Need)
You know something needs to change, but weekly therapy feels too slow
I’ve sat with many people who just know something has to shift. On the outside, everything looks fine: good job, stable relationships, all the boxes checked. But inside you might feel drained. You may carry a weight you can’t name. Or you might find yourself running on empty, numb and disconnected from what used to bring joy. You keep striving. You keep pushing. And yet deep down you sense: weekly therapy is gentle. It helps. But sometimes it moves too slow.
If you feel stuck in patterns that don’t seem to shift, or if your nervous system seems locked in overdrive, an EMDR intensive can offer a deeper, faster reset.
Before we go further, I’m Jennifer. A trauma therapist trained in EMDR, IFS, DBR, and somatic work, and I specialize in supporting adults who feel like they’re holding everything together on the outside while quietly falling apart on the inside.
Curious if this could be right for you? Take a look at my services and book a free intro call to see what kind of support might fit best.
What Makes an EMDR Intensive Different?
In my practice, I don’t just rely on talking things through. I use integrative, trauma-informed approaches like EMDR, IFS, DBR, and somatic work to support healing at the level of the nervous system where trauma often lives.
An EMDR intensive allows us to go deeper than we could in shorter, more spaced-out sessions. Instead of meeting an hour once a week, we set aside a larger block of time. Every therapist offers something different, but in my practice, intensives are 15 hours total, spread out over two weeks. This format gives your system the time it needs to settle, go inward, and begin to shift.
When we’re not limited to an hour at a time, we can follow the natural rhythm of your process. Because I weave in somatic awareness, parts work (IFS), and DBR, we’re not just working with memories, we’re tuning into how your body is holding them. That might look like tracking sensations, pausing to breathe, or gently releasing what’s been stuck for years (or longer).
Who Are EMDR Intensives For?
An EMDR intensive could be right for you if:
You’ve tried weekly therapy for months (or years), but still feel stuck.
You sense trauma, anxiety, or emotional fatigue simmering beneath the surface.
You feel disconnected from your body or your emotions.
You wish you had a breakthrough — not just insight, but real healing.
You’re ready to commit time and energy to your healing (in a safe, supported way).
Many of the women I work with thought they were doing “fine.” They handled their workload, relationships, and responsibilities. But silently they carried a heavy sense that something just was not right. An EMDR intensive can help you bring that inner turmoil into light. It can offer clarity where there was fog.
What Happens During an EMDR Intensive?
Before We Begin: Intake Preparation
I email you an intake packet to help you reflect on what's been happening and how it's showing up in your body. This also helps clarify the core concern we'll target during the intensive—whether that's a phobia of flying, a car accident, sexual assault, fears around money, a breakup, or something else.
Intake Session
We discuss your intake reflections, explore the memories or experiences connected to your symptoms, and identify your goals for our work together. We also assess readiness and build foundational resources—your safe place, inner supports, and the tools that help you stay grounded during processing.
Core Sessions (Three 4-hour sessions)
We begin by resourcing your nervous system—building the internal stability you need for the deep work ahead.
Then, in each session, I start with a grounding check. I invite you to notice your breath, your posture, your inner sensations (yes, even the subtle ones). We gently connect to a memory, image, or feeling that feels heavy or unresolved.
Using bilateral stimulation—eye movements, gentle taps, or soft vibration—I guide you through reprocessing. As we work, you might notice memories, images, or sensations arise. Maybe nothing at first. That's okay.
Often your body will speak. Maybe your stomach tightens. Maybe tears rise. Maybe your chest feels heavy. I support you as you track what shows up. We pause. We breathe. We soothe. Then we return.
Over time, the memory reprocesses. Your nervous system reorients. The distress fades. The body exhales. You may feel more grounded. More present.
Between rounds of processing, we take breaks. I might invite you to move, stretch, rest. Because healing isn't just mental. It is visceral. It is felt.
Closing Session
We assess how the work is integrating and identify tools you can continue to practice—ways to support and sustain the deep shifts you've made.
If you are doing an EMDR intensive online, I will walk you through how to set up your space ahead of time: quiet room, comfortable seat, water, snacks. I make sure you feel held, even through a screen. (Yes, virtual settings can still offer deep healing when done well).
Why This Can Feel Like a Reset for Your Nervous System
When you live under strain, your nervous system never fully exhales. You adapt. You cope. You call it "normal." But beneath the surface, something is always humming—ready, braced, on guard.
An EMDR intensive offers something rare: the ability to finally discharge years of stuck emotion the body has been holding onto.
We don't just talk about grief, fear, or overwhelm—we slow down enough to feel where it lives in your body. The tightness in your jaw. The heaviness in your chest. The frozen stillness in your gut. These are stored survival responses—fight, flight, freeze—that never had the chance to be fully processed by the nervous system.
When your body feels truly seen and supported, something extraordinary happens: it begins to restore to a healed, balanced place. There's a levity you feel, as though you removed 50 pounds of dead weight.
This kind of reset ripples outward:
Sleep deepens—not just more hours, but real rest
Your body finds calm without forcing it
You find yourself not being triggered by the issues we reprocessed—you have more capacity to respond instead of react
You feel inhabitable again in your own skin
Your nervous system realigns with safety, not survival.
This is why people use words like "life-changing" or "a deep reset." Not because everything becomes perfect, but because something fundamental shifts. The weight you've been carrying—often for years—starts to lift.
As a therapist, I witness this turning point again and again. The moment when healing stops being theoretical and becomes visceral. When the body finally trusts that it's safe enough to release what it's been holding.
That's the transformation an EMDR intensive can offer.
If you are curious about how unresolved stress and memories might show up, (and what you can do about it) you might appreciate my post Is Trauma Stored in the Body? Understanding Somatic Symptoms and Emotional Fatigue. Check it out here.
Is an EMDR Intensive Right for You?
Deciding to do an EMDR intensive is a choice. It asks that you slow down and turn inward. It asks that you trust your body and your nervous system. It asks that you commit time, finances, and energy to yourself.
If you're curious but not sure, we can start with a consultation. My EMDR intensives are offered in a fully virtual format. I'm licensed to see clients in New York and Massachusetts. I'm trained in Attachment-Focused EMDR, as well as IFS (Internal Family Systems), DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), and somatic work.
If you are weighing different therapy options, to help you decide what feels right, I invite you to read my post about DBR vs EMDR. You can find that here.
Final Thoughts: What Is an EMDR Intensive?
An EMDR intensive isn’t for everyone, but for many of the adults I work with, it becomes a turning point. When you’ve been carrying stress, trauma, or emotional heaviness for years, it helps to have space to slow down and go deeper. This work isn’t about forcing, it’s about creating the space your system needs to begin healing.
If weekly therapy hasn’t felt like enough, or if you’re longing for a deeper reset, you don’t have to keep doing it alone. I’d be honored to support you in this process.
Reach out to schedule a free intro call or learn more about my EMDR intensives and other ways we can work together here.
Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or mental health care. The content reflects general knowledge and opinion, not personalized treatment. Reading this blog does not create a therapeutic relationship. Please consult a licensed professional for support.
