Trauma Intensive Therapy

Trauma Intensive Therapy is a focused, accelerated form of treatment based on the EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) approach. Designed to support deep healing within a condensed timeframe, this “marathon-style” therapy involves extended back-to-back sessions—typically lasting around four hours each—over the course of several consecutive days. This immersive format allows clients to engage more deeply in the reprocessing of traumatic memories without the interruption of weekly sessions, helping to sustain therapeutic momentum and promote more rapid emotional integration and relief.

Benefits

• Accelerated Healing: Intensive sessions allow for deeper and more continuous therapeutic work, often leading to faster symptom relief and emotional processing compared to traditional weekly therapy.

• Sustained Focus: The immersive format minimizes disruptions and enables clients to remain engaged in the therapeutic process without the delays and resets that can occur between spaced-out sessions.

• Deeper Processing: Extended time in session allows clients to access and work through trauma at a meaningful level, promoting greater insight and emotional resolution.

• Momentum and Continuity: With sessions scheduled over consecutive days, clients are able to maintain therapeutic momentum and avoid the fragmentation that may result from weekly intervals.

• Individualized Treatment: Each intensive is tailored to the client's unique goals, needs, and pace, allowing for a more responsive and customized approach to care.

• Efficient Use of Time: This format may be especially beneficial for clients seeking rapid progress, those with limited availability for long-term therapy, or individuals preparing for life transitions or specific challenges.

• Enhanced Therapeutic Alliance: The extended contact fosters a stronger working relationship between client and therapist, which can increase feelings of safety, trust, and collaboration.

• Effective for Treatment-Resistant Concerns: Trauma intensives are well-suited for clients who have reached a plateau in traditional therapy or are seeking to address unresolved trauma with more focused attention.

8-Phase process

1. Getting to Know Your Story
   First, your therapist will learn about your trauma history and how it’s affecting you. Together, you’ll create a plan that focuses on the most important memories to work on.

2. Building Safety and Coping Skills
   Before diving into trauma processing, you’ll learn techniques to manage difficult emotions and stay grounded. This helps you feel safe and in control throughout the therapy.

3. Choosing a Memory to Work On
   You’ll pick one specific memory to focus on at a time. Your therapist will ask about the thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations connected to that memory to understand it fully.

4. Processing the Memory
   Using gentle eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation, you’ll begin to process the memory. This helps reduce the distress and emotional charge it holds.

5. Strengthening Positive Beliefs
   As the memory becomes less upsetting, you’ll work on replacing negative beliefs with positive, healthier thoughts about yourself.

6. Checking In with Your Body
   You’ll notice how your body feels and let your therapist know if there’s any tension or discomfort left to work through.

7. Ending the Session Calmly
   Each session wraps up with grounding exercises to help you feel stable and calm before leaving.

8. Reviewing Progress and Planning Next Steps
   When you return for the next session, you’ll talk about how you’re feeling, review the progress made, and decide on the next memory to process.