EMDR Intensive

Accelerated, focused support for people who want deeper progress without waiting for it session by session. Available virtually across New York State and in person in Clinton, NY.

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When Weekly Sessions Are Not Enough, or Not Fast Enough

Sometimes you are ready to do the work, but the pace of a weekly, 50-minute session keeps interrupting the process just as it starts to go somewhere. An EMDR intensive gives you extended, uninterrupted time to process a specific memory, experience, or pattern, without having to stop and pick the thread back up a week later.

You might be a good fit for an EMDR intensive if you:

Have a specific memory, event, or theme you want to focus on and move through

Want meaningful progress in a shorter window of time, rather than spread out over months

Feel like weekly sessions keep getting interrupted right when things start to open up

Have already done some therapy and are ready to go further

You do not need to have completed years of therapy first. If you are ready to focus and do the work, that is what matters most.

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How Is an Intensive Different From Weekly EMDR Sessions?

A weekly EMDR session typically runs about 50 minutes, which is often just enough time to open up a memory before the session needs to end. An intensive removes that constraint. Instead of meeting for an hour once a week, you and Valerie set aside a longer, dedicated block of time, so the processing can move all the way through without being cut short.

This does not mean an intensive replaces weekly therapy for everyone. For some people it is a standalone experience. For others, it is a way to make faster progress on one specific issue alongside ongoing weekly work.

What Should I Expect During an EMDR Intensive?

An intensive starts the same way standard EMDR does, by identifying the memory, belief, or experience you want to focus on. From there, you move through the reprocessing work in extended blocks of time rather than short weekly increments, with breaks built in so you can rest and regulate along the way.

Valerie paces the work based on how you are responding in real time. The goal is steady, sustainable progress, not pushing through discomfort as fast as possible.

What Should I Expect After an EMDR Intensive?

Because an intensive covers more ground in a shorter window, it is common to feel tired, reflective, or emotionally raw afterward, more so than after a typical weekly session. Many people describe it as similar to how you might feel after a big physical effort. Some notice shifts immediately, while others notice the impact unfolding over the following days or weeks.

Valerie will help you build a plan for aftercare and support so you have somewhere to land once the intensive is over.

Do I Need Prior Therapy Experience Before Doing an Intensive?

Not necessarily. Some people come to an intensive with years of prior therapy behind them, and others come with little to no therapy history. What matters more is your readiness to engage with focused, concentrated work and your ability to tolerate some emotional intensity along the way.

Valerie will talk through your history and current stability with you before recommending an intensive, to make sure it is the right fit before you begin.

Is an EMDR Intensive More Effective Than Weekly Sessions?

An intensive is not a shortcut so much as a different structure, one that can move certain kinds of processing forward faster because it removes the weekly stop-and-start pattern. For a specific, well-defined memory or issue, that structure can lead to faster relief. For more diffuse or ongoing concerns, weekly sessions may be a better long-term fit, or the two can be used together.

How Do I Prepare for an EMDR Intensive?

Preparing for an intensive usually includes:

An initial consultation to talk through what you want to focus on and whether an intensive is the right format for you
Clarifying your goals for the intensive, so the time together stays focused
Planning your schedule around the intensive, including time to rest and decompress afterward
Having a support plan in place for the hours and days following the intensive

Valerie will walk you through all of this ahead of time, so there are no surprises going in.

Focused Work, With the Same Commitment to You

An EMDR intensive is not about rushing through difficult material. It is a structured, extended format that works with how your brain naturally heals, giving you the uninterrupted time that a single weekly session often cannot. Valerie will walk you through every step so you always know what to expect and feel in control of the pace, even within a longer session.

Intensives are available virtually across New York State and in person in Clinton, NY, so you can choose the format that works best for you.

You can choose the format that works best for you, whether that is virtual sessions from home, in-person therapy in Clinton, or walk and talk sessions outdoors. Appointment times are offered during the day, creating a consistent and structured space for you to step away, reset, and focus on yourself.
Services are private pay only, with superbills available for potential out-of-network reimbursement.