What is EMDR Intensive Therapy?

EMDR Intensive Therapy is a powerful way to accelerate your therapeutic progress that you would experience in a shorter EMDR session. Rather than going to counselling for an hour session once a week, you would set aside a specific chunk of time - 4-16+ hours over a period of days - for intensive therapeutic work. It is a concentrated way to get the benefit of EMDR without having time in between sessions. It helps people achieve rapid results with a significant reduction in problematic symptoms in a short period of time.

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What is the process?

At Kindred Counselling we value transparency and therefore have the total process laid out

Initial Consultation:

To start the process you will have a free 15-20 consultation and run through some initial screening questions to determine if your current circumstances would allow you to be an ideal candidate for an EMDR Intensive. If you are, then an Pre-Intensive 90-120 min Intake will be scheduled and a General Intake and Consent Form will be sent electronically to be completed before the intake. 

The 90-120 minute intake (Longer Intake for "Story Clearing Intensives") will be scheduled approximately 4-6 weeks before the Intensive session would take place. The Intake Session is calculated at the therapists regular hourly rate ($170 -$180/hr +GST) and is not included in the actual Intensive fee. This is because the Intensive has not yet been determined. This intake is to assess your current risk and protective factors, readiness, contraindications or any barriers that may not make you an ideal candidate for the Intensive format  beyond the initial consult screening.  If we both agree that you are ready at this time in your life to move forward with the Intensive we will continue the Intake process. If it appears you are not ready tom move forward at this time the therapist will make recommendations and give you some direction so you can become better prepared for the process at another time. If you are moving forward, we will then review the Consent Form so you are 100% informed of the process then you will sign the Intensive Agreement (which includes the Cancellation Policy) if you continue to agree to everything that was reviewed.

At this stage of the Intake we will  identify goals and targets for the EMDR Intensive, complete clinical assessments and do a thorough trauma history taking. A portion of the time will be spent preparing you emotionally for the Intensive experience with therapeutic exercises, which is a standard part of the EMDR protocol process. Concluding the Intensive Intake the therapist will then make recommendation for an Intensive hourly option that suits your situation (Between 4-6 hours for individual incidents or 8+hrs for multiple past trauma incidents). You will then have 48 hours to  make a determination if you want to schedule an Intensive session. If yes, the client and therapist will book the Intensive depending on therapist-client availability (Eg: 2-5 weeks into future). Upon booking you will make a 50% non-refundable deposit to secure your booking. Upon completion of the Pre-Intensive Intake Session the therapist will develop a customized treatment plan to act as our compass throughout the Intensive and garner the best results. Post-intake session the client will have the time to prepare for the Intensive and make the necessary logistical arrangements. The client will also have time to prepare emotionally and mentally for the process which lies ahead for them. The other 50% of the booking will be due 10 days before the Intensives session is set to begin. Please see the cancellation policy for details.

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Personalized Treatment Workbook:

You will receive the Personalized Treatment Workbook after the  Intensive Intake Session has been completed. The workbook includes psychoeducation and therapeutic exercises to prepare you for the Intensive. The workbook will also allow you keep a record of progress on your treatment goals throughout the entire process and see pre and post assessment differences.

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Intensive Session(s): (Read more about the inner working of EMDR on the other website pages and the research provided below)

During the EMDR Intensive we do  do 2 things: 1) Desensitization: Resolve or proportionately reduce the negative effects of the trauma by desensitizing chosen targets and current triggers identified in the Pre-Intensive Intake Session included in the customized treatment plan. 2) Reprocessing: Significantly increase your capacities in your day to day functioning and install an adaptive perspective regarding your trauma in the present day into your current beliefs to enable improved future functioning.

Post-Intensive:

One week after the EMDR Intensive the therapist will connect by email or 30  min Zoom check-in (for 5hr+Intensives),  to reflect on the elements that were most meaningful to you.