EMDR & IFS Intensive Therapy
ONLINE throughout MAINE, massachusetts, New jersey, & florida.
Why I Offer EMDR & IFS Intensives:
When Francine Shapiro first developed Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), it was designed to be delivered in longer sessions of 90 minutes or more. Unfortunately, insurance companies often limit therapy to 60-minute sessions. Early in my practice, I noticed a few challenges with this model:
Clients often arrived with numerous daily stressors, leaving us with only about 30 minutes to address traumatic memories.
By the time we began to delve into the core work, there were just a few minutes left to ground and conclude the session.
Returning to work or other responsibilities immediately after our sessions sometimes made it difficult for clients to feel fully safe and present during our time together.
Since transitioning to longer, 2-hour or more intensive sessions, the feedback from clients has been overwhelmingly positive. Clients have found that having extended, uninterrupted time allows their bodies and systems to feel safer and more engaged in the therapeutic process. With the focus solely on their healing journey, they experience greater momentum, depth, and capacity for change. Many leave sessions feeling lighter and more energized.
As a therapist, witnessing the transformative progress possible in these intensive sessions is incredibly rewarding. What might take 2-4 months to process in weekly sessions can often be achieved in a single half-day intensive. By working with fewer clients each day, I can deeply attune to each individual’s needs, providing a higher quality of care and a more personalized therapeutic experience.
Intensive work might be a good fit for you if you…
Have been engaged in ongoing talk therapy but feel stuck with internalized beliefs or the lingering effects of past experiences.
Find it challenging to fit weekly therapy into your busy schedule and are looking for a more flexible approach.
Desire a retreat-style, immersive therapeutic experience where you can focus deeply on your healing journey.
Want to address a specific traumatic or difficult event, whether it’s from the past or recent, with dedicated attention.
Are eager to make significant progress in a focused and accelerated format, bringing your motivation and commitment to the process.
Struggle with persistent negative beliefs about yourself that get in the way of fully enjoying life and achieving your goals.
Know logically that certain things are true (like "I’m safe now," "I can make mistakes," or "I’m doing my best"), but your body and emotions haven't fully embraced this truth.
Are preparing for an upcoming life transition or significant event, such as marriage, surgery, becoming a parent, or starting a new job, and want to feel emotionally, somatically, and mentally prepared.
If we determine that Intensive Trauma Therapy is a good fit for you, we will customize our work based on your needs.
Before we "jump" into any reprocessing of difficult memories, we will work together to ensure you have the resources/tools that help you feel prepared.
I provide an integrative & evidence-based approach that combines EMDR with Internal Family Systems (IFS), Brainspotting and Polyvagal work, ensuring a relational and somatically informed experience for my clients.
EMDR & IFS have helped my clients to process:
pre-verbal & childhood trauma/ neglect
sexual trauma
intimate partner abuse
complex relational dynamics
religious/spiritual trauma (i.e. purity culture, clergy abuse, power dynamics)
medical trauma, chronic illness & chronic pain
accidents (automobile, workplace)
grief & loss
transgenerational trauma
identity-based trauma (LGBTQIA, race, culture, ability)
phobias
community violence
workplace/vicarious trauma (healthcare workers, mental health providers, clergy/spiritual leaders, first responders)
eating disorders & body dysmorphia
OCD-related triggers
persistent negative beliefs about themselves
Intensive Therapy is an investment in your healing.
While the initial cost of intensive therapy may be higher than weekly therapy, it offers a more efficient, contained, and effective approach.
One half-day intensive session can provide the benefits equivalent to 3-4 months of weekly hour-long sessions, saving you time, money, and energy.
Formats I Offer for Intensive Work Include:
Retreat-Style Intensives
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Meet for 1-3 days of Intensive EMDR and/or IFS Therapy over 1 week (scheduling can be customized to meet your specific needs)
Includes: 60- minute pre-interview, 60-minute post-interview & personalized workbook
A good fit for individuals who might be traveling from farther away and/or are looking for accelerated, focused relief
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Retreat-Style Intensive packages start at $1800 (8-hour program) and are customized based on individual needs.
A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to book a retreat-style intensive.
Monthly Intensives
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-Half-day (3 hour) sessions once a month
-Includes personalized workbook
-A good fit for individuals who have a busy schedule/ demands and/or are seeing a talk therapist for day-to-day stressors & support.
-Clients who engage in monthly work enjoy having time to notice & integrate the changes from the prior session.
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$675/month
Quarterly Intensives
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-Half-day (3 hour) sessions once every 3 months
-Includes personalized workbook
-A good fit for individuals who have already done a retreat-style or several months of monthly intensives/ and/or are seeing a regular talk therapist for day-to-day stressors & support
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$675/quarter
Frequently asked questions about Intensive work
FAQs
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I am currently accepting new clients for intensive work in the Winter & Spring of 2025. If you are interested in intensive work, I’d love to set-up a phone call to discuss your goals & together determine whether Intensive work might be a good fit for you.
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Every individual’s experience with trauma is unique. For single-incident trauma, such as a car accident, processing can often be effectively addressed in a 1-2 day intensive. For longer-term, attachment, and/or relational trauma, a more extended approach may be needed.
After an initial intake, we will create a customized intensive schedule tailored to your specific needs. Typically, I recommend starting with a foundational 3 day intensive and then discussing the best path forward based on your progress and needs.
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Yes! I love offering adjunct EMDR & IFS work to individuals who have a long-term relationship with another therapist. In these cases, I like to partner and collaborate with your primary therapist (after you sign a release) as we create your treatment goals.
EMDR & IFS in the intensive format is an especially great option for Adjunct work so that you don’t have to commit to more weekly appointments.
Adjunct EMDR & IFS does not replace or interrupt the flow of long-term talk therapy, rather it supplements and enriches the progress you’re already making with specific & focused work.
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Intensives involve a greater time commitment, which can make them feel intense. However, from my experience as a clinician, they often prove to be gentler on the nervous system compared to the traditional hour-long weekly therapy model. This is because we have ample time to settle into the session, engage in meaningful work, make significant progress, and ground ourselves at the end.
While trauma work can be emotionally challenging, I emphasize to all my clients that any discomfort experienced is temporary and is part of the journey toward long-term relief.
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-Intensive application of trauma-focused therapy seems to be well tolerated in patients with PTSD, enabling faster symptom reduction with similar, or even better, results, while reducing the risk that patients drop out prematurely. Learn more here and here.
-Intensive EMDR treatment is feasible and is indicative of reliable improvement in PTSD symptoms in a very short time frame. Learn more here.
-The economy is compelling: even compared to other trauma therapy, the intensive format may decrease treatment time, because of time not spent on a) checking in at the beginning of each session, b) addressing current crises and concerns, c) focusing on stabilizing and coping skills that the client won’t need after trauma healing, or d) assisting the client in regaining composure at the end of the session. Learn more here.
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In Summer 2024, my business and family relocated from New Jersey to Bangor, Maine. I’m anticipating opening an office in Bangor for in-person intensives by Summer of 2025. If you’re interested in in-person intensive work, please feel free to reach out.
For those seeking remote sessions, I offer EMDR through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform called Bilateral Base. Remote intensives are available for individuals located in MA, ME, NJ, or FL at the time of service, due to licensing regulations.
I also have a dream of hosting EMDR sessions on a lavender farm someday…
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Your session time is reserved for you. If you do not show up for your scheduled therapy appointment, and you have not notified me within the appropriate timeframe for the service , or if you cancel your appointment without giving me adequate notice, you will be required to pay a rate of $150/hour booked.
I require 48-hour notice to cancel or reschedule 60-120 minute intake/ follow-up appointments
I require 1-week notice to cancel or reschedule 3-hour intensive sessions.
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If you have out-of-network benefits, insurance may be able to cover a portion of your intensive services and/or the costs may be able to go towards meeting your deductible. However, because most insurance companies use the traditional “therapy hour” model, full coverage for intensive work can be limited.
If you have been the victim of a violent crime and qualify for Victim’s Compensation, it’s often possible to have the cost of Intensive EMDR covered through this program.
Additionally, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) can be used to pay for intensives.