“I know I should address this, but I don’t have time.” 

Many of us can relate to this statement and the feeling of despair that comes with wanting to take care of yourself, but not knowing how to pull it off in the face of so many other commitments.

We want to feel better and do better, but are incredibly busy taking care of responsibilities at work, home, or both. I imagine there are never-ending demands on your time, attention, and wellbeing too. It’s hard to even stop long enough to consider how and when to get to therapy. An EMDR Intensive may be just the thing you need right now.

As a former practicing attorney turned psychotherapist, I specialize in helping lawyers, executives, physicians, business owners, and other high-achieving professionals address anxiety, burnout, and trauma through focused EMDR Intensive Therapy. 

Key Benefits of EMDR Intensives

EMDR Intensive Therapy offers an effective anxiety and trauma treatment for high performers who need symptom relief quickly. If you are a busy person who feels they never have enough time to get it all done, you may appreciate the ability to address the root of your anxiety, burnout, or distress in a time-efficient manner. 

EMDR Intensives offer:

• Faster symptom relief
• Reduced time overall in therapy
• Deeper and more focused processing
• Less talking (a benefit for those who are not comfortable discussing the nature of their past experiences in detail)

Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Intensives

1. What is EMDR Therapy?

I love writing and speaking about EMDR because in my downtown Chicago practice in the Loop, I’ve seen the transformations clients can experience in a number of hours that may have taken months or even years to accomplish in weekly, traditional talk therapy. 

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a profound, research-backed therapy that helps people find relief from symptoms caused by deeply rooted past experiences that continue to influence their emotions, relationship with themselves and others, and cause other negative impacts in their daily lives. EMDR can address everything from a single traumatic incident to the distress stemming from ongoing day-to-day stressors. It is a type of therapy that is highly effective in treating anxiety, trauma, phobias, and issues related to low self-worth or self-esteem challenges.

When an experience does not get properly processed at the time, negative feelings and somatic symptoms in the body can remain long after the experience has ended. EMDR can help to unblock these negative and painful thoughts and feelings by allowing the brain to reprocess a past experience in a more useful way. EMDR has been extensively researched and has been recognized as an effective therapy method by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Department of Defense, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

At Strategic Wellness Therapy in Chicago, I specialize in clients who work in high-pressure environments at work and home, so that they can increase their stress management abilities, improve emotional regulation skills, find work-life balance, and address trauma and anxiety in a way that fits into their fast-paced and busy lifestyle. 

2. What is an EMDR “Intensive”?

EMDR Therapy Intensives are concentrated, multi-hour therapy sessions. Strategic Wellness Therapy currently offers 3-hour EMDR Intensive sessions. These sessions allow for deeper and more efficient processing of memories contributing to your current symptoms of anxiety, burnout, or trauma.

3. What Can EMDR Intensives Help With?

• Anxiety
• Childhood Trauma
• Complex PTSD
• PTSD due to a single traumatic incident such as a car accident, medical trauma, sexual assault, etc.
• Burnout
• Perfectionism
• Low self-worth
• Work stress
• Relationship challenges

4. How Long Does an EMDR Intensive Take?

Strategic Wellness Therapy offers 3-hour Intensive EMDR sessions. Depending on the nature of someone’s past experiences and the memory or memories they are reprocessing, clients can leave an intensive feeling relieved of the weight of previous painful emotions, or experiencing enough of a positive change in their perspective and symptoms that they can begin to make desired changes in their lives. Non-intensive EMDR sessions at Strategic Wellness Therapy are 90 minutes, so an EMDR Intensive provides double the amount of time, without interruption (other than breaks as needed). We offer EMDR Intensives on Saturdays in addition to weekdays, in order to accommodate those who cannot find time to address their goals and their own wellbeing during the typical work week. You can read more here: FAQs.

5. How Many EMDR Intensives Will I Need? 

It depends and this is something we can chat about in a free consultation. (Schedule here.) I’ve had clients do one 3-hour EMDR Intensive session to reprocess a past painful or distressing memory and feel content to complete their EMDR journey. Other clients benefit from monthly EMDR intensives for a time while they continue to work through various past experiences and they feel invested in further healing. 

6. Can I do an EMDR Intensive if I’m Already In Therapy? 

Absolutely. Adding an EMDR Intensive as an adjunct therapy is common and very useful. This means continuing treatment with your current therapist, while adding an EMDR intensive. Some clients have very strong therapeutic relationships with their current therapist, are benefitting from sessions, and are committed to continuing that work. At the same time, they are seeking relief regarding a particular symptom or experience that could benefit from EMDR. With your permission, I’m always happy to collaborate with your regular therapist during our EMDR treatment if that would be helpful.

7. Who Should Consider an EMDR Intensive at Strategic Wellness Therapy?

• You’re seeking in-person therapy in downtown Chicago. Strategic Wellness Therapy is located in the Loop. While we also offer sessions via telehealth, we know there is a demand for in-person therapy which has become more difficult to find. I recommend in-person treatment for EMDR Intensives as I have seen clients experience incredible results in-person. 

• You’ve been in therapy and making incremental progress but are frustrated with the “start-stop” nature of 45 to 60 minute sessions. Does it feel like right when you get to the “meat” of your concerns or issues, the session is over and you have to wait a week to get back into processing? 

• You’ve tried talk therapy but you didn’t feel it helped you reach your goals or get to the root of your issue(s). Perhaps you feel “stuck” in your current therapy and you’re seeking a different approach to your anxiety or trauma.

• Your life demands a lot from you and you don’t feel you can commit to weekly sessions, but you know there’s a specific issue or past experience you want to work on in therapy. You believe doing this work will improve your performance at work and home and you’re ready to commit to therapy, but in a way that works with your schedule.

• You’re a full-time parent, endlessly taking care of the needs of your child(ren), your spouse, and your home. You have just as many demands (or more) on your time than someone who works outside the home. You have a specific experience from your past that you know needs attention and you feel ready to address it in a time efficient way so you can continue to take care of others. Perhaps you’re ready to invest in yourself for a change.

8. Is an EMDR Intensive Worth It?

You may be curious whether an EMDR Intensive is worth your time and financial investment. You might wonder if an EMDR intensive is “better” than weekly traditional talk therapy sessions. An Intensive absolutely might be better for you. I’m passionate about offering EMDR Intensive because they combine the powerful tool of EMDR with the benefit of 3 full hours together to process without interruption. This momentum and focus on what’s most important to you, allows us to go deeper into the memories and experiences contributing to your current symptoms. It’s truly an honor and joy to witness EMDR improve the wellbeing of people who want to be more present, calm, and effective in their lives. An EMDR Intensive may be a particularly good fit for you if you need flexibility in scheduling and are seeking treatment on a Saturday.

What do I do if I’m Interested in Scheduling an EMDR Intensive?

Schedule a free consultation today if you are curious whether EMDR Intensive Therapy is the right fit for you.

This initial consultation is specifically designed for me to assess whether an EMDR Intensive makes sense for you. Sometimes it makes sense to go ahead and schedule our 3-hour EMDR Intensive Session. Other times, I recommend some preparation sessions of 90 minutes before scheduling an Intensive to ensure you have the necessary resources and stability to fully benefit from the Intensive.

Reach out to work with me if: 

• You know there’s something that needs attention to improve your overall wellbeing, or your relationship with yourself or others. 

• You want to engage in an efficient treatment with a therapist who specializes in helping people who have a lot of demands on their time and attention. 

• You value expertise, professionalism, and ethical psychotherapy.

• You’re in Chicago seeking in-person therapy or in the state of IL seeking teletherapy.

EMDR Intensives at Strategic Wellness Therapy may be the right path to healing and functioning at your best.