Why Do an EMDR Intensive Retreat? Accelerated Healing.
When it comes to emotional wounds, trauma, and mental health issues, traditional therapy can sometimes feel like a long and winding road. Traditional therapy is done in weekly or biweekly sessions 50-60 minute sessions, while beneficial, this is most often considered “support therapy” not “change therapy”.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) intensives are change therapy. An EMDR intensive retreat offers a concentrated, immersive approach to healing, providing numerous benefits that can significantly accelerate the therapeutic process. Continue below for the things we love most about EMDR Intensive retreats!
1. Focused time = Accelerated Healing
In the traditional format of therapy, much of the session time is spent getting started, catching up, engaging in a little content, and then closing the session. For EMDR, which requires longer periods for processing (learn more about EMDR here), this can prolong healing just by virtue of the time-constraints. Healing happens in slowness. Therefore, the traditional weekly or biweekly therapy appointment, prolongs the healing process.
EMDR intensive retreats are designed to provide focused, uninterrupted therapy over a period of days, often spanning 3-5 days. This concentrated approach allows individuals to settle into their bodies, bring attention and focus to the areas they would like to address, and move through processing in an accelerated time frame. The time and environment of the sessions often lead to a more resourced client and therapist and can accelerate healing, enabling participants to process and resolve trauma or targets more swiftly than in traditional weekly therapy.
2. Step Away from Daily Distractions
One of the significant advantages of an EMDR intensive retreat is the ability to step away from daily life’s distractions and stressors. Whether you are a busy professional and/or parent, life today is full, too full. Being in a retreat setting allows the people we work with to fully immerse themselves in the healing process, free from work obligations, household chores, and other responsibilities. This focused environment helps to enhance the therapeutic experience, providing a safe and supportive space for deep emotional work.
3. Adjunctive Support
EMDR intensive retreats can be done as a complement to the work you do with your established therapist. Maybe you feel a fondness for your current therapist but you are feeling stuck or just want some time away to go deeper? With our EMDR Intensives, you get a comprehensive workbook to track all that we do together. That way you can take it with you back to your current therapist after your intensive. We also work closely and collaboratively with current therapists to ensure continuity of care.
We also offer optional activities designed to support the healing process during your intensive. These can include meditation, gentle yoga, massage, sound therapy, nature therapy and more. A customizable holistic approach ensures that participants receive comprehensive care, addressing not just the mind but also the body and spirit. Having a supportive care team fosters a sense of connection and understanding, which can be incredibly healing.
4. Breakthrough in a Short Time
For many individuals, an EMDR intensive retreat can lead to significant breakthroughs in a relatively short period. The immersive nature of the retreat, combined with the expertise of a skilled therapist, creates an environment conducive to profound emotional shifts. Participants often report experiencing major insights, emotional releases, and a sense of liberation from their trauma by the end of the retreat.
5. Personalized Treatment Plans
Our EMDR intensive retreats are hyper personalized treatment plans tailored to each participant’s unique needs and goals. Our therapists are skilled and trained in EMDR, IFS, Polyvagal theory, Imago Relationship Therapy, Relational Life therapy, and more. We work closely with individuals to understand their specific needs and goals, and then develop a customized approach to address them. This personalized attention ensures that each participant receives the most effective and appropriate care for their situation.
If you are interested in an EMDR Intensive or you are not sure about an intensive, but would like to work with one of our therapists in a weekly model, complete this form to schedule your consultation today.
