The Power of an EMDR Intensive

At Mangrove Therapy Group, we offer both traditional weekly EMDR therapy as well as intensive sessions—longer blocks of time that can span a full day or even a multi-day appointment. While both formats are effective, research shows that intensive therapy can accelerate progress without compromising outcomes.

What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach that enables people to heal and recover from disturbing life experiences. It has been practiced around the world for the past 30 years or so and is a recommended treatment for trauma and PTSD by the American Psychiatric Association, Veterans Administration, Department of Defense, World Health Organization, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, among others.

EMDR is based on the idea that a person’s psychological issues stem from insufficiently processed, maladaptively stored disturbing memories from the past. When a person experiences traumatic conditions, overwhelming events, or anything adverse that is beyond the capacity of their brain to process at the time, some of the residual material (such as emotions, body sensations, beliefs, etc.) gets stuck, causing them to encounter problems down the road. Essentially, issues arise from a person’s unresolved stuff from the past.

An EMDR therapist works with the client to determine what unresolved experiences are at the root of a person’s issues, whether it be anxiety, depression, sensitive trigger points, or feelings of inadequacy. Once these experiences are identified, a treatment plan is mapped out to reprocess them with EMDR therapy. The therapist leads a client in a series of eye movements or other types of bilateral stimulation (such as tapping or bilateral sounds) while the client focuses on various aspects of the disturbing memories, allowing them to process these memories to neutrality and adaptive resolution (thus leading to the person’s issues improving). 

Click here for our page on what EMDR therapy is all about.

Click here for a blog we wrote about what EMDR therapy sessions are really like from actual clients.

What is an Intensive EMDR Session

At Mangrove Therapy Group, we are highly flexible and can customize the psychotherapy approach that works for each person’s unique situation. While most clients choose to participate in the traditional model of weekly, 50-minute sessions, some clients may benefit from a more intensive approach. Some examples of Intensive sessions include doing longer sessions ranging from a double session to a half- or full-day, or even a multi-day retreat where clients can book a week or portion of a week to do a comprehensive “clearing away” of a person’s traumatic material.

Benefits of an EMDR Intensive

• With a longer session, completely reprocess a memory or multiple memories without having to stop in the middle due to running out of time (thus preventing clients from leaving the office overly activated)
• Maximize efficiency by leaving a significant amount of time for reprocessing. In the traditional model of weekly therapy, several minutes at the beginning and end of each session are taken up by the typical process of saying hello, goodbye, and catching up on the week’s events. With Intensives, once you get situated, you can really hone in on a target memory while spending a large chunk of the time in reprocessing and staying “in the zone”!
• Intensives are a way to dial into the therapy work and avoid being distracted by the other demands of life. In the traditional model, you may attend your therapy session before work, in between meetings, or on the way home. This can sometimes distract from being present and really focusing on the work at hand.
• Busy people with demanding schedules find Intensives beneficial because they can schedule out a few days off from work while dedicating that time to clearing away the underlying experiences at the root of their issues.

What Does the Research Say?

An important study by Dr. E.C. Hurley in 2018 compared two groups of veterans with PTSD:

• Intensive EMDR Model: Twice daily over 10 consecutive days
• Traditional EMDR Approach: Weekly sessions (18–20 total) over 5–6 months

Both formats delivered 18–20 sessions in total. They found:

• Both groups experienced significant improvement (p < 0.001), with results that persisted at 1‑year follow‑up
• At post‑test, average symptom reduction was nearly identical:
  • Intensive group: from IES‑R 53.2 → 17.4
  • Weekly group: from 51.8 → 16.1
• No one in the intensive group dropped out; the weekly group had a modest 8 % dropout, mainly due to relocation.
• Crucially, the intensive group reached symptom relief faster—within two weeks instead of months 

So, what did this study show? Well, each group received the same amount of EMDR therapy time and achieved the same results in symptom improvement. But the group that did consecutive sessions in the Intensive format was able to achieve these results in just two weeks, as opposed to 5 or 6 months. We can easily assume that people in the Intensive group were able to feel better and less traumatized more quickly, which is amazing! It’s a wonder why anyone would want to wait to resolve their issues if they can address them in a rapid format.

Weekly EMDR Still Works Best for Many People

While Intensive EMDR sessions are desirable for some people, many others continue to prefer weekly sessions.

• Prefer a paced, reflective healing rhythm
• Need time between sessions to apply insights
• Mixing in EMDR therapy reprocessing with verbal processing of life events as they occur (aka traditional talk therapy)
• More manageable financial expenditure each week rather than a larger sum paid at once

Final Thoughts

The study by EC Hurley shows that intensive EMDR achieves the same depth of healing as weekly EMDR, but in a fraction of the time, with fewer missed sessions and often a more consistent therapeutic experience. At Mangrove Therapy Group, we’re thrilled to offer both options. Your recovery path is unique—whether you choose the journey or the express route, the destination is a stronger, more resilient you.

Start Working With an EMDR Therapist in Palm Beach County, FL

You don’t have to wait months to feel relief from trauma. An EMDR therapist in Palm Beach County, FL, can offer both weekly sessions and EMDR intensives tailored to your needs. Learn more about the support that Mangrove Therapy Group can offer and start your therapy journey by following these simple steps:

1. Contact Mangrove Therapy Group 

2. Meet with a caring therapist 

3. Start experiencing lasting trauma relief!

Other Services Offered with Mangrove Therapy Group 

EMDR intensives and EMDR therapy are just one piece of the healing puzzle, and our therapists are trained to support you through so much more. Our Delray Beach, FL office, also offers care for:

• Trauma, PTSD, and Complex PTSD
• Substance use and process addictions
• Eating disorders and body image concerns
• Grief, loss, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem challenges
• Anger, shame, emotional dysregulation
• “Failure to Launch” issues and life transitions
• CBT and DBT-based support

If you’re ready, we’re here. Let’s help you build a life where your nervous system doesn’t have to brace for impact—and where love starts to feel like a soft place to land. You can learn more from our blog or FAQs page.