Customized EMDR Intensives in Scottsdale
What is an EMDR Intensive?
An intensive is a way to deliver treatment in an intensive and condensed amount of time, such as a weekend, where multiple EMDR sessions per day are completed. New research shows that intensive therapy for trauma and stress can be extremely effective on symptom reduction. Melissa Thornburg, L.A.C., utilizes the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), the Polyvagal Theory in Therapy (PVT), Structural Dissociation Theory (SDT), Neurobiological Attachment Theory and Somatic Experiencing to tailor your healing experience and will frequently weave these modalities into the EMDR treatment to further reduce and resolve symptoms. (During processing, these are referred to as “interweaves”).
Just as EMDR is a very different approach to psychotherapy, the Intensive is a very different approach to providing EMDR treatment. Because of the “rewiring” and truly healing effect of EMDR, an Intensive can work in ways that are not possible utilizing standard talk-therapy techniques. With EMDR processing, we can desensitize negative feelings and change the negative belief about self that has been encoded onto the memory in order to “rewire” the brain and truly heal the individual. This means much more material can be processed and healed much more quickly in an Intensive session than is possible in traditional weekly therapy.
Assessment for Readiness
While many clients are good candidates for an intensive, some may do better with an ongoing therapeutic relationship. Clients with long-term childhood abuse or neglect, who have had years of traumatic events, are typically not advised to do an Intensive. Some exceptions can be made for those currently under the care of a trusted provider that they can return to. Clients with this type of history can make progress on particular parts of events, but often are not finished with treatment and need to continue with their regular therapist following the intensive.
Ideal candidates are those who have had a single stressful or traumatic event, such as an assault, fire or car accident.
Intensive Structure
Preparation Phase
- Your therapist will schedule a thorough assessment prior to scheduling your intensive. Typically, this is completed in one - two sessions, and is done online if you are out of town or cannot easily travel to the Scottsdale or Sedona locations. If you are local, you are invited to do them in person at our Scottsdale office location.
- Your therapist may also provide you with written and on-line assessment materials (typically a questionnaire) to help pinpoint targets for EMDR and your goals, as well as gather additional information about your background and history. Your therapist will also want to view relevant previous mental health records and consult with your current therapist (if you have one).
Treatment Phase
- The treatment phase of the intensive is typically two sessions per day, for either two or three days (depending on the severity of the symptoms and history of trauma). There will be breaks scheduled during and in between sessions for meals, rest and self-care.
- Your therapist will provide you with a list of suggested activities in town that help re-regulate your nervous system after sessions, such as cranial sacral and massage therapists, yoga classes, hypnotherapies, nature hiking and bathing areas and other options. Old Town Scottsdale & Sedona are destinations with great events, restaurants, holistic services and shopping around town.
Fees
The cost of an average EMDR Intensive is typically around $2500 USD per 2.5-Day Intensive and can be completed in either Scottsdale or Sedona. There is an additional fee for EMDR Intensives in Sedona. This fee includes your assessment sessions, case management and consultation with your primary Therapist, in-person Phase 2 - 8 EMDR processing and a follow up session to review how things are going for you after your intensive experience. We will provide you with a Superbill that can submit to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement, for some of the sessions. Melissa Thornburg, L.P.C., can not guarantee any reimbursement will be provided by insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I need to cancel?
If something comes up and you are unable to attend your Intensive, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss rescheduling. Rescheduling will not affect your deposit or payment. If you need to cancel your Intensive entirely, any deposit and assessment fees already paid will be returned minus your assessment fees and a flat $500 cancellation fee.
Do I have to live in Arizona to do an Intensive?
No; since the work is condensed into several days, rather than an ongoing weekly basis, clients can travel to Arizona from anywhere in the world for several days to participate in an Intensive.
What does a typical day in an Intensive look like?
Typically, sessions will begin around 10 am, with a lunch break around 1 pm and ending around 5 pm, though that schedule is entirely flexible to accommodate your specific work. Depending on the nature of the processing, breaks will be taken as needed. The amount of time we'll be working each day will fluctuate depending entirely on the work we are doing. The nice part about Intensives is the flexibility afforded to tailor fit the work to what your system needs at the time. A one-hour lunch break (sometimes longer if needed) will be taken each day of your intensive.
How much time do I need to schedule?
The time needed for your intensive is dependent on many factors. During your intake consultation, we will discuss what you would like to work on and the goals you would like to achieve through the Intensive. At that time, we will make a determination regarding how much time will be needed. You may be asked to submit a brief written history to ahead of time in order to most effectively utilize our consultation time on the phone.
Typically, we recommend that you schedule your travel into town on a Thursday and out - of town on Monday morning, in order to give yourself time to digest and decompress before, between and after sessions.
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER AN INTENSIVE
When clients make fast but highly effective changes in how they feel, that can often impact (both positively as well as negatively) the family system in which they live. Sometimes other parts of the system don’t handle the healing very well. These issues and concerns will be addressed both on intake as well as at the wrap up of the Intensive. While Intensive work can be truly healing, it can also be disrupting to a current family system.
Many clients can complete an Intensive and then return to their lives ready to simply move forward. Most clients will benefit from having a working relationship with a therapist who can help them deal with things if they are only working on certain aspects of their treatment in the Intensive (pre-verbal trauma work for example). Some clients will need to schedule several intensives to fully process and heal their stories and in these cases a weekly therapist to help manage things between Intensives may be recommended or required. This will be thoroughly assessed and discussed in the consultation and intake assessment telephone call.