Exclusive Service

Is something holding you back in life? An EMDR intensive could be just what you need. Our intensives enable clients to heal from difficult memories, overcome their problematic beliefs, emotions, and behaviors, and live their best life. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is the best of the research-supported trauma treatments because it is so effective, efficient, and well-tolerated. Intensive trauma-focused therapy (including EMDR) gets fast results: a week of intensive therapy gets about as much done as a year of hour-per-week therapy. Our EMDR intensive method is also research-supported, with clients experiencing very substantial relief and improved functioning – that lasts.

 

We offer the following options:

 

Mini intensives: 2- or 3-hour therapy sessions monthly. These sessions are often experienced as gentler on your nervous system than hourly sessions. Mini intensives allow you to build trust and provide time to dive deep into your healing process. Mini intensives are not covered by insurance. In a mini intensive, you’ll get double the work done compared to 2 one-hour sessions.

 

Intensive trauma therapy: Up to 3 full consecutive days of intensive trauma therapy give you time to process trauma and get to the root issues. You will make significant progress in your recovery journey. Unfortunately, insurance does not yet cover intensive trauma therapy. Because significant healing happens in intensive trauma therapy, it is the option we recommend (in most cases).

 

Looking to heal rapidly and effectively? EMDR intensives work well. At First Step Counseling, we believe that one of the quickest and most effective ways to reduce or eliminate your symptoms is by doing an EMDR intensive.  It can be hard to do EMDR in hourly sessions because of time constraints and other pressing concerns. In an EMDR intensive, you focus on healing, working through upsetting and/or traumatic past events to come out healthier and happier on the other end. Our experienced therapist has the ability to help you get to the root of what is holding you back from living your best life.

 

Who can benefit from an EMDR intensive? Sometimes, it’s obvious that a trauma or loss is holding you back. You may be walking around with grief, pain, intrusive thoughts or images, or perhaps related stress, sadness, anxiety, or anger. But you might be struggling without being sure why. Often, past trauma or loss experiences are the cause — even if you can compartmentalize and not think about those memories. Whether the trauma/loss memories are the obvious focus of your distress or the invisible cause, an EMDR intensive enables you to heal from the hurtful memories and eliminate (or greatly diminish) the symptoms. EMDR intensives are designed for people who want or need results quickly. We have seen that this is a good fit for accomplished people with busy schedules and/or who are looking for faster healing. Many of our clients have told us they wish they had done an EMDR intensive years ago.

 

What types of past experiences can an EMDR intensive help with? EMDR intensives are proven-effective to help with any type of trauma or loss, including but not limited to: Abuse, bullying, violence, betrayal, abandonment or loss of a loved one or someone close to you, witnessing or experiencing domestic violence, childhood abuse, life-threatening illness or serious injury, sexual assault, physical assault, robbery, accident, natural disaster, and much more.

 

Doing an EMDR Intensive with First Step Counseling:  You will receive an assessment to figure out if an EMDR intensive is the right fit for you; if it is not the right fit, we will provide you with suggestions for other therapy options. Our EMDR intensives are highly structured to accomplish deep work efficiently. Most of our clients achieve profound and lasting results after 3-10 days of treatment.