EMDR Therapy Intensives
Please Note: EMDR intensives are offered by Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Dylan Cimbura-Hernandez
Deep Healing for Relational Trauma at the Pace Your Nervous System Needs
If you’ve been in weekly therapy and value the insights it brings but still feel stuck – like you understand your patterns intellectually but can’t seem to shift them – you’re not alone. Here’s what might be happening:
Insight alone doesn’t rewire your nervous system. You can understand why you people-please and fawn, where it came from, and how it shows up – but that cognitive understanding doesn’t automatically change the automatic nervous system responses that kick in when someone’s disappointed in you or when conflict arises.
50-minute sessions often end right when you’re getting somewhere. You spend the first 10-15 minutes catching up on the week. Maybe 20-30 minutes actually working with the material. Then just as you’re accessing something real – time’s up. You have to close it down, walk back into your life, and try to hold it together until next week.
Deep trauma processing needs space and time. Healing relational trauma and attachment wounds isn’t a quick fix. Your nervous system needs time to access difficult material, process it, and integrate new patterns. Weekly sessions can feel fragmented – like trying to build something when you’re only allowed to work on it for 30 minutes at a time.
This isn’t your therapist’s fault – it’s how the system is set up. Insurance companies dictate 50-minute sessions. Therapists are doing their best within a broken structure. But your healing doesn’t have to be constrained by what insurance approves.
I specialize in relational trauma and attachment therapy through a feminist lens. EMDR Intensives offer a focused, accelerated path to healing people-pleasing, codependency, fawning, and self-abandonment – without the constraints of traditional 50-minute sessions.
What Are EMDR Intensives?
EMDR Intensives are extended therapy sessions – ranging from a single 6-hour day to multiple days of deep, focused work – that allow you to heal relational trauma and attachment wounds at the pace your nervous system actually needs.
Instead of fragmenting your healing across months of weekly sessions, intensives offer:
- Sustained focus on a specific issue or pattern – Whether it’s a particular relationship wound, a childhood attachment injury, or a deeply ingrained people-pleasing pattern, we can work with it comprehensively without having to stop and start each week.
- Time for your nervous system to fully process and integrate – Processing trauma isn’t just about talking – it’s about allowing your nervous system to complete responses that got interrupted or frozen. This takes time and presence, which intensives provide.
- Accelerated progress without feeling rushed – You’re not racing against a clock. We move at your actual pace – which might mean sitting with difficult emotions for 45 minutes, or spending an hour on resourcing before we even touch the trauma memory.
- Reduced overall therapy time – Many clients make more progress in one or two intensive days than they would in months of weekly sessions. This doesn’t mean healing is “quick” – it means we’re working efficiently and deeply.
Who Are EMDR Intensives For?
EMDR Intensives might be right for you if you …
- Have been in weekly therapy but feel like you’re not making the progress you hoped for
- Understand your people-pleasing and fawning patterns intellectually but still can’t shift them
- Have a specific relational trauma or attachment wound you want to focus on (childhood emotional neglect, an abusive relationship, a particular pattern with a parent)
- Are ready to do deep work but your schedule makes weekly sessions difficult
- Want to heal at the nervous system level, not just gain more insight
- Are preparing for a major life transition and want to address old patterns before they show up in new contexts
- Live far away or travel frequently and need concentrated sessions
- Feel stuck in traditional therapy and need a different approach
- Have been in weekly therapy but feel like you’re not making the progress you hoped for
- Understand your people-pleasing and fawning patterns intellectually but still can’t shift them
- Have a specific relational trauma or attachment wound you want to focus on (childhood emotional neglect, an abusive relationship, a particular pattern with a parent)
- Are ready to do deep work but your schedule makes weekly sessions difficult
- Want to heal at the nervous system level, not just gain more insight
- Are preparing for a major life transition and want to address old patterns before they show up in new contexts
- Live far away or travel frequently and need concentrated sessions
- Feel stuck in traditional therapy and need a different approach
You don’t have to choose between weekly therapy and intensives. Many clients do both – using weekly sessions with their regular therapist for ongoing support while doing intensive work with me to address specific trauma or patterns.
Intensive Formats
I offer two intensive formats, both designed for deep relational trauma and attachment work:
1-Day Intensive (6 hours)
Best for: Focused work on a specific issue or pattern
What’s included:
- 90-minute pre-intensive assessment and preparation session
- 1 full-day (6-hour) EMDR intensive session
- 90-minute post-intensive processing and integration plan session
Typical focus areas:
- Processing a specific traumatic event or relationship wound
- Working with a particular people-pleasing, fawning, or codependent pattern
- Healing a specific attachment injury
- Addressing a recent rupture or loss
Investment: $2,000
3-Day Intensive (18 hours)
Best for: Deeper attachment and relational trauma work
What’s included:
- 90-minute pre-intensive assessment and preparation session
- 3 full days (18 hours total) of EMDR intensive work, typically scheduled over one weekend if you are traveling
- 90-minute post-intensive processing and integration plan session
- Optional follow-up sessions to support continued integration
Typical focus areas:
- Complex relational trauma spanning childhood and adult relationships
- Deep attachment wounds affecting multiple areas of life
- Pervasive people-pleasing, fawning, or codependent patterns with multiple origins
- Healing from prolonged emotional abuse or neglect
Investment: $4,200
Both formats can be done in-person or via telehealth, depending on what feels right for your healing.
For those traveling to work with me in person: My office in Eureka offers a beautiful and peaceful setting surrounded by the redwoods and ocean. Many clients find that connecting with nature as part of their intensive weekend supports nervous system regulation and deepens their healing work. The natural beauty of the area provides a restorative backdrop for doing this deep inner work.
What to Expect in an EMDR Intensive
Before the Intensive: Assessment and Preparation (90 minutes)
We meet before your intensive to:
- Explore your relational history and current struggles
- Identify the specific trauma, pattern, or attachment wound we’ll focus on
- Build resourcing and grounding skills to support you during processing
- Answer all your questions about what to expect
- Create a clear plan for your intensive day(s)
During the Intensive: Deep Processing (6 or 18 hours)
Unlike traditional sessions, we have time to:
- Start slowly and let your nervous system settle
- Spend as much time as needed on resourcing before processing
- Work with traumatic memories or attachment wounds without having to stop mid-process
- Take breaks when you need them (for grounding, movement, fresh air)
- Process multiple related memories or experiences in one arc
- Allow for the natural rhythm of your healing – sometimes fast, sometimes slow
- End with thorough processing and plan to continue to support your nervous system after you leave
We move at your pace. If you need to spend two hours building resources before processing, we do that. If a memory needs three hours to fully process, we have that time.
Interested in combining EMDR with psychedelic preparation and integration (KAP)? Ketamine can create neuroplasticity and temporarily soften psychological defenses, making it easier to access and process deeply held trauma. If you’re interested in exploring this option, please inquire directly during your consultation.
After the Intensive: Processing and Integration Plan (90 minutes)
We meet again to:
- Process what came up during the intensive
- Identify shifts in how you’re relating to yourself and the material
- Translate insights into practical changes in your daily life
- Address any questions or concerns
- Determine if additional sessions would support your continued healing
Why EMDR Intensives Work: The Research
EMDR Intensives aren’t just convenient – they’re backed by evidence showing they can be more effective than traditional weekly sessions for trauma treatment.
A 2018 pilot study investigated a five-day inpatient EMDR intensive program for PTSD and found promising results:
- 9 out of 11 patients (82%) showed reliable improvement in PTSD symptoms after the intensive format
- The effect size was large (Cohen’s d = 0.91), indicating substantial clinical improvement
- Patients who had previously failed trauma-focused treatment responded well to the intensive format
- The treatment was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events
- Benefits were maintained at three-week follow-up
The study concluded that “intensive EMDR treatment is feasible and is indicative of reliable improvement in PTSD symptoms in a very short time frame.”
Additional research on intensive EMDR for complex PTSD has shown similarly promising results, with patients experiencing significant symptom reduction in condensed timeframes.
Research on intensive trauma treatment formats also shows:
- Intensive trauma-focused therapy enables faster symptom reduction with similar or better results compared to weekly sessions
- The sustained format allows for deeper processing without interruption and fragmentation of weekly sessions
- Intensive formats may decrease overall treatment time because you’re not spending each session re-orienting, managing current crises, or helping clients “close down” before leaving
- Treatment-resistant patients who didn’t respond to regular weekly therapy often show significant improvement with intensive formats
This isn’t about rushing your healing – it’s about working with your nervous system’s natural processing rhythm instead of against it.
My Approach to EMDR Intensives
I bring advanced training in relational trauma and attachment work, along with a feminist and anti-oppression lens, to this intensive format.
This means:
- We go at your pace, always. Intensives give us time, but we never use that time to rush or push you beyond your window of tolerance.
- We build safety first. Before processing any trauma, we spend significant time on resourcing, grounding, and establishing felt safety in your body.
- Your authentic voice guides the work. You know what you need. I trust your wisdom about when to slow down, speed up, or pause.
- We contextualize your patterns. People-pleasing and codependency didn’t develop in a vacuum. We explore how patriarchy, systemic oppression, childhood attachment experiences, and abusive relationships shaped these patterns – because understanding context is part of healing.
I work with:
- Feminists healing from patriarchal conditioning
- LGBTQ+ individuals processing internalized oppression
- Women and non-binary people reclaiming autonomy
- Cis-men committed to anti-patriarchal work
- Anyone whose authentic voice has been systematically silenced
I work with:
- Feminists healing from patriarchal conditioning
- LGBTQ+ individuals processing internalized oppression
- Women and non-binary people reclaiming autonomy
- Cis-men committed to anti-patriarchal work
- Anyone whose authentic voice has been systematically silenced
Practical Information
Location and Format
Intensives can be done:
- In-person at my office in Eureka, California
- Via telehealth using a secure video platform
Many clients prefer in-person for the somatic presence and contained space. Others find telehealth works beautifully and allows them to be in their own healing environment.
Payment
Payment plans available. Insurance does not typically cover intensive formats, though you may be able to use out-of-network benefits for partial reimbursement. Please note that you may be able to finance your EMDR intensive with CareCredit. Click here for more information.
Scheduling
Intensives are typically scheduled 2-4 weeks out to allow time for preparation. I hold a limited number of intensive slots per month to ensure I can give each client the full presence and energy this work requires.
What to Bring / Prepare
For in-person intensives:
- Comfortable clothing
- Water and snacks
- Anything that helps you feel grounded (journal, blanket, photos)
- Clear your schedule for the rest of the day – no work meetings or major obligations after
For telehealth intensives:
- Private, quiet space where you won’t be interrupted
- Comfortable seating with options to move around
- Water, snacks, tissues nearby
- Same scheduling consideration – clear the rest of your day
Frequently Asked Questions
Will an intensive retraumatize me?
No. The intensive format actually reduces the risk of feeling fragmented or re-activated without resolution. We have time to fully process and integrate, rather than opening material and having to close it down prematurely. I’m trained in managing affect and staying within your window of tolerance throughout.
What if I need a break during the intensive?
We take breaks. This isn’t six hours of relentless processing. We build in time for grounding, movement, eating, bathroom breaks, or just sitting quietly. The intensive format means we can honor your nervous system’s need for pauses without losing momentum.
How do I know if I need a 1-day or 3-day intensive?
During our initial consultation, we’ll assess the scope and complexity of what you’re working with. Generally:
- 1-day: Specific event, single relationship wound, focused pattern
- 3-day: Complex developmental trauma, pervasive patterns, multiple attachment wounds
We can always start with one day and add more intensive work if needed.
Can I do weekly therapy and intensives at the same time?
Yes! Many clients continue weekly therapy with their regular therapist and do intensive work with me to address specific trauma or patterns. Intensives can complement ongoing therapy beautifully.
Do I have to do all the intensive hours in one day?
For the 1-day intensive, yes – the 6 hours are typically done in one session with breaks. For the 3-day intensive, the 18 hours are split into three 6-hour days, usually scheduled over one weekend.
What if I feel activated after the intensive?
We build in a 90-minute integration session after your intensive specifically to process what came up and help you feel grounded before returning to daily life. I’m also available via email between sessions if you need support. Additionally, we work hard to ensure you’re resourced and regulated before ending each intensive day.
How soon will I see results?
Many clients notice shifts immediately – feeling lighter, less triggered, able to set boundaries they couldn’t before. But integration is ongoing. The real measure isn’t just how you feel right after, but how you show up in relationships weeks and months later. Intensives create powerful momentum, but healing continues to unfold.
Ready to Explore EMDR Intensives?
If you’re tired of understanding your patterns without being able to shift them, if you’re ready to heal at the nervous system level, and if you want to do deep work without the fragmentation of weekly sessions – let’s talk.
Contact me today to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. We’ll discuss what you’re working with, whether an intensive format is right for you, and which intensive option would best serve your healing.
You don’t have to keep doing therapy the way the insurance companies want you to. You can heal at the pace your nervous system actually needs.
Please Note: EMDR Intensive services are provided by a licensed mental health professional with specialized training in EMDR, Attachment-Focused EMDR, and relational trauma treatment. All clients undergo thorough assessment to ensure intensive work is safe and appropriate for their specific needs.