EMDR Intensives · Trauma & PTSD · Ottawa & online
EMDR Intensives in Ottawa
Focused EMDR in longer sessions, over one to a few days.
A weekly 50-minute session is a good fit for many people. An EMDR intensive schedules the same EMDR therapy in longer blocks over one to a few days. Some people prefer that continuity; others prefer weekly sessions. The difference is the schedule, not a promise of faster or better results.
The same EMDR work, gathered into focused sessions.
What is an EMDR intensive?
Instead of one 50-minute session a week, an intensive schedules a longer appointment, usually three to six hours in a day, for up to three days.
The structure of EMDR doesn’t change. We still prepare carefully, work at a pace that feels manageable, take breaks, and leave time to check in before each block ends. What changes is the rhythm: there are longer working periods and fewer transitions between sessions. If you’d like to see how a standard session unfolds first, my guide to what actually happens in an EMDR session walks through it step by step.
Who an intensive may suit
Intensives are not better than weekly therapy, just different. They tend to fit people who:
- find it hard to commit to the same weekly time, or travel and prefer to do focused work in a short window
- live elsewhere in Ontario and would rather meet online in longer blocks than weekly
- want to concentrate on a specific memory, event, or theme
- have done weekly therapy and feel ready to go deeper in a more sustained way
Longer sessions can be demanding, and they are not the right format for everyone. We assess fit together by looking at your goals, current stability, supports, health, history, and how you respond during preparation. You can slow down or stop at any point.
How an intensive works, step by step
- 1
A free 15-minute call
We talk about what’s bringing you in and whether an intensive is worth exploring. No forms, no commitment.
- 2
A preparation and goals session
A standard 50-minute session where we map your goals, talk through the format, and decide together whether an intensive is the right fit. If it isn’t, weekly work is always an option.
- 3
A couple of questionnaires at home
Before we book the intensive itself, you complete a readiness questionnaire and the DES-II, a 28-item self-report screen for dissociative experiences. Neither questionnaire can confirm that an intensive is safe or suitable on its own. We review the results with your history and clinical assessment to decide whether more assessment, preparation, a different pace, or another format would make sense.
- 4
The intensive
Three to six hours in a day, for up to three days, shaped to your preference and the plan we agree on. We work in paced sets with regular breaks and check in throughout. You can slow down or stop at any point, and we leave time at the end to review how you are feeling and what support or follow-up would be useful.
- 5
Follow-up and integration
The next session can be another intensive or a regular 50-minute session, whatever helps you integrate the work. We decide based on how you’re doing, not a fixed script.
The methods I draw on
An intensive isn’t EMDR alone. I draw on several trauma approaches and choose between them in the moment, depending on the kind of trauma we’re working with, your goals, and how you are responding:
- EMDR. The core of the work follows a structured protocol while you notice aspects of a distressing memory and engage in bilateral stimulation.
- The Flash Technique. Where a memory feels too charged to approach directly, this gentler, evidence-informed method can lower its intensity first, without you having to consciously focus on it.
- Parts work (IFS). Complex trauma often splits the self into parts, some carrying pain and some standing guard. We pay attention to protective responses rather than pushing past them.
- Somatic skills. Body-based practices for noticing activation and finding grounding strategies that feel useful.
Where the trauma is long-standing or developmental, the same careful, phased approach I describe in my guide to complex PTSD treatment in Ottawa applies in an intensive too. We spend time on assessment and preparation before processing and keep reviewing the pace as the work continues.
In Hintonburg or online across Ontario
Intensives are available in person at 9 Melrose Ave in Hintonburg, near Wellington Village and a short walk from Tunney’s Pasture, or online by secure video anywhere in Ontario.
Online intensives follow the same structure and the same safety-first pacing as in-person work. More on how remote sessions run is on the virtual therapy page.
Fees and practical details
- Free 15-minute consultation. No forms, no pressure, just a conversation about fit.
- Billed at $200 per hour. Each hour is a 50-minute working block with a short break, so a 3-hour intensive is $600 and a 5-hour intensive is $1,000. You choose the length, and we agree the full plan and total at the preparation session, before anything is booked.
- Insurance: you pay per session and receive a detailed receipt with my CRPO registration number (#11921) to claim through your extended health plan. Most Ontario plans cover Registered Psychotherapists. I don’t bill insurance directly.
- No referral needed.
Questions people ask about EMDR intensives
What is an EMDR intensive?
An EMDR intensive is the same EMDR therapy I offer weekly, delivered in a longer format. Instead of one 50-minute session a week, we set aside extended blocks of time, usually three to six hours in a day, for up to three days. The schedule offers longer periods of continuity, but it does not promise faster or better results. Preparation, pacing, and follow-up are planned around the person rather than the calendar alone.
What’s the difference between an intensive and weekly EMDR?
The therapy is the same; the schedule is different. Weekly EMDR happens in 50-minute sessions spaced a week apart. An intensive gathers the work into longer blocks, three to six hours in a day for up to three days. Some people prefer the steady rhythm of weekly work; others prefer longer, concentrated appointments. We decide together.
How long is an intensive, and how many days?
It’s flexible. A day can run from about three hours to six, and an intensive can span a single day or up to three. We plan the length together after discussing your goals, current circumstances, and how you respond during preparation.
Is it safe to do so much in one go?
Longer trauma sessions are not right for everyone. The preparation session, clinical assessment, and questionnaires help us consider fit, but no questionnaire can guarantee safety. During the intensive, we use breaks and ongoing check-ins, and you can slow down or stop at any point. If more assessment or preparation is needed, we do that before an intensive is booked.
Who is an intensive not suitable for?
Intensives ask you to stay with difficult material for longer than a usual session, so they are not the right starting point for everyone. We look at your goals, history, current stability, supports, and questionnaire responses together. If a longer format does not make sense right now, we can discuss more preparation, weekly therapy, or another option.
How much does an EMDR intensive cost?
Intensives are billed at $200 per hour, where each hour is a 50-minute working block with a short break. As a guide, a 3-hour intensive is $600 and a 5-hour intensive is $1,000, and we stop at the length you have chosen. You decide how many hours and how many days, and we agree the full plan and total together at the preparation session, before you commit. You’ll receive a detailed receipt with my CRPO registration number for your extended health plan.
Can we do an intensive online?
Yes. Intensives are available in person in Hintonburg or online by secure video anywhere in Ontario, with the same structure and the same safety-first pacing either way.
One small ripple is enough to start.
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