What It Actually Looks Like to Do a 3-Hour, 3-Day EMDR Intensive
You’re ready to get unstuck. You’ve done the work in therapy before. Maybe you’ve read the trauma or relationship books, listened to the podcasts, followed the trauma-informed creators on Instagram. And still, that old feeling lingers: Why can’t I move past this?
EMDR intensives are built for that very moment—the one where you’re ready to go deeper than insight and actually experience change. As a therapist trained in IFS informed EMDR, I design intensives to create the safety, structure, and space your system needs to do that deeper, life changing work.
But I get it: committing to a 3-hour session for 3 days in a row can feel like a giant leap (emotionally and financially). So let’s talk about what it actually looks like and why it is worth the investment.
Before We Begin: Preparation That Honors Your Pace
Before you step into day one of the intensive, we’ve already had a free phone consultation and thorough 90 minute intake. I’ve gotten to know you; your goals, your history (as much as you are comfortable sharing), your system’s capacity, your hobbies and coping skills. You've had the chance to ask questions, share hesitations, and get a feel for how the intensive will look.
We’ve spent time preparing. That may include:
Learning about your nervous system
Engaging in resourcing strategies that use BLS (Learn more about BLS, an important aspect of EMDR, here)
Connecting with protective parts using Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Identifying stuck memories and themes you’d like to work on (what experiences, thoughts, emotions, etc. you are wanting to heal)
Establishing safety anchors
Getting clear on what relief, growth, or healing mean to you
This phase ensures we’re not diving in too fast. Your system needs to trust that it can handle this—and that if anything feels overwhelming, we’ll pause and reorient. That foundation makes all the difference. Your safety is my top priority.
Intensive Day One: Building Safety and Establishing Focus
The first 3-hour session doesn’t begin with trauma processing. It begins with presence.
We start with a check in and grounding exercise to orient into the space. We will check in with protective parts of you, ensuring all parts of you feel invited, seen, and safe (not pushed).
We might spend time mapping out your internal system, identifying parts that feel hesitant, skeptical, or scared. IFS helps us make space for those voices, not override them.
Once we’ve established enough internal and relational safety, we’ll clarify your goal. This might be something like:
"I want to stop feeling so anxious in my romantic relationships."
"I want to stop feeling like I’m 10 years old every time my partner criticizes me."
"I want to process this relationship and traumatic break up."
From there, we’ll reinforce and strengthen the resourcing/coping skills we started in the intake session (if needed) and identify areas or specific memories you want to process though. If you’re ready, we may begin reprocessing using EMDR. But if your system says no, we listen. Day one is about safety, clarity, and alignment.
Intensive Day Two: Deepening the Work
This is where the deeper healing work often begins.
You have time. Time to notice, breathe, track, and allow.
We may spend most of this session in reprocessing. That means using bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping) while you gently notice what arises: images, thoughts, sensations, emotions, etc. as your system processes through a targeted memory or belief (what you are wanting to heal from).
You’re not doing this alone. I’m guiding, supporting, and checking in throughout. I’m tracking your nervous system and adjusting the pace so it feels safe. If we hit a stuck point, we may bring in parts work (IFS) to understand what’s blocking the movement. We might dialogue with a protective part who isn’t ready to let go and honor why.
This session isn’t about pushing through. It’s about following what’s alive and making room for what your system has been holding onto.
Most clients leave this day feeling both tired and relieved. Not because everything is "healed," but because something real has happened. There’s movement.
Intensive Day Three: Integration and Closure
The final day is about giving your system the time and space it needs to integrate the work. Depending on what came up in Day Two, we may continue reprocessing or we may spend more time in integration.
That might include:
Revisiting the original targets and checking how your system feels about them now
Exploring how your nervous system has shifted in response to the work
Installing new beliefs about yourself
Checking in with your body to see if it is still holding on to the memory/experience
Reflecting on the experience through journaling, visualizations, or parts dialogue
Identifying next steps for continued care (whether with me, with another therapist, or within your own practices)
We also spend intentional time closing. We will reground and do whatever your nervous system needs to prepare for the end of the intensive.
What You’ll Walk Away With
While everyone’s experience is different, you might feel:
Feeling a tangible shift in how they relate to their past
Greater clarity around their internal world
New language to describe what’s happening inside
A deeper sense of compassion for themselves
A felt sense of "something moved” or “something is different”
And maybe most importantly: many feel hope.
Ready for Something More?
If you’ve been feeling stuck, like you know where your pain comes from but can’t seem to release it, an EMDR intensive might be the next right step.
You don’t need to be perfectly regulated or fully ready. You just need enough self-awareness and support to take that next, curious step toward healing.
Want to explore if an intensive is right for you? Reach out to schedule a free consultation. Let’s talk about what your system needs and if this format might be the support you’ve been looking for!
I offer IFS Informed EMDR Intensives online across Colorado or in the Denver area.
Want more information about EMDR? Learn more about this evidenced based treatment, here.
