Do I Have to Go to Therapy Every Week? Extended & Intensive EMDR Options
Extended Session & Intensive EMDR Therapy in Colorado Springs
Therapy Doesn’t Always Have to Happen 50 Minutes at a Time
I’ve been a therapist for more than 25 years, and seen a lot change in that time…
EMDR, which was not widely accepted when I started my clinical training, is now a widely accepted, highly effective, evidence-based approach to treating trauma, as well as many other issues.
I’ve watched rates of anxiety skyrocket, especially in the past ten years, becoming increasingly common even among very high functioning and successful people.
The COVID pandemic changed our options for meeting significantly, making virtual meetings a very viable way to fit in therapy sessions, while at the same time making in person meeting options (which I still offer!) more rare as many therapists moved their practices entirely online.
And in recent years, I find that many people, especially those with a high level of responsibility and commitment - in family, work, or both - need flexibility around scheduling and budget for therapy. The traditional weekly, 50-minute model, just doesn’t work well for a lot of people anymore.
Extended Session & Intensive EMDR Therapy
Traditional weekly therapy can still work well for some people, but the 50-minute weekly model isn't the only clinically useful way to do the work. For many people, extended sessions, often delivered less frequently, make more sense for their needs - both in therapy, and in their busy lives.
Many of my clients who benefit from and prefer an extended or intensive session model, come to therapy saying things like…
“I know what I want to work on, and I don’t want to just talk.”
“I've already done therapy and understand myself pretty well - but in spite of having insight, I still feel stuck.”
“I want to use EMDR to work through something specific.”
“I can't realistically leave work every Tuesday at 2:00, my schedule varies and I can’t always be consistent.”
“I don't want therapy to become something I do indefinitely, I’m really ready to make a change.”
“I'd rather set aside a larger block of time and really work than feel like the session is ending just as work is going deeper.”
Why Longer EMDR Sessions Can Make Sense
In a traditional 50-minute EMDR appointment, some of the session inevitably goes toward checking in, identifying what needs attention, preparing to process, and then making sure there is adequate time to close. That may only leave 20-30 minutes of actual processing time, which means working through a single target can easily take 2-3 sessions.
EMDR is uniquely suited to longer sessions. With a 90-minute, two-hour, or three-hour session, we have more uninterrupted time for the actual work. The extended time can allow us to process an entire target in a single session, instead of having to spread it out over multiple.
One of the biggest benefits of completing a target all at once is that when we get to the end, it generally feels significantly better - so at this point, leaving more time between sessions if flexibility is needed is a great option as we are usually at a stopping point where you can enjoy your progress before we move on to the next target in our plan.
Longer sessions do not mean rushing EMDR or skipping steps. Intensive therapy isn’t about speed - it’s about depth. In many cases, the extra time actually allows us to slow down and be more thorough, because we have enough time to do the work thoughtfully, without watching the clock, and to pace ourselves according to the needs that arise as we go.
Extended sessions also allow us to be really intentional in our work. Many people express to me at the beginning of our work together that they have been to therapy before, but felt like they were “just talking” and didn’t get things done - now they don’t want to invest more in therapy without seeing a change.
When we meet for longer sessions, we still have time to check in, talk, and catch up, but it is easier to stay focused on moving towards a goal and experiencing noticeable change more quickly.
Extended EMDR Sessions Can Offer Greater Scheduling Flexibility
Most of my clients are incredibly busy people! They are juggling family responsibility and commitments, or significant demands as a professional or business owner, or oftentimes both. It can be hard to settle on a specific, recurring time when schedules can be inconsistent and life is moving at a fast pace.
Meeting for longer sessions, less often, can make therapy much more accessible and realistic if this is the season you’re currently in. Rather than a regular, committed time, therapy could look like…
90 minutes every other week
Two hours once a month
Several longer sessions focused on one particular goal
A more concentrated period of EMDR followed by time away from therapy
An occasional extended session when deeper processing would be helpful
We can tailor a plan to your individual goals, needs, and schedule. Less frequent doesn’t have to mean less effective - longer sessions can condense weeks or months of work into a single session.
Who Are Extended Sessions a Good Fit For?
You may really love the format and flexibility of extended or intensive EMDR sessions if you are someone who…
has a specific problem or goal you want to address
has already done therapy and now wants to work more directly on unresolved experiences
is a professional, business owner, physician, parent, executive, etc. who has limited control over a weekly schedule
wants therapy to be focused and intentional rather than open-ended
lives farther away and would rather make fewer trips for longer appointments
has a schedule that changes frequently and can't easily commit to “same time every Tuesday.”
Extended sessions aren't necessarily appropriate for everyone. Some clients benefit from the consistency, support, pacing, or stabilization provided by weekly therapy. The schedule should fit the person and the treatment - the whole goal of extended sessions is to not force you into a format that may not be the best fit.
What’s the Difference Between Extended EMDR and an EMDR Intensive?
An extended session simply means having more time than a traditional therapy hour, such as 90 minutes, two hours, or longer. Extended sessions might occur periodically over several months, or several times in the same month - we can structure them around what works best for you.
An EMDR Intensive concentrates treatment into a shorter period, often using multiple hours of treatment over two or three days. It can be useful when someone has a clearly identified problem they want to address and doesn't want, or isn't able to, spend months attending weekly appointments. EMDR Intensives can be an ideal fit when there’s a problem that needs to be resolved now - like a car accident, medical trauma, or upcoming event.
These don't necessarily have to be two completely different kinds of therapy. I increasingly think of them as points along a continuum. Some people need 90 minutes every few weeks. Someone else may benefit from several hours on one day. Another person may want to set aside two days to focus intensively on one problem. The goal is to determine the amount and frequency of therapy that makes sense for what we're trying to accomplish.
Do Longer EMDR Sessions Mean I’ll Need Fewer Sessions?
Longer sessions can reduce the amount of time repeatedly spent starting and stopping, and intensive treatment can concentrate work that otherwise might occur across multiple appointments. But the overall amount of therapy someone needs still depends on history, symptoms, treatment goals, preparation needed, nervous-system capacity, complexity, and more.
The good news is, you don't have to figure out what you need before you call me. Part of my job is helping you determine what we're working toward, what needs to happen to get there, and what schedule makes the most sense for both the work and your life. You can reach out to talk more about what flexible, goal-directed therapy may look like for what you want to accomplish.
