EMDR Intensives in Indianapolis
A longer, protected block of time for focused trauma work.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with JennyWeekly therapy gives you 55 minutes. An EMDR intensive gives you a longer, protected block of time to work on one specific thing, without stopping just as the work gets going.
In person in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis · Online anywhere in Indiana
When 55 minutes isn’t quite enough
You’ve checked in. You’ve settled your nervous system. You’re finally getting to the thing you came to work on, and it’s time to wrap up.
Next week, you find your way back there again.
An EMDR intensive gives you a longer, protected block of time for focused trauma work, without stopping and restarting every 55 minutes. It isn’t about fitting as much trauma as possible into an afternoon. It’s about giving the work the time it needs.
Extended time
A longer block for focused trauma processing, with room to prepare and to close.
Fewer stops and starts
Less time rebuilding momentum, more time staying with the work.
Paced around you
Breaks, grounding and a planned close are part of the day.
Is an EMDR intensive a good fit for you?
There’s no single diagnosis or history that makes someone a good candidate. What matters more is what you want to work on, where you are right now, and whether concentrated work makes sense for you. An intensive can fit even when weekly therapy is going well. Sometimes you’re doing fine, and one particular thing just hasn’t moved.
You have a specific target
A memory, loss, betrayal, trigger or belief keeps showing up in your life, and you’re ready to give it focused attention.
You understand it, but you still feel it
You’ve done therapy and can explain why you react the way you do. Your body hasn’t caught up with what you know.
Weekly EMDR feels stop-and-start
Something important begins to connect, and then it’s time to close. Next week, you start again.
Weekly appointments are hard to keep
Work, kids, travel or school can make weekly therapy possible on paper and difficult in practice. A longer block may fit your real life better.
You’re coming from outside Indianapolis
One concentrated visit may make more sense than a weekly drive from Carmel, Fishers, Zionsville, Brownsburg or elsewhere in Central Indiana.
You already have a therapist
Good. You may not need a different one. You may simply want focused EMDR work with Jenny while you keep seeing someone you know and trust.
Not sure whether that’s you? That’s what the free consultation is for.
What is an EMDR intensive?
An EMDR intensive is an extended EMDR session. It gives you more uninterrupted time for preparation, trauma processing, grounding, and integration than a weekly appointment does.
More protected time
Instead of fitting the work into a 55-minute appointment, you have a longer block for focused EMDR.
Less stopping and restarting
More room to settle in, stay with processing that is helping, take breaks when you need them, and continue without rebuilding momentum.
Preparation still matters
Longer doesn’t mean faster or more intense. Preparation and pacing remain part of good EMDR.
Want more background on EMDR itself? Start with the myths and facts of EMDR or seven things to know before you start.
An intensive doesn’t mean we rush trauma.
It means we give the work more time.
EMDR intensive vs. weekly EMDR
Both can be excellent. An intensive isn’t automatically better than weekly EMDR, and weekly therapy isn’t the slow version. They’re different structures. The better question is which one fits you and the work you want to do.
| How they compare | Weekly EMDR | EMDR intensive |
|---|---|---|
| Session length | 55 minutes | 3-hour or 6-hour day |
| Schedule | Weekly or every other week | One to three concentrated days |
| Getting started | Opening and closing happen every session | Fewer repeated starts and stops |
| Continuity | Work unfolds across appointments | More uninterrupted processing time |
| Best fit | Ongoing support and gradual work | A focused treatment goal |
| Travel | Repeated appointments | One concentrated visit, useful if you’re traveling to Indianapolis |
| Your current therapist | Often your ongoing treatment | Can supplement therapy you already receive elsewhere |
The research on intensive formats has some limits, and this article walks through what it does and doesn’t say.
How an EMDR intensive works
Your intensive begins before the deeper processing does. Preparation, pacing and integration are part of the treatment.
- 01
Consultation
A free 15-minute call about your history, your goals, and whether an intensive fits right now.
- 02
Preparation
Background information, plus making sure you have the resources and support you need.
- 03
Your intensive
Extended time for EMDR, with breaks and pacing based on your needs.
- 04
Integration
Slowing down, settling, and making sense of what surfaced before the day ends.
- 05
Next steps
A plan for what comes next: ongoing therapy, coordination, or extra support.
What the hours look like
Every intensive is individualized, so this is the usual shape of a day, not a script.
In a typical 3-hour day, hour 1 is planning the targets: you and Jenny decide which memories or experiences to work on, and in what order. In hour 2, you build grounding and calming resources first, and then EMDR processing begins. Hour 3 is reprocessing, with extended time for focused EMDR and breaks as you need them.
A 6-hour day adds three more hours of reprocessing. Whether a 3-hour or a 6-hour day makes sense depends on your goals, and you’ll decide that together before you book.
Meet Jenny Staats, LMSW
Master of Social Work, Indiana University
Jenny provides EMDR intensives at High Thrive Counseling in Indianapolis. Her approach is warm, practical and collaborative, and paced around the person in front of her, not around how much work is “supposed” to happen in three hours.
An intensive gives Jenny more room to prepare carefully, follow the work where it needs to go, slow down when needed, take breaks, and close the day on purpose. The goal isn’t to see how much can fit into an afternoon. It’s to create enough time and structure for focused work to happen without rushing the person doing it.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with JennyWe’re not trying to sell everyone an intensive
Sometimes more time helps. Sometimes more preparation comes first. Weekly therapy, stabilization, medical support or extra resources may be the better place to begin.
Weekly therapy or preparation may come first if…
- You’re in an acute crisis or in immediate danger. If that’s today, call or text 988 or your local emergency number.
- Your nervous system feels too unstable for concentrated trauma work right now.
- You need more coping resources or stabilization first.
- You’re hoping an intensive will be a guaranteed quick fix.
- You can’t reasonably make space afterward to rest and integrate.
- Your current circumstances make focused trauma work difficult or unsafe.
Already have a therapist? You don’t have to break up with them.
Many people keep their regular therapist and use an EMDR intensive as focused work around one particular target. It can complement what you’re already doing without changing your ongoing care.
With your written permission, Jenny can coordinate with your current therapist so everyone is on the same page.
Not right now doesn’t mean not ever. The goal is to find out whether an intensive makes sense for you.
Where, how long, and what to know about cost
3-hour or 6-hour days, for one to three days.
High Thrive Counseling, 6229 Indianola Ave, Broad Ripple, Indianapolis, IN 46220. Directions and parking
Anywhere in Indiana when telehealth fits your care. High Thrive also offers online therapy in Florida. See online therapy in Indiana.
Current fees are on the Fees & FAQ page.
Self-pay. High Thrive is out of network, and Jenny can provide a superbill.
A free 15-minute consultation. Requests are confirmed by email.
The Indianapolis office is convenient to Broad Ripple, Meridian-Kessler, Carmel, Fishers, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Westfield, Noblesville, Avon and surrounding Central Indiana communities.
Frequently asked questions about EMDR intensives
What is an EMDR intensive?
An EMDR intensive is an extended EMDR therapy appointment. It gives you more uninterrupted time for preparation, trauma processing, grounding, and integration than a standard 55-minute weekly session.
How long does an EMDR intensive last?
Jenny offers 3-hour days and 6-hour days, for one to three days. You'll decide on the right length together at the consultation. How many hours or days do I need?
How much does an EMDR intensive cost?
Current fees are on the Fees & FAQ page, which is the one place High Thrive lists them. EMDR intensives are self-pay.
Is an EMDR intensive better than weekly EMDR?
Not necessarily. They're different structures. Weekly therapy gives you ongoing support and gradual pacing. An intensive gives you a longer protected block with fewer starts and stops. What does the research say?
Can I do an intensive if I've never done EMDR before?
Possibly. Earlier EMDR experience isn't required. Jenny will check your readiness, explain the process, and make sure the right preparation and grounding resources are in place first.
Can I keep seeing my regular therapist?
Yes. Many people use an EMDR intensive alongside ongoing therapy. With your written permission, Jenny can coordinate with your current therapist so the work fits with your existing care.
Can I do an EMDR intensive online?
Online intensives are available anywhere in Indiana when telehealth is clinically appropriate for you. In-person intensives are at High Thrive Counseling in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis.
Does insurance cover an EMDR intensive?
EMDR intensives are self-pay. High Thrive is out of network, and Jenny can provide a superbill. If reimbursement matters to your decision, check with your insurance company about out-of-network benefits.
How do I know whether I'm ready?
Readiness is individual. Jenny looks at your goals, current stability, coping resources, support system, safety, and your ability to stay present with difficult material. If you need more preparation first, she'll tell you, and that isn't a no forever.
What happens after an intensive?
Jenny closes the day on purpose and plans next steps with you, whether that's ongoing therapy, coordination with your current therapist, or extra support. Plan some time to rest afterward. What to expect after an EMDR intensive
Keep learning
Not sure whether an EMDR intensive makes sense for you?
That’s exactly what the consultation is for. Talk with Jenny about what you want to work on, what treatment you’ve already tried, and whether an intensive is a useful next step.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with JennyIn person in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis · Online in Indiana · Online therapy in Florida