EMDR Intensives in Fairfax, VA: How They Work

Trauma doesn’t process on a 50-minute timer. In weekly therapy you spend the first 20 minutes re-opening the wound and the last 10 closing it back up, then go home raw. An EMDR intensive keeps the container open long enough to actually move through the work — here in my Fairfax office or virtually across Virginia.

Step 1 — Pre-intensive prep

We start with a 90-minute pre-intensive session, and you get a comprehensive workbook. We map your history, your goals, and the memories and beliefs we’ll target — so day one isn’t a cold start.

Step 2 — The intensive itself

Intensive sessions run a minimum of three hours, often across multiple days. It’s individualized, evidence-based, and paced to your nervous system — in a comfortable office (yes, with snacks), or online.

Step 3 — Follow-up & integration

One to four weeks later, we meet again to debrief and integrate what shifted, and to coordinate with your regular therapist if you have one. You leave with the change, not just the memory of a good few days.