EMDR Intensives

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a high researched and effective way of treating trauma, PTSD, Anxiety and Depression. EMDR is a highly interactive experiential type of psychotherapy that includes 8 different phases. It involves a thorough assessment of the stuck points and points of distress that you are experiencing. We assess current triggers, underlying previous related experiences, and we also look to build up and connect you to a positive, stronger, more resilient you in the present, prepared to step out into the future. EMDR involves connecting and tracking awareness of emotions, beliefs and somatic (body) sensations and allowing them to process through in a way that your body was unable to do during an overwhelming experience.

What is an EMDR Intensive?

An EMDR intensive is the experience of bringing together many hours of EMDR psychotherapy in short period of time, to allow for optimal processing and outcomes. I have found that doing a 50 min EMDR session is not enough for an individual to move through their trauma and often the works gets cut up into small pieces over a long period of time. During an EMDR Intensive I evaluate exactly what you would like to work on and together we plan out how much time that might take to work through, or perhaps a piece of what you would like to work on. We then string together several hours of therapy at a time, sometimes several times in a week or over the course of a few weeks. This allows for a depth of processing and a momentum that enables you to get the results you are looking for without being in therapy for years. We will take breaks and pace things exactly as you need to. You are the focus of our time together and I adapt the work and customize it to fit yours needs.

Why do an EMDR Intensive?

If you have been in distress for some time, you have been waiting to feel better and you are ready to do the work, then an EMDR Intensive is for you. If you are working with a Psychotherapist and together you have identified some traumas or that you could benefit from EMDR, but your therapist isn’t trained in EMDR, I work alongside other clinicians simultaneously so you don’t have to stop your work with your primary therapist. EMDR helps you save time and money in the long run by investing up front in your care and getting the work done.

How is this different from regular psychotherapy?

This is a short-term psychotherapy that takes place over the course of one or several weeks. You may return at any point to do specific tailored pieces of work. This is structured intentionally in this way to move you in and through the work, rather than going for one hour- long session weekly and having the work continue over years.

Will this be covered by insurance?

EMDR Intensives are not covered by insurance. This is a highly customizable type of treatment involving many sequential hours of treatment and at this point in time health insurances do not cover this kind of care. An initial evaluation of 90-120 minutes for this work costs $250. After this time I will provide you an estimate to the time we will be working together to meet the goals we have agreed upon. Each hour of this work is $180 and the number of hours we work together is entirely customized to meet your needs.

I, Donna Maria, am 69-years-old. I came to Doctor Sharon Clayman September, 2017. I was highly suicidal and having 4-5 severe panic attacks a day. I was taking 4-5 Xanax a day. Most people thought I would get addicted to Xanax or kill myself. they put me on psychiatric medicine which didn't help me at all. I had all the side effects but I felt worse than ever. Finally, for the first time in my life, a nurse practitioner diagnosed me properly with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He said I needed an EMDR therapist and gave me a list of therapists to choose from. I saw Doctor Sharon Clayman's face and smile, said a prayer, and went. I didn't know if EMDR would help, but I had reached the end of my rope. I didn't have the strength to go on anymore. I said, 'I can always kill myself, but let me try one more therapist'. Doctor Sharon Clayman also diagnosed me with a Dissociative Disorder. Come to find out, I have Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It has taken almost four years of coming to therapy every week to finally feel connected, real, and a loveable adult. I am on natural anti-anxiety medicine and I only take 1-2 Xanax a week, at most. At almost 70 I realize I still have a lot of work to do in learning skills that I should have learned as a child and young adult, but I now understand how damaged I was and with no one to help me properly I could not develop. So I will continue to take baby steps in my recovery. EMDR I know is what helped me to get better. I would have never reached this level of recovery without it. I recommend EMDR and the book Every Memory Deserves Respect to everyone. I wish I had this treatment in my 20's, but I am happy to feel better now. I enjoy now feeling alive, together, loveable, and a real adult human being.

Are you looking for additional support and guidance with your EMDR cases?

EMDR is awesome and complex and we can all use some more support and guidance when working with the standard protocol to more complex cases that require more interventions, interweaves and different case conceptualization.

I am passionate about EMDR and the power and opportunities it offers for healing and transformation, like no other therapeutic approach. I am certified in EMDR, I receive ongoing EMDR consultation myself, and I continue to attend advanced EMDR trainings so I can stay active and involved in learning the latest and greatest. Please reach out to me if you are interested in having a partner in your learning process and with the cases that are bringing up questions for you. I’d love to be your partner on this journey.