Maybe you've heard about EMDR intensives and you're not sure whether one is what you need. Maybe you're curious about EMDR and can't tell whether weekly sessions or an intensive would suit you better. Or maybe you've already decided and just want the practical answers: what it costs, how long it takes, whether insurance helps, and whether you can do it online.
This article walks through all of that, including the question underneath the others: is it worth it? It's written for people considering an intensive with me, and most of it applies anywhere. For the format itself, see my EMDR intensives page.
What an EMDR intensive is, in one paragraph
An EMDR intensive is an extended, focused block of therapy built around one concern: a specific memory, belief or pattern. Instead of starting and stopping inside a 50-minute hour, we have more uninterrupted time to prepare, process, pause when needed and follow what comes up. With me, it's three appointments on separate, non-consecutive days: a 90-minute preparation session, a 3-hour EMDR session, and a 50-minute integration and follow-up session. An intensive can stand alone or run alongside weekly therapy with your own therapist.
How much does an EMDR intensive cost?
The Focused Intensive package is $1,850. That covers the 90-minute preparation session, the 3-hour EMDR session and the 50-minute integration session.
Before any package, there's a 50-minute assessment, $215. The assessment is where we decide together whether an intensive makes sense for you. There's no obligation to continue. If it isn't the right fit, I'll say so, and we'll talk about what would be.
So the first cost you'll see is the assessment. If we go ahead, the package fee comes after that: $2,065 in total. The assessment stands on its own; it isn't credited toward the package.
Additional sessions: if more work would help after the package, we'll discuss it based on your goals. They're $525 per 90 minutes or $1,050 per 3 hours.
Payment and cancellation. A deposit is due at booking and holds your dates. The balance is due on the day of the intensive. Cancellations need 48 hours' notice.
HSA and FSA. Both are accepted.
Prices vary a lot between practices. Some intensives are a single long day, some run across a week, some include lodging. When you compare, compare what's included and who's delivering it, not just the number.
How long does an EMDR intensive take?
The package is 5 hours and 20 minutes of session time across three appointments, on separate days, with time between them on purpose. The preparation session comes first. The 3-hour session follows once you're ready. The integration session comes after you've had some days to notice what shifted. Most people complete the three appointments within two to four weeks.
Will we process for three hours straight? No. Three hours is the container, not a sprint. We build in breaks, grounding and reflection, and we move at a pace that feels manageable. Some people use most of the time on one memory. Others move through several connected ones. The pace and the amount of work vary from person to person, and I'd be wary of anyone who promised otherwise.
How many intensives will I need? One concern, one package, is the starting plan. Some people come back later for a different target. A single event usually needs less time than a pattern that's been with you since childhood. We decide in the assessment and check again at the integration session.
Does insurance cover EMDR intensives?
I'm an out-of-network provider and don't bill insurance directly. That affects weekly sessions and intensives differently.
Weekly 50-minute sessions are more commonly reimbursed. Many PPO plans reimburse part or all of the fee for an out-of-network therapist. I provide a superbill, which is an itemized receipt with the codes your insurer needs, and you submit it yourself. Reimbursement comes from your plan, not from me.
Intensives are private pay. I don't provide superbills for intensives, because insurance plans generally don't reimburse sessions longer than 60 minutes. Plan on paying the full fee.
If you want to check your weekly-session benefits, call the member line on your insurance card and ask three questions. Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits? What's my out-of-network deductible, and how much of it have I met? What percentage of the fee is reimbursed once I meet it?
Can I do an EMDR intensive online?
Yes. I offer online intensives to clients who are physically in New York or California at the time of each appointment. The structure is identical: the same three appointments, the same pacing, the same preparation.
What you'll need. A private room where you won't be interrupted for three hours. A laptop rather than a phone. A stable connection. Headphones. Water, tissues, a journal, and a blanket or comfort item if you want one. And, if you can manage it, nothing scheduled for the rest of that day.
How the EMDR part works online. EMDR uses back-and-forth stimulation while you hold a memory in mind. Online, we either use a bilateral stimulation app or you tap for yourself with the butterfly hug, arms crossed and hands tapping your shoulders. I'll walk you through both in the preparation session.
Online or in person? That's based on your comfort and preference. I've done many successful intensives online, and in my experience EMDR works well virtually with the right setup. If something in the assessment suggests in person would serve you better, I'll recommend it.
In person. My office is at 928 Broadway, Suite 900, in Flatiron, near Union Square and Madison Square Park. I also offer intensives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
How an intensive differs from weekly EMDR
Session length. Weekly EMDR: 50 minutes. Intensive: 90 minutes, then 3 hours, then 50 minutes.
Rhythm. Weekly EMDR: ongoing, usually weekly. Intensive: three appointments over a few weeks.
Focus. Weekly EMDR: what's coming up each week, within a longer plan. Intensive: one agreed target.
Fee. Weekly EMDR: $215 per session. Intensive: $1,850 package plus the $215 assessment.
Insurance. Weekly EMDR: superbill available for possible reimbursement. Intensive: private pay, no superbill.
Relationship. Weekly EMDR: builds over months. Intensive: brief and focused; can sit alongside your own therapist.
Two things an intensive is not. It isn't faster therapy. It's more uninterrupted time, and how much we get through depends on you and on the target. And it isn't a replacement for the kind of ongoing relationship that complex, long-standing material often needs. Plenty of my clients do both: weekly work with me or with their own therapist, and an intensive for one specific piece.
There's also a middle option. For ongoing clients, I offer single 90-minute and 3-hour EMDR sessions instead of the 50-minute hour, at the same rates as additional intensive sessions: $525 per 90 minutes or $1,050 per 3 hours.
Intensive or retreat? An EMDR retreat usually means several days away, sometimes with lodging and group elements. An intensive is outpatient: you go home after each appointment and sleep in your own bed. I offer intensives, not retreats.
So is it worth it?
For the right person and the right target, yes. For the wrong fit, no, and the assessment exists so you don't find that out $1,850 later.
Some ways to think about it:
In session time, $1,850 is roughly what eight and a half weekly sessions cost. You're not buying faster therapy with it. You're buying five hours that aren't broken into 50-minute pieces, with preparation before and follow-up after.
It tends to earn its cost when there's a specific memory, event or belief that keeps running the show, you already understand it, and understanding hasn't changed how it feels. An accident, a medical event, a breakup, a loss. The time you were eight and everything changed. "I'm only safe when I'm useful."
It tends not to when what you need is steady, ongoing support, when things are in crisis right now, or when you're not sure yet what you'd want to work on. Weekly therapy is the better first step there, and I'll say so.
If you already have a therapist you trust, an intensive doesn't mean leaving them. With your consent, I coordinate with them before and after so the work fits together.
The worst outcome isn't an intensive that runs over or doesn't finish the target. We plan for that. The worst outcome is paying for a format that wasn't right for you, which is why the assessment comes first and why I'll tell you honestly what I see.
Who intensives tend to suit
An intensive may be a good fit if you:
want focused support around a distressing experience or a recurring pattern, such as self-criticism or people-pleasing
have a specific experience you'd like to process, such as an accident, a medical event, a breakup or a loss
are dealing with anxiety or panic, or with childhood experiences that still affect your relationships now
have done a lot of therapy, understand your patterns, and still don't feel the change in your body
are a healthcare professional or high achiever looking for deeper change in a shorter period of time
already have a therapist and want to process something specific without leaving them
An intensive isn't the right first step for everyone. If you're in an acute crisis, were recently hospitalized, are in the middle of a major life upheaval, or don't yet have grounding skills in place, weekly work or further assessment usually comes first. That's part of what the assessment is for, and it isn't a judgment. It's about setting you up to get something out of the time.
What happens next
A free 15-minute call. You tell me what's going on. I explain the format and answer questions.
A 50-minute assessment, $215. We look at your history, your current support and your readiness, and decide together. No obligation.
We schedule. Three dates, on separate days, in person or online.
FAQ
How much does an EMDR intensive cost in NYC? With me, the package is $1,850, plus a separate $215 assessment first, so $2,065 in all. Prices vary between practices depending on length and format, so compare what's included, not just the number.
How long is an EMDR intensive? My package is 5 hours and 20 minutes across three appointments on separate days: 90 minutes of preparation, a 3-hour EMDR session and a 50-minute follow-up. Most people complete it within two to four weeks.
Does insurance cover an EMDR intensive? No. Intensives are private pay. I'm out of network, and I don't provide superbills for intensives, since insurance plans generally don't reimburse sessions longer than 60 minutes. For weekly therapy sessions, a superbill is available on request.
Can I do an EMDR intensive online? Yes, if you're in New York or California. You'll need a private room for three hours, a laptop, a stable connection and headphones. Online or in person is your choice, based on what feels most comfortable; if the assessment suggests in person would serve you better, I'll say so.
What if we don't finish the target? It happens, and it's not a failure. In the integration session we look at what shifted and what's still open, and we decide together: leave it there, add a session, or hand the thread back to your own therapist with notes. The work doesn't have to be finished in one block to be worth doing.
Sources
EMDR International Association. Become an EMDRIA Certified Therapist. emdria.org