EMDR Intensive Playbook — Schedules, Screening & Pricing (Free PDF)
A practical playbook for designing and delivering 2- to 5-day EMDR intensives: who is a good fit, sample day-by-day schedules, consent additions, aftercare and cash-pay pricing models, with the evidence summarised honestly.
Free PDF for EMDR clinicians. Get it by email.
What an EMDR intensive is (and isn't)
An EMDR intensive delivers reprocessing in blocks of 3 to 6 hours a day over consecutive days instead of weekly 50- to 90-minute sessions. It is a delivery format, not a different therapy: the protocol underneath is still the standard 8-phase EMDR or a research-supported adaptation. It is not a shortcut around stabilization and it is not right for every client. For the wider picture, read EMDR Intensives.
What the evidence says
Intensive trauma-focused treatment has a growing evidence base. A 7-day intensive cognitive therapy matched 3 months of weekly therapy (Ehlers et al., 2014). An 8-day programme combining prolonged exposure and EMDR at PSYTREC produced large symptom reductions with low drop-out, including in severe PTSD with dissociation (van Woudenberg et al., 2018), and reduced suicidal ideation without symptom worsening (Van Minnen et al., 2020). A small case series of 4-day intensive EMDR reported no drop-outs (Bongaerts et al., 2017).
The playbook is clear about the limits: much of this research tests combined or non-EMDR programmes, and several studies are small or uncontrolled. Evidence for EMDR-only intensives is promising but more limited, so it should not be presented to clients as EMDR-specific efficacy data.
What's inside the playbook
- A green / yellow / red suitability screener across PTSD severity, dissociation, substance use, suicidality, support, medical stability and logistics
- Sample schedules: a 2-day focal intensive for single-incident trauma, a 3-day intensive for 2–3 targets in one cluster, and a 5-day complex-PTSD intensive across several clusters
- Informed consent additions specific to intensives (between-day activation, no guarantee of full processing, not driving straight after long blocks)
- An aftercare protocol: same-day close, a check-in on day 3–5, an integration session at week 2 and an outcome review at week 6
- Three cash-pay pricing models (per-hour, flat package, tiered) with an ethics note on billing
- Measurement and documentation: pre/post PCL-5, PHQ-9 and GAD-7, a DES-II baseline, a SUD/VoC target log and an adverse-event log
- Full references
Who is a good fit
Clients most suited to an intensive have a clear trauma focus, a sober window of at least 30 days if substance use is relevant, no recent suicide attempt, at least one safe person for aftercare, medical stability for long sessions, and the practical ability to take the days off. A DES-II of 30 or more without a specialist team, active dependence, or a recent attempt are reasons to defer. Screen with the Dissociation Screening & Stabilization Toolkit and the PCL-5 scoring guide.
Inside EMDR Assist
Long reprocessing days are where losing track is easiest. EMDR Assist logs every target, SUD and VoC as you go, keeps the phase guide and interweaves on the same screen as BLS, and produces the written session report at the end of each block.
Related on the EMDR guide
Frequently asked questions
How long is an EMDR intensive?
Most run 2 to 5 consecutive days with 3 to 6 hours of work a day. The playbook includes sample 2-, 3- and 5-day schedules.
Can intensives be billed to insurance?
Rarely. They are usually cash-pay. The playbook explains three pricing models and warns against billing an intensive block as separate 90837 units.
Who should not do an intensive?
The screener suggests deferring for active substance dependence, a recent suicide attempt or active plan, uncontrolled medical problems, high dissociation without a specialist team, or no aftercare support.
Is it free?
Yes. Enter your name and email and the PDF is sent to your inbox.