EMDR Intensives in Gig Harbor: A Different Approach to Healing Trauma

If you’ve ever felt like your 53-minute therapy sessions (time designed by insurance companies) end just as you start to open up, you’re not alone. Many people reach a point in their healing where they want to go deeper — without the stop-and-start feeling of weekly therapy.

That’s where EMDR Intensives come in. These longer therapy sessions allow you to process trauma, anxiety, grief, or stress in a focused, gentle, and efficient way — so you can experience meaningful progress in less time.

What Are EMDR Intensives?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a research-backed therapy designed to help your brain and body reprocess distressing memories, reducing their emotional charge and helping you feel calmer and more in control.

In an intensive format, EMDR therapy is offered in longer sessions — anywhere from 90 minutes to multiple consecutive days — so you can stay fully engaged in the healing process without interruption.

This structure is ideal for individuals ready to make significant progress toward healing from trauma, anxiety, or long-term stress patterns.

Recommended Intensive Lengths

Each EMDR Intensive is tailored to your individual needs, goals, and nervous system. Options include:

• Mini-Intensive (90 minutes): Focused reprocessing around one specific issue or as a boost to ongoing therapy.

• Half-Day Intensive (3–4 hours): Deeper work on several memories or patterns, with time for integration and reflection.

• Full-Day Intensive (6–7 hours, including breaks): A transformative, immersive experience to address complex trauma or longstanding emotional pain.

• Multi-Day Intensive (2+ consecutive days): Designed for those ready for significant change and deep nervous system healing over a few focused days.

Every session includes grounding, breaks, and self-regulation strategies to support your emotional and physical safety throughout the process.

Who Can Benefit From an EMDR Intensive?

EMDR Intensives are especially beneficial for individuals who:

• Feel “stuck” in their trauma or healing process.

• Want to make faster progress toward emotional regulation and recovery.

• Experience anxiety, grief, or stress that interferes with daily life.

• Are busy professionals or parents who prefer flexible scheduling.

• Are already in therapy and want to supplement their current work.

• Live in or near Gig Harbor, Tacoma, or the Seattle area and want an in-person, immersive trauma therapy experience.

Benefits of EMDR Intensives

• Accelerated progress: Accomplish the work of several months of weekly sessions in just a few days.

• Deeper healing: Stay in the flow of EMDR reprocessing without interruptions.

• Personalized experience: Each intensive is custom-designed for your goals and nervous system needs.

• Flexible scheduling: Options that fit your lifestyle, work, and family commitments.

• Safe, contained environment: Sessions are structured to support emotional regulation and integration.

Research suggests that EMDR Intensives can be highly effective for trauma processing and emotional healing, helping clients experience relief and clarity more quickly than traditional therapy alone.

A Nervous System–Informed Approach

Jana integrates Polyvagal Theory into every EMDR session, helping clients understand their body’s cues and develop skills for nervous system regulation. This approach ensures your healing happens at a pace that feels safe and grounded — not rushed or overwhelming.

Whether you’re working through trauma, anxiety, or grief, these extended sessions allow your mind and body the space to truly settle, process, and heal.

Start Your EMDR Intensive Journey

If you’re ready to explore EMDR Intensives in Gig Harbor, or want to learn whether this approach is right for you, reach out to schedule a free consultation.

Together, we’ll create a plan that fits your goals, schedule, and nervous system — so you can move from surviving to truly living.