EMDR is a way to help the brain’s natural ability to process traumatic or stressful events in an efficient and transformative way. Intensive application of EMDR is a safe and effective treatment and can be well tolerated in people with PTSD, enabling efficient symptom reduction.

Perhaps you’re needing help — and a lot of it—right now, and you don’t want to spend months in the traditional weekly model of therapy to feel better. You may be a new client who prefers to work intensively. Or perhaps you’re working with a psychologist or counsellor and you’re needing to do a specific piece of trauma processing work before returning to your regular sessions.

This type of therapy would not be suitable for those who experience a high level of dissociation and require more stabilisation. Regular sessions over a longer period of time would be safer and appropriate.

Book in an initial free 10min confidential call with the psychologist.

If it is a good fit, you can book in your first 50min assessment session, agree on therapy goals and program.

Once you’re ready, a 50-min EMDR processing session will need to be scheduled to determine how you response to EMDR therapy. If we both agree it has been effective, it is well tolerated and you’re motivated to work on a number of issues then you can book in the intensive sessions and a follow up session.

The session will cover psycho-education, checking for readiness, and then we start working through the 8 phases of EMDR. This will include setting up resources, creating a list of “target” memories then processing the traumatic / stressful memories.

Short breaks can be taken during the 3 hour intensives as needed. Clients should be available for 3.5 hours.

The 6-hour full day intensive will include regular short breaks and a 1 hour lunch break. Clients should be available for 7.5 hours that day.

Unfortunately medicare rebates are based on traditional weekly therapy sessions and does not allow for higher rebates for intensive sessions. If you have a mental health treatment plan from your GP, you can claim for one medicare rebate per day, which means there will be a larger gap to be paid by you.

Please speak to your health fund to find out how they might cover for intensive therapy and the caps per day before signing up.

If you need more support after the follow up, you can book in for more intensive sessions or return to your existing psychologist / counsellor for ongoing support.

Unfortunately telehealth sessions are not available for EMDR intensives. Face to face intensives is a professional preference. Initial and follow up sessions may be offered via telehealth on a case-by-case basis.

Pre-assessment (50mins) and follow up (50mins) sessions are paid on the day of the appointment.

To secure your EMDR intensive block, a deposit of $200 must be made. This deposit can be deducted from the package cost or refunded if cancelled no later than 48 hours before the booking.

Full payment for the EMDR intensive block must be made on the day of the session.

Cancellations must be made no later than 72 hours (3 days) in advance otherwise cancellation fees will apply.

Late cancellations within the 72 hour window will incur 50% of the intensive cost of the treatment.

Unfortunately, the psychologist does not work with children, couples or families at this time. Older teenagers may be accepted upon the psychologist’s discretion.

Yes. EMDR therapy is offered at a Sydney practice in St Leonards near trains, metro and buses.