EMDR Retreats
What is an Intensive Retreat?
Let’s start with EMDR. EMDR is originally a trauma therapy that was invented in the 1980’s, which utilizes bilateral movements to reprocess and desensitize trauma. Check out our EMDR page to learn more.
Intensives are any therapy provided over a typical 50-minute session. In our retreat specifically, 90 minutes of therapy will be provided, followed by body work or movement, with an additional 90 minutes.
Our retreats provide so much benefit for you in a weekend. Imagine, a one-stop shop for your mental health care. Before you even start we’ll send you material to get you rolling so that you can hit the ground running in your weekend retreat. Here is a brief rundown of all the other wonderful things you’re going to receive: nine hours of therapy, chiropractic care, massage, health education, art activities, great food, a place to stay with access to beautiful outdoor areas, and a group of other women going along on the journey beside you. For a more specific outline, see the bottom of this page.
Why participate?
EMDR Retreats have been proven to be more effective in the same number of hours, than typical 50-minute EMDR sessions. That means that 9 hours of EMDR Intensive work is not the same as 9 hours of weekly EMDR work. With the momentum developed in EMDR intensives, combined with the extra services you’ll be receiving at the retreat, we truly believe you should anticipate ONE YEAR worth of therapeutic progress over our weekend retreat.
A retreat isn’t a cure all, but if you’re just getting started on your healing journey it is a huge jump start. If you’re in the middle of your healing journey this can help you get through some big stuck points or gain momentum again. This can also help you to wrap up therapy for now. Eliminating the final triggers you’ve been managing for so long.
What the research says on the effectiveness of intensives: between 75-90% of participants in structured EMDR participants will no longer qualify for PTSD diagnoses following an intensive. This being said, EMDR does not only treat PTSD, but wow, look at those results. For more information on EMDR intensive results, read our blog: Do EMDR Intensives Work?
How it started.
As a therapist consistently pursuing providing high quality care I started to explore EMDR intensives. Intensives are any sessions lasting longer than a typical 45-50 minutes. My favorite length of time within a day or a couple of days is 3-6 hours. What I started to notice with intensives was that they allowed for a level of momentum to build that didn't occur in a 50 minute session.
As I saw such promising results from intensives, I wanted to explore who in the field was conducting the most well-researched intensives. I stumbled upon Dr. De Jongh who is exploring how to effectively combine EMDR in an intensive format, along with movement of some kind. As a government funded program in the Netherlands there has been extensive research on this model that yields excellent results.
Parallel to my growth as an EMDR therapist I was also personally learning a lot about functional medicine. I started really valuing what other practitioners, such as chiropractors can do to assist in regulating the nervous system. EMDR can do a lot to rewire our body for calm, but it can't do it all. What would it look like to have a weekend of holistic care? That’s where intensive retreats were born.
Retreat Details
A specific schedule will be provided for you upon signing up for the retreat
The following are included services:
Consultation, to determine good fit for the retreat.
Customized EMDR workbook will be sent to your home to prepare you for the retreat.
90-minute EMDR intake, in which your assigned EMDR certified therapist will game plan with you.
9 total hours of EMDR, including the 90-minute intake.
Assessment for chiropractic care and acupuncture, with a proposed care plan, including supplement suggestions and after-retreat referrals, if needed.
Chiropractic care and acupuncture provided on site.
Massage therapy provided on site
Art activities provide on site.
Prompted journaling.
Prompted movement activities, such as on site trail walking, between EMDR sessions.
Downtime activities with the other participants in your retreat cohort.
Healthy and delicious in-house food provided for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Accommodations for three nights and four days at two beautiful cottages in Branson MO.
Upcoming Retreat: October 24-27. October 24th is a check-in day, not included in the three days of care. Care will not be provided on this day, but dinner will.
3-day retreat cost: $5,000.
For every fully booked retreat, one half-scholarship will be provided to a foster parent for the next retreat.
If you have a family member, church community, or other group who would like to fund your participation in the retreat, please let us know so that we can assist you in coordinating this.