Do I Need EMDR Training to Offer Therapy Intensives?

This is one of the most common misconceptions I hear from therapists: “I’d love to do intensives, but I’m not trained in EMDR… can I still offer them?”

The short answer: Yes, you can!

Therapy intensives are not tied to a specific modality. They’re not a new type of therapy — they’re a format for delivering the therapy you already practice. That means you don’t need EMDR or any other “special certification” to begin offering them.

Here’s what you need to know — with examples of how different approaches translate beautifully into an intensive format.

Any Therapy Can Be Adapted to the Intensive Model

Think of intensives as a flexible framework. They’re not defined by the modality you use, but by the structure — longer, focused sessions that allow clients to dive deep without the stop-and-start of weekly therapy.

• Example: A CBT therapist might offer a 1-day intensive focused on tackling a client’s specific phobia. Instead of 12 weeks of gradual exposure, they dedicate several hours in one day to create momentum and lasting change.
  

• Example: An EFT couples therapist could design a 2-day weekend intensive for partners feeling disconnected. Instead of circling the same arguments week after week, they spend two focused days creating emotional safety and new patterns of connection.
  

The takeaway: You already have the tools — an intensive just gives you more space to use them powerfully.

Therapies That Work Well in Intensive Therapy Formats

Some approaches naturally lend themselves to the intensive model. Here’s how they might look in practice:

• Trauma-focused work (somatic experiencing, IFS, attachment repair): A therapist offers a 3-day trauma healing intensive for clients who have done years of talk therapy but feel stuck.
  

• Couples therapy: A therapist creates a “Reconnect & Repair” weekend intensive for couples on the brink of separation.
  

• Skill-based therapies (DBT, ACT, communication skills): A clinician offers a half-day “emotional regulation intensive” where clients embody DBT skills in a way that weekly sessions don’t allow.
  

• Insight-oriented therapy: A psychodynamic therapist hosts a day-long “life transitions intensive” for a client navigating divorce.

Why Clients Love Therapy Intensives

Clients often prefer intensives because they fit both their goals and their lifestyle:

• Faster results: A busy professional struggling with panic attacks may prefer a weekend intensive instead of waiting months for relief.
  

• No loss of momentum: A couple working through betrayal can move forward without pausing between sessions.
  

• Flexible scheduling: Parents juggling childcare may find it easier to block one full day than 12 Thursday afternoons.
  

• Immersion = deeper healing: Without interruptions, clients stay engaged long enough for real breakthroughs.
  

One of my favorite client reflections: “I feel like I made more progress in one weekend intensive than in the last two years combined.”

Therapists Already Have What They Need to Offer Intensives

Your expertise is the foundation. The shift isn’t in what you know — it’s in how you deliver it.

• A grief therapist might offer a one-day “navigating loss intensive” for clients in the early weeks of grief.
  

• A somatic therapist could design a 2-day body-based intensive for trauma survivors, reconnecting with safety.
  

• A couples therapist could package a “premarital intensive” as a positive, future-focused experience.
  

Every example builds on skills therapists already have — the intensive format simply creates a new, powerful container for the work.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need EMDR to Lead Powerful Intensives

If you’ve ever thought you couldn’t do intensives because you’re not EMDR-trained, I hope this opens up new possibilities. You don’t need a new credential — you just need to reimagine how you’re already helping clients.

Therapy intensives are a way to:
• Deepen your work with clients
• Help them achieve faster, lasting relief
• Create more freedom and sustainability in your practice

I’m passionate about helping therapists design intensives that feel aligned, heart-centered, and impactful.

Want support adapting your work into the intensive model? My Launch Guide Program walks you step by step through how to design, price, and confidently market intensives — so you can serve clients more deeply and create the practice you’ve been dreaming about.

And I’d love to hear from you: What’s your biggest question about adapting your therapy approach into an intensive? Drop it in the comments below!