How to Talk to Prospective Clients About EMDR Intensives

One of the most common questions I hear from EMDR therapists who are in the “idea” stage of growth with designing their EMDR intensive programs is “how do I start the conversation around trying an EMDR intensive with a client?”

This might be with an existing client that you want to offer an intensive session with or this could be a new prospective client. Either way, to have this conversation, it is helpful to have clarity on a few things to set you up for success. 

Be clear on what you want to offer.

What is the format of the intensive EMDR session you want your client to sign up for? How long will the session be? How many intensive sessions are you offering? 

Have clarity on why you believe an intensive EMDR session or sessions will be beneficial to your client.

For example - An intensive session can provide enough space to wrap up EMDR treatment goals with an existing client. A series of intensive sessions on a focused treatment goal can accelerate the overall healing process.

Decide on your intention for overall treatment goals with your EMDR intensives.

Do you plan on resuming ongoing therapy after the intensive session? Do you want to offer short term work and terminate or refer out after a set number of intensive sessions? Are you available to have an open ended plan to reassess and decide with the client on the best next steps after a certain number of intensive sessions?

Be prepared for the logistical questions.

What is the price? Are you accepting insurance for a portion of the intensive? What is the total anticipated cost for the length of session x number of sessions? What payment method or payment options are you willing to offer? What is your cancellation policy for intensive sessions?

Taking time to plan out your answers to these questions will give you a clear picture of your expectations of your offer. Having clarity helps you to clearly and confidently communicate your offer to your prospective client. This also decreases the likelihood that you will agree to something that doesn’t align with your overall vision for your EMDR intensive program. 

Try out this script with an existing client to pull it all together: 

I’m trying out a new format for my EMDR sessions. I’m starting to offer (length of time) sessions. I’m planning to do (x number of sessions) to focus on specific EMDR treatment goals. I’m trying this out/moving in this direction because (reason why you think it will be more beneficial). I think this would be really helpful for you because (reason specific to their treatment goals). Are you interested in trying this out with me?

When your client says yes, then share pricing and your plan for going forward after the EMDR intensive sessions and continue the discussion to answer any questions your client may have. 

Try out this script with a new prospective client to offer EMDR intensives: 

I provide EMDR in an intensive format. This means we do (length of time) sessions, typically for (x number of sessions) to focus on specific EMDR treatment goals. I find working this way is (reason why you think intensives are beneficial). Based on what you’ve shared so far about your treatment goals for EMDR, I think this would be really helpful to you because (reason specific to why they are seeking EMDR). Does this sound like something you’re interested in moving forward with? 

When your client says yes, then share pricing and your plan for going forward after the EMDR intensive sessions and continue the discussion to answer any questions your client may have.