EMDR Intensive Therapy in Eden Prairie, MN
More Time. More Depth. More Momentum.
Is weekly therapy starting to feel like it's not quite enough?
You show up. You talk. Something starts to shift — and then the hour is up, the week happens, and by the time you come back, you're spending the first fifteen minutes finding your way back to where you were.
It's not that EMDR isn't working. It's that fifty minutes doesn't leave a lot of room for the kind of deep, sustained processing that real healing often requires.
If you're a teen or adult who's been working through trauma, anxiety, or painful life experiences and you're ready to go further — an EMDR intensive might be exactly what's next.
What Is an EMDR Intensive?
An EMDR intensive is an extended therapy session — typically two to three hours — that gives you the uninterrupted time and space to do deeper trauma work than a weekly appointment allows.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories that have stayed stuck. When something overwhelming happens — a single traumatic event, years of emotional stress, attachment wounds that go way back — your brain can store those experiences in a way that keeps them feeling present even when they're long past. That's why a certain look, a specific situation, or a relationship pattern can still trigger anxiety, shame, or shutdown even when nothing bad is happening right now.
EMDR uses gentle bilateral stimulation — eye movements, taps, or tones — to help the brain loosen the grip on those stored experiences and reprocess them in a way that feels more integrated, more resolved.
In a standard session, you may only have time to begin that work. In an intensive, you have time to actually move through it.
Why an Intensive Format Works So Well with EMDR
EMDR was designed to work in depth. The protocol has a beginning, a middle, and an end — and when you're working through genuinely hard material, that full arc can take more than fifty minutes to complete in a way that feels settled and safe.
In an intensive format:
You don't have to spend the first part of every session catching up or re-grounding before you can begin.
You can move through more than one target memory or stressor in a single session.
When something significant shifts, you have time to stay with it, integrate it, and close gently — instead of stopping right when things are starting to move.
You leave feeling more complete, not raw and mid-process.
For many people, one EMDR intensive creates more movement than months of weekly sessions. That's not a knock on weekly therapy — it's just what focused, sustained time can do.
What an EMDR Intensive at Creekside Looks Like
Every intensive at Creekside is structured with intention. Here's what you can expect:
Before your intensive — a pre-intensive session We'll meet first to get clear on your goals, understand your history, and identify where you most want to experience relief or change. This is where we map out what we'll focus on and make sure the intensive format is the right fit for you.
During your intensive Your intensive session runs two to three hours. Marina will guide you through EMDR processing in a paced, supportive way — moving at a speed that feels manageable for your system, not rushed. We'll address the memories, beliefs, or emotional patterns at the center of what you came to work on, using bilateral stimulation to help your brain do what it's naturally wired to do: heal.
Sessions are thoughtfully paced. Nothing is forced. You're in the driver's seat throughout.
After your intensive — a post-intensive session After your intensive, we'll meet again to help you integrate what shifted, reflect on your experience, and plan for what comes next. The work doesn't stop when the session ends — this follow-up is where the insights get grounded and the momentum continues.
What EMDR Intensives Can Help With
EMDR intensives can be a powerful option for teens and adults navigating:
Trauma from assault, abuse, neglect, or other overwhelming experiences (PTSD)
Complex or layered trauma from childhood or difficult family dynamics (C-PTSD)
Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
Grief and loss, including unexpected or complicated grief
Relationship and attachment wounds — the kind that keep showing up in your closest relationships
Depression tied to old stories and painful core beliefs
Major life transitions that feel destabilizing or emotionally loaded
Burnout, especially among caregivers, helpers, and people who've been holding a lot for a long time
Sleep issues, nightmares, or a nervous system that never quite settles
Performance challenges — creative blocks, perfectionism, fear of failure
Medical trauma, accidents, or experiences related to chronic illness
EMDR intensives are particularly well-suited for teens and adults who:
Have done some EMDR before and want to go deeper
Are brand new to EMDR and want a focused, comprehensive start
Have a specific experience or period of time they're ready to address and want concentrated support to do it
FAQs About EMDR Intensives
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No. The pre-intensive session will orient you to how EMDR works and give Marina the information she needs to support you well. Many people find that starting with an intensive is actually a powerful way to begin — you have more time to understand the process and ease into it without feeling rushed.
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Yes, with some important considerations. Marina has over 15 years of experience working with teens and approaches intensive work with the same developmental care and attunement she brings to all of her work with younger clients. During the pre-intensive session, she'll assess whether the intensive format is developmentally appropriate and a good fit for your teen's specific situation.
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Length and depth. A standard EMDR session is 50–60 minutes. An intensive is 2–3 hours. That extended time means you can move through the full arc of EMDR processing — preparation, activation, reprocessing, resolution — in a way that feels complete rather than paused.
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That's a normal and expected part of the process — and Marina is trained to support you through it. The extended format actually helps here, because there's time to move through activation and close at a regulated place rather than stopping in the middle of something tender.
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That depends entirely on your goals and your history. Some people come in for one intensive focused on a specific experience and feel a meaningful shift. Others find that a series of intensives supports longer-term healing. You and Marina will talk through what makes sense for your situation.
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Intensives are a focused, premium service — they require more time, preparation, and energy than a standard session, and they offer more concentrated value. Intensive sessions are typically $225-270/hour, with packages starting at $450. We are an out-of-network provider, but many PPO insurance plans offer reimbursement for psychotherapy. We can provide a Superbill for all direct-contact therapy services.
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Start with a free 15-minute phone consultation with Marina. It's a chance to connect, share a bit about what you're hoping to work on, and find out whether an EMDR intensive is the right fit.
Meet Marina: EMDR Intensive Therapist for Teens and Adults
Marina Mitcheltree, MA, LPCC, is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with over 15 years of experience supporting teens, adults, and families through trauma, anxiety, and complex emotional challenges. She is trained in EMDR and brings a client-centered, trauma-informed approach to every session — which means she works at your pace, attends to your nervous system, and never pushes you faster than feels safe.
Marina is warm, experienced, and genuinely invested in the people she works with. She creates a space where you don't have to perform okayness or hold yourself together. You can show up as you actually are — and work from there.
Her background with teens is particularly deep. She understands the developmental nuances of working with younger clients and approaches intensive work with the same attunement and care that has made her a trusted therapist for families across Eden Prairie and the Twin Cities.
Creekside Counseling — Therapy Intensives in Eden Prairie, MN
Creekside Counseling is a group private practice in Eden Prairie, MN, serving women, teens, and families across the Twin Cities. Our therapists are trained in evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches — and we're committed to providing care that actually moves the needle, not just management of the same pain week after week.
Proudly serving: Eden Prairie, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Wayzata, Edina, Bloomington, Chanhassen, Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and surrounding communities.