At Vancouver EMDR Therapy, we offer EMDR sessions in either standard 53-minute sessions or 90-minute extended sessions, depending on your needs and treatment goals. Extended sessions provide extra time for trauma processing, grounding, and integration, allowing you to move through each phase of EMDR more fully and safely without feeling rushed.
Why Choose a 90-Minute EMDR Session?
Extended sessions give your therapist space to guide you through the full EMDR process while supporting nervous system regulation and emotional safety. Benefits include:
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Deeper and uninterrupted processing of activating material
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More time for grounding and closure, helping you leave the session feeling steady and supported
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Improved integration of insights and emotional shifts
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Space for complex or layered trauma, making them ideal for developmental trauma, medical trauma, first responder stress, or high-stress life periods
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Practical flexibility for busy professionals or parents who struggle to fit weekly sessions into their schedules
Moving Through the Eight Phases of EMDR
A 90-minute session allows us to work thoroughly through EMDR’s structured eight phases:
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History Taking – We review your background, current concerns, and treatment goals.
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Preparation – You learn grounding and stabilization skills while building safety and understanding of the process.
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Assessment – We identify the target memory or issue and establish baseline measures.
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Desensitization (Processing) – Using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sounds), your brain begins to reprocess the memory. Extended sessions provide time for this phase to proceed without interruption.
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Installation – Positive beliefs and adaptive perspectives that emerge during processing are strengthened.
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Body Scan – We check for any remaining physical tension or sensations connected to the memory.
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Closure – Extended time ensures grounding and stabilization, leaving you feeling safe and steady.
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Reevaluation – At the next session, we review progress and determine next steps.
Integrative and Holistic Approach
While EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol, our therapists may integrate additional approaches to support safety, regulation, and deeper healing. In a 90-minute session, there is more time to include integrative techniques such as:
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Internal Family Systems (IFS)–informed “parts work” to increase awareness of internal experiences
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Somatic therapy techniques to help regulate the nervous system
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Attachment-focused interventions to address relational and attachment patterns
These approaches complement EMDR, allowing for a more personalized, client-centered experience while maintaining the integrity of the structured protocol.
Learn More About EMDR Extended Sessions
Extended sessions provide the time and space for deeper, meaningful healing, whether you are addressing complex trauma, C-PTSD, medical trauma, or other challenging experiences.
To learn more about session options and pricing, please visit our EMDR Therapy Fees page.
You can also explore EMDR’s research and principles on the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) website.
