Understanding intensive EMDR Oct 2025

Introduction to intensive therapy workshops are designed in response to the growing interest in the potential benefits of intensive therapy. The benefits seem obvious: lower dropout rates, building momentum, faster recovery, and less disruption to treatment. However, therapists working in smaller organisations, charities, and private practice do not have access to the level of infrastructure and relevant resources that larger institutions can provide. This introduction aims to meet this need by offering a coherent framework, resources, EMDR insight, and support network that therapists can access without sacrificing their unique ways of working.

The early bird rate is £360 until the 2nd of Sept, this includes 3 days workshops, resources and an opportunity to sign up for specialist supervision.

The workshops take place over three days:

Thursday, 2nd and 3rd Oct 9:30 -16:00 and Friday 10th Oct 11.30-5.30 (GMT)

Days 1 and 2 with Sarah Butler:

• A critical overview of the relevant theory and research

• Methods for screening clients

• Working with safety and risk

• Contracts and contracting

• Processes and procedures from inquiry to discharge

• 7 golden rules for intensive success

• Avoiding pitfalls

• Case studies

• Getting the most out of supervision

• Free resources and materials

• Overview of The Mitland Plan therapists’ resources and community

• Discounted clinical consultation day (extra fees)

Day 3 with Jen Savage

• EMDR target identification and selection

• Structure of EMDR

• Integration of EMDR into the intensive format

*Workshop recordings will be available for 30 days, technology permitting.

**Please note these workshops are for qualified therapists only. If you are a client looking for intensive therapy, please get in touch with Sarah on dr.sarahbutler@outlook.com

Your hosts

Dr Sarah Butler (Psychologist, Researcher)

Sarah Butler is a published researcher who completed her doctoral studies in intensive EMDR for post-traumatic stress in 2023. With 14 years of experience as a clinician in the NHS, MOD, and private practice, she has experience across varied client groups and settings. Throughout her career, she has developed and delivered courses and training programmes for clinicians and patients, and in 2023, won a place on the coveted NHS Clinical Entrepreneurial Programme (CEP) for her innovation, The Mitland Plan, an intensive therapy programme for the treatment of trauma and PTSD.

Sarah has presented her research at several conferences, and in 2023, she founded Cronos Wellbeing Solutions, providing consultancy to charitable and public sector organisations seeking to develop intensive therapy services.

Sarah is currently the chair of the EMDR Association UK Intensive EMDR Special Interest Group (SIG), and an independent subject expert for Police Care UK.

Jen Savage (Beyond Healing Institute and Notice That podcast)

Licensed Professional Counselor

EMDRIA Approved Consultant and Trainer

Owner of Beyond Healing Center and Institute

Host of Notice That Podcast

Jen Savage is a Co-owner of Beyond Healing, a group therapy practice and professional development institute for clinicians around the world. Her journey as a clinician started 14 years ago at a state-funded residential substance abuse treatment facility for women, where she gained experience with a variety of symptom presentations. Amongst a very clinically diverse group of clients, the one thing that seemed to link them all together was their experiences of devastating trauma and their desperate strategies to find relief from their suffering.

That experience led her to seek out training in EMDR Therapy. Following her EMDR basic training, her entire clinical practice began to change. She left agency life and joined a large group practice primarily serving community mental health. Here she focused heavily on working with children and adolescents currently facing trauma related to their primary attachment environments.

She spent time as the clinical director of a privately funded outpatient treatment center, preparing her to branch out later and start her own practice. With her three talented business partners, she built a holistic private practice where she is privileged to be flexible and creative in her conceptualization and approach to therapy.

While operating this practice, Jen and her business partners devote themselves to writing and training on a variety of topics, including case conceptualization, EMDR therapy, somatic psychology, and dissociation. Alongside their development of professional content, they host the Notice That Podcast, the leading EMDR podcast in the world.