Individual Therapy Intensives

Therapy intensives are a form of personal therapy retreat, during which therapy is done in a day or a few days versus months of typical, ongoing 55-minute sessions. EMDR is the primary form of therapy used in intensives, however your treatment plan may include coping skills training and other therapeutic processes. 

Why consider an intensive?

In traditional weekly therapy, approximately 15-20% of the session is used for "checking in" and "wrapping up" combined. These are necessary parts of therapy, but are time-consuming in shorter sessions, leaving the average client longing for more time for therapeutic intervention.

Addressing emotional well-being concerns in a matter of days versus months or years has many other advantages. One of these advantages is cost. Sometimes the cost of on-going mental health challenges is simply too great. There can be costs associated with missed work, travel to and from weekly appointments, medications you may find you don't need or need less of following intensive therapy, and, for some, the cost of lost opportunities. 

Can you say more about intensives being cost effective?

Yes,one example of the efficiency of intensive therapy: Due to a variety of factors, the therapeutic work my clients and I do in a 4-hour intensive tends to be roughly equivalent to 8 weeks of traditional therapy, thereby saving the client approximately 50% in therapy fees.

How long will my intensive be?

When you request intensive therapy, you will be scheduled for a pre-intensive screening with me, during which we will discuss your treatment needs and determine if intensive therapy is appropriate. Intensive lengths are based upon the information collected during this screening. Currently, half-day and full-day intensives (up to 3 consecutive days) are available. Most people are very pleased with the amount of work they can accomplish in their scheduled intensive, however, if you decide you'd like to do more work, we can discuss options for continued growth and healing. Recurring 4-hour sessions may be possible, as well. 

What will the process look like?

• Your pre-intensive screening session will last about 30 minutes. If we determine intensive therapy is a good fit for you, you will be scheduled for an intensive.
• Your intensive will take place over a half-day or up to 3 days in a row, depending upon our discussion in your initial screening.
• Following your therapy intensive, you will have a 30 minute follow up appointment. This post-intensive appointment is a very important of the process and will allow us to track the improvements you've noticed since your intensive and determine any next steps.

Will I be able to tolerate half or full days of therapy?

By report, EMDR tends to be more tolerable than many other forms of therapy. You do not have to tell me details of stressful experiences for EMDR to be effective. To engage in EMDR, you will however need to think about the upsetting events you'd like to overcome. Your session will also include time devoted to reinforcing positive feelings about yourself and the future.

What are my options for paying for my intensive?

The fee for a half-day intensive is $630 and full-day intensives are $1100. Many clients choose to cover their intensive fee by using their HSA card or by using a credit card which enables them to spread out payments over time. My office currently accepts HSA cards, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, cash, and checks. A non-refundable deposit of $300 is required at the time of scheduling.