Timing and Logistics of Therapy Intensives

One of the first questions I get from folks is “how long is an intensive, and how often?” As with almost everything, the answer depends! 

Before your intensive even starts, many therapists will have a client workbook that they will send you to fill out. This is customized to your specific needs, with different questions, assessments, things for you to think about, and tips and guidelines for your therapy intensive. Your therapist will review this before your pre-intensive session to get a better idea on what else you might need to talk about during that time, and if there’s anything else they need to explore with you. This workbook also has room for you to journal about your thoughts and feelings leading up to your intensive, what and who your supports are, and space to reflect on the process once you are done. 

Pre-intensive/Intake

Generally, most therapy intensives start with a 60-90 minute intake or pre-intensive session. This is where your therapist will ask more about the assessments you filled out in your workbook and get additional information. You will spend time talking about what brought you in for a therapy intensive, and what goals you want to address. This is also a great time for you to ask any additional questions of your therapist, express any concerns, and finalize details for your therapy intensive. 

The intensive session (or sessions)

Next up is the intensive itself! Often this is scheduled a week or more out from the intake session, as this gives both you and your counselor time to get ready for your time together. 

While different therapists schedule these in different ways, here’s how I handle it. 

The intensive sessions are scheduled for 3 hours at a time. I offer folks the option for a one-day intensive, a full weekend (3 days), or multiple single-day intensives at a semi-regular basis. Three hours allows us time to really dig deep into the work without being completely overwhelming. I generally have a 10-15 minute break in the middle, although we can break as often as needed. 

We spend the first few minutes checking in on your goal to make sure there haven’t been any changes, and then we get to work! I do a lot of Brainspotting in my intensives (more on that here), so we will often begin by having you set up your bilateral music, identifying what you want to work on, and then processing on the brainspot. When doing a brainspotting intensive, people have the benefit of addressing the same concern through different set-ups, which I have found tends to lead to deeper healing. We may also take some time to do some holistic or somatic exercises to help your nervous system really “believe” the work we have done. 

If we are not doing a brainspotting intensive, the general outline of the session will look the same. We will spend the first few minutes making sure the goals set in the pre-intensive session still feel right, and then we will get to work! 

Towards the end of the intensive day, we will discuss self-care for the rest of the day/night and any potential concerns that may come up for you. If you have an entire weekend scheduled, we will briefly talk about this at the end of the first two days, but spend a good chunk of time at the end of the last session on this. Whether you have one day or three, at the very end of the intensive we will also talk about ways to take care of yourself until the follow-up session, how to reach your therapist if you have concerns before then, and answer any other questions you may have. 

Follow-up

I like to schedule a 60 to 90 minute follow-up session with people about a week or so after the last intensive session. This gives us time to see the impact of changes you have made since the intensive! Follow-up sessions tend to look a little more like a traditional talk therapy session. We will talk about your initial goals you had set for the intensive, what changes you’ve noticed, what changes you may like to still see, and what additional needs you might have. 

For many people, especially those who do an entire weekend and have a weekly therapist, we notice at the follow-up that they have gotten what they need from their therapy intensive, and they go back to their regular therapist after the follow-up session. Some folks only needed the intensive and don’t need additional therapy. And sometimes people feel they need another intensive- that’s ok too! I tend to see this the most when people don’t have a counselor they see regularly and did a single-day intensive. At that point, we would talk about if another intensive session would be helpful in another few weeks. 

Can an intensive be done virtually?

One other logistical question I often get is “can you do a therapy intensive virtually?” 

YES!

I do all of my intensives by telehealth, and have found them to be quite effective. One of the benefits of doing an intensive virtually is that you can be in the comfort of your own home surrounded by your comfort items. Or, as long as you and your therapist agree, you can even go on a mini-vacation and do your intensive from a hotel, air b-n-b, or someplace else away from home for a full weekend of healing. As long as you have decent internet connection and a computer, you can do them from anywhere*! 

*Again, make sure your therapist knows what state you will be in- we have some laws that govern where we can see clients.*

So there you have it!  If you want more information on my therapy intensive offerings, click here. 

If you are interested in learning more about how a therapy intensive can help you, whether for trauma, anxiety, ADHD, autism, or anything else, click here to schedule a free 15 minute consult to get your questions answered and to see if we would be a good fit.