Therapy intensives offer a focused and accelerated approach to healing by providing extended blocks of therapy time, typically 1.5-3 hours per day over one or several days. Unlike traditional 45-minute weekly sessions, intensives allow clients to work deeply without interruption, maintain emotional momentum, and achieve meaningful change more quickly.
Therapy Intensives for Trauma & Relationship Healing
Intensives are especially suited for trauma therapy using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Brainspotting, as well as for couples therapy aimed at strengthening communication, healing relational wounds, and rebuilding connection.
Therapy intensives are Effective for a Variety of Issues
- Trauma, PTSD, and complex trauma
- Anxiety, panic, phobias and chronic stress
- Burnout and emotional exhaustion
- Relationship conflict or disconnection
- Depression, grief and loss
- Performance blocks, perfectionism, and executive functioning challenges
- Transitional periods (breakups, job change, relocation)
Benefits of Therapy Intensives Over Weekly Sessions
- Faster progress: Clients often achieve weeks or months of progress in a shorter period
- Reduced interruption: Extended time prevents the “stop-start” feeling common in 45-minute sessions
- Deeper processing: Allows for completion of full trauma processing cycles in one sitting
- Increased stabilization: Enough time is built in for grounding and integration
- Ideal for busy schedules: Suitable for clients who cannot attend weekly therapy or want targeted support
- More controlled environment: Minimizes external stressors and supports emotional safety
- More cost-effective long term: Clients needing fewer total sessions may save time and resources
Ready to Start With Therapy Intensives in Montclair, NJ?
Looking to start therapy Intensives in Montclair or the New Jersey area? Contact us to schedule a consultation and determine whether a therapy intensive is right for you or your relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Therapy Intensives can vary in length from 90 minutes to 3 hours or longer, depending on the clients goals and schedule and can occur in one day or over several days.
Each new round of intensives first begins with an intake session to discuss needs, assess suitability, and ask questions, followed by a series of intensive therapy sessions and followed-up with an integration session to ensure lasting change. It is often possible to do an intensive while continuing to meet with a primary therapist, sometimes with the consent and collaboration of both therapists.
Therapy intensives are ideal for individuals or couples who want faster results, have a specific concern to address, feel stuck in traditional therapy, or have limited availability. Intensives work especially well for trauma, anxiety, relationship repair, burnout, and emotional overwhelm, as well as for motivated clients who want a deeper, more immersive experience.
Therapy intensives are not suited for individuals or couples who are emotionally unstable, experiencing active safety concerns, have vastly different therapy goals, or cannot tolerate extended therapeutic sessions.
Yes. Trauma therapy intensives using EMDR or Brainspotting allow clients to complete full trauma-processing cycles and process long-standing issues, something weekly therapy often cannot accomplish. Many people experience significant relief, reduced symptoms, and improved emotional stability in a shorter timeframe than traditional therapy.
Intensives are designed with pacing, stabilization, and regulation built in. Clients generally report feeling supported, empowered, and relieved, not overwhelmed, because they have adequate time to process and stabilize before the session ends.
They can, but they don’t have to. Some clients use intensives as their primary form of therapy, especially for targeted goals. Others continue with weekly or biweekly therapy afterward to maintain progress. Intensives can also complement therapy you’re already receiving with another provider.
Before the intensive, your therapist will complete an assessment, help clarify your goals, review your history, and ensure the intensive plan is safe and appropriate. You may also receive psychoeducation materials, self-regulation tools or other guidance to help you get the most out of your time.
Most intensives are considered out-of-network services and may be partially reimbursable depending on your plan and your out-of-network benefits. You’ll receive a superbill (a detailed itemized receipt with service codes, diagnostic codes, etc) after each intensive that you can submit to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement. We can help you understand potential reimbursement via your out-of-network benefits before scheduling.
Yes. EMDR intensives, Brainspotting intensives, and many forms of relationship and emotional work can be done virtually using secure telehealth platforms. Virtual intensives are especially helpful for clients out of state or those with travel limitations.
Yes, intensives are not just for long-term therapy clients. New clients often find intensives a powerful way to jump-start their therapeutic journey and gain rapid clarity and relief.
Absolutely. Couples intensives are excellent for partners preparing for marriage, navigating transitions, strengthening communication, or intentionally investing in their relationship. Intensives are not only for conflict, they’re also for strengthening healthy relationships.
Although many clients experience significant breakthroughs in a short time, some clients return for “booster” intensives, while others resume weekly or biweekly therapy. Your plan will be tailored to your goals and long-term needs.
No. Therapy intensives and IOPs are very different levels of care. Therapy intensives are extended sessions with one licensed therapist in a private practice setting. They are appropriate for clients who are stable, functioning, and safe, but want focused, accelerated support. IOPs are a higher level of care designed for people who need structured, multi-disciplinary treatment several days per week due to the severity of their symptoms.
No. Therapy intensives do not replace IOPs and should not be used in place of a higher level of care when someone is in crisis, has severe mental health symptoms, or needs daily structure and monitoring. Intensives are designed for stable clients who want accelerated therapeutic progress, not for symptom stabilization or crisis management.
We offer a consultation call to discuss your goals, symptoms, and concerns. Together, we determine whether a therapy intensive, traditional therapy, or a hybrid approach will best meet your needs.