Trauma Therapy Intensives in NJ & PA – Focused Healing for Complex Trauma
Intensives can help you accomplish in one session what may take months in traditional therapy.
What Are Therapy Intensives?
A therapy intensive is a structured, short-term therapy program designed to address specific psychological issues like trauma, PTSD, and attachment wounds. Unlike traditional therapy, which may span several months or years, a therapy intensive condenses the healing process into a shorter period, such as a few days or weeks. This approach is particularly beneficial for individuals who need to make significant progress in a limited time or who want a more immersive therapeutic experience.
My trauma therapy intensives provide personalized care through evidence-based practices such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), and other trauma-informed modalities. These intensive sessions are designed to meet the unique needs of each client, whether you are recovering from childhood trauma, recent traumatic events, or long-standing emotional pain.
During a therapy intensive, clients typically participate in multiple therapy sessions each day, allowing for continuous focus on healing without the interruptions of daily life. This immersive setting fosters deep emotional processing and helps clients make rapid progress in their trauma recovery.
Why Choose Trauma Therapy Intensives?
Deep and Accelerated Healing: Therapy intensives allow you to engage in multiple sessions each day, providing the time and space to fully focus on your healing. This results in faster emotional processing and recovery from trauma compared to traditional weekly therapy sessions. Clients often experience significant breakthroughs after just a few days of concentrated therapy.
Tailored Treatment Plans: I create highly customized therapy plans that address your unique trauma history and healing goals. This ensures that every aspect of your emotional and psychological needs is attended to, giving you the tools and support to achieve lasting results.
Focused Therapeutic Environment: In an intensive setting, you can fully dedicate yourself to the therapeutic process without the distractions of daily life. This focused approach helps you access and process emotions that may be difficult to reach in a traditional therapy setting.
Comprehensive Trauma Support: Therapy intensives incorporate a variety of trauma-informed modalities, including EMDR, DBT, somatic therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches. This ensures that you receive a well-rounded and comprehensive treatment that addresses not just the cognitive aspects of trauma but also the emotional and physical symptoms.
Cost and Time Efficiency: Although therapy intensives require a short-term commitment, they often provide quicker results, making them more cost-effective in the long run. Many clients find that an intensive program allows them to achieve months' worth of progress in a condensed time period.
Who Can Benefit from Therapy Intensives?
Our therapy intensives are particularly beneficial for individuals dealing with:
Complex Trauma and PTSD: If you’ve experienced prolonged exposure to trauma or have been diagnosed with PTSD, a therapy intensive can help you process these events more quickly and deeply.
Attachment Trauma: Many of our clients struggle with unresolved issues related to attachment, whether from childhood or past relationships. An intensive program provides a concentrated space to address these wounds and begin the process of reparenting and healing your inner child.
Anxiety, Depression, and Emotional Dysregulation: For those experiencing severe anxiety, depression, or emotional overwhelm, the immersive nature of a therapy intensive allows for quicker relief of these symptoms.
Busy Professionals or Individuals with Time Constraints: If your schedule makes it difficult to attend weekly therapy sessions, an intensive program offers the opportunity to engage in meaningful therapeutic work without the need for a long-term commitment. You can achieve substantial progress in a matter of days, enabling you to return to your daily life with renewed energy and emotional clarity.
Many clients come choose intensives because they have already worked through some aspects of their trauma in traditional therapy but feel they need a more intensive experience to resolve deeper issues. Others choose intensives after experiencing a significant life event, such as a loss, abuse, or other trauma, and need a more immediate therapeutic solution.
EMDR Therapy Intensives for Trauma Recovery
One of the most effective modalities we offer in our therapy intensives is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR has been extensively researched and proven to be highly effective in treating trauma and PTSD. During an EMDR therapy intensive, you will work closely with a trauma therapist to reprocess traumatic memories and reduce the emotional distress associated with them.
How EMDR Therapy Works
EMDR therapy involves using bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements) while recalling traumatic memories. This process helps the brain reprocess these memories, reducing their emotional charge and allowing you to heal from the distress they cause. EMDR is particularly effective for individuals who have experienced single-event trauma (such as a car accident or assault) as well as those with more complex trauma histories.
Benefits of an EMDR Intensive
Faster Resolution of Trauma: Many clients experience a significant reduction in symptoms, such as anxiety, flashbacks, and nightmares, after just a few EMDR sessions.
Deep Emotional Healing: EMDR allows you to process traumatic events that have been “stuck” in the brain, creating long-lasting emotional relief.
Enhanced Emotional Resilience: By reprocessing trauma, EMDR helps you build emotional resilience, improving your ability to cope with future stressors.
Our EMDR intensives provide a concentrated, structured approach that helps you process and release trauma in a safe, supportive setting.
Attachment-Focused Trauma Therapy Intensives
For individuals dealing with attachment trauma stemming from childhood or past relationships, our therapy intensives provide an opportunity to heal the deep wounds related to insecure attachment. These programs focus on reparenting the inner child, repairing emotional bonds, and building secure attachment patterns that foster healthier relationships.
attachment-focused intensives incorporate techniques such as:
Reparenting the Inner Child: This helps clients reconnect with their younger selves, heal past wounds, and create a more nurturing relationship with themselves.
Attachment-Based EMDR: A variation of EMDR that focuses specifically on attachment-related trauma, helping you reprocess painful memories from childhood and develop healthier attachment styles.
Somatic Therapy: To release attachment-related trauma stored in the body, improving emotional regulation and self-awareness.
What Is Included?
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Pre-Intensive Interview
This initial consultation serves as the cornerstone for your personalized experience. We’ll clarify your therapeutic goals, assess your coping mechanisms, and identify the areas that need targeted healing.
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Personalized Workbook
I offer a customized client workbook for all individuals enrolled in the intensive program. The workbook will be tailored specifically to your needs and you will have access to it prior to the intensive. It will be there to guide and support you before, during and after your intensive.
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Customized Treatment Program
Therapy intensives are specifically designed to address your individual challenges and objectives. This program employs a blend of EMDR reprocessing, guided meditations, and trauma informed therapy for comprehensive healing.
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Post-Intensive Interview
This reflective session allows us to discuss your transformative experiences, identify the most impactful takeaways, and explore strategies for integrating your newfound growth into your daily life.
What to Expect from a Trauma Therapy Intensive
I understand that every person’s healing journey is unique. That’s why our trauma therapy intensives are tailored specifically to your needs and goals. Here’s what you can expect during the process:
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1- DAY INTENSIVE
-60 Minute Pre-Intensive Interview
-Personalized Workbook
-1 Day of Intensive Session (Total of 3 Hours)
-Follow-Up Interview To Assess & Reflect-Ideal for those with 1-2 specific treatment goals.
Investment:
$225 per hour for weekdays, $300 per hour for weekends.
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2 -DAY INTENSIVE
-60 Minute Pre-Intensive Interview
-Personalized Workbook
-2 Days of Intensive Sessions (Total of 6 Hours)
-Follow-Up Interview To Assess & Reflect- Ideal for those with multiple goals or more complex histories.
Investment:
$225 per hour for weekdays, $300 per hour for weekends.
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3- DAY INTENSIVE
-60 Minute Pre-Intensive Interview
-Personalized Workbook
-3 Days of Intensive Sessions (Total of 9 Hours)
-Follow-Up Interview To Assess & Reflect-Ideal for those with complex histories who want to maximize their potential improvements.
Investment:
$225 per hour for weekdays, $300 per hour for weekends.
Imagine finally getting to…
✓ Resolve the pain that’s harming your self-esteem
Self-esteem largely develops in our childhood and adolescence, and if you did not grow up feeling fully supported or cherished, it’s likely you became an adult who struggles with poor confidence and a lack of self-esteem. EMDR or Trauma Intensives can repair the wounds associated with those difficult past experiences and provide an opportunity for you to develop the self-assurance you’re looking for.
✓ Get relief from nightmares, panic attacks, and feelings of fear
When you struggle with traumatic experiences or PTSD, symptoms like panic attacks and nightmares can be a weekly, if not daily occurrence. Not to mention the pervasive feeling of fear that follows you throughout your daily life. Most people who have experienced trauma live in a near-constant state of anxiety. This constant feeling of anxiety leads to irritability and frustration that’s often taken out accidentally on others. EMDR can relieve the pervasive feelings of fear or anxiety and help stop symptoms like panic attacks or nightmares.
✓ Overcome the obstacles that are keeping you from living the life you want
What would you do if you didn’t feel anxious? If you didn’t have to worry about panic attacks, nightmares, or your emotions spinning out of control? For many, the answer is that they would engage in their lives more fully than they ever have before. They would explore their interests, hobbies, and passions. They would take risks and pursue their goals because they are no longer held back by fear. Allow yourself to imagine what could be different in your life if EMDR were able to relieve your feelings of fear and anxiety.
Change is possible—and it can happen fast.
Let’s get you on the path to the relief you’re needing.
FAQs
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Therapy intensives can be a valuable investment, providing rapid symptom relief and deeper, more focused treatment compared to traditional sessions. Many clients find that these sessions lead to faster progress and greater engagement! While there may be a higher upfront cost, the benefits of accelerated healing and tailored care make intensives a positive and effective choice for those seeking significant improvement in a shorter time.
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One reason clients love intensives is because they get 6 months or more worth of therapy in just 3 days. The financial investment may be the same as weekly therapy, but the time frame can be more advantageous, especially for busy people! The benefit of not stopping and starting so frequently in a therapy session (like in classic 60 min sessions each week) provides the time and space needed to really do a deep dive into a client’s story. An intensive is a different way of approaching treatment.
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Therapy Intensives are more effective and efficient than normal 45-minute therapy sessions. Typically in a 45-minute session, there are at least 5-10 minutes of “check-in” at the start of the session and usually, 5-10 minutes spent on “closing up” or “checking out” at the end of a session - Leaving only 30-40 minutes for deep therapeutic work. Therapy Intensives are different. A 3-hour Therapy Intensive allows for 2.5 hours of depth work. That’s the equivalent of five 50-minute sessions or more than a month of therapy - in a single day.
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EMDR Intensives start at $225 per hour.
This type of therapy is a more significant investment, but the long-term value and impact on your personal growth and well-being is 100% worth it. Intensives can be more cost-effective and save you time by resolving one or multiple issues in an intensive that might actually take double the amount of time or more in traditional talk therapy.
Payment plan options are available upon request.
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Absolutely! Therapy Intensives work very well as an adjunct therapy. I would ask that you sign a Release of Information so that your current therapist and I can collaborate/coordinate to best serve you.
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Therapy Intensives are not covered by insurance. However, if you have out-of-network benefits, your insurance company may reimburse a portion of the Therapy Intensive. This is determined by your insurance on case-by-case basis. I’ve had some clients in the past who were able to get a significant portion of the cost of an intensive covered. However, this is highly individual and determined by your plan.
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Let’s schedule a time to talk! I’m happy to answer any questions and explore your unique situation to see if a Therapy Intensive may be helpful for you.
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There are many reasons an intensive may not be the best fit.
The most evident reasons are:
The person needs residential treatment with oversight because self-harming is a concern.
The person is detoxing from substance.
The person needs crisis intervention.
The person feels “forced” into therapy. An intensive is effective if all participants are willing.
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After booking, I hold the dates for one week and require you to complete all of your paperwork in the client portal. I then charge a non-refundable deposit of half the total intensive cost. I charge the full fee for canceled or rescheduled sessions with less than 24 hours' notice, or no-shows. I make exceptions for unavoidable conflicts or emergencies and will work with you to offer other arrangements to avoid the cancellation fee.