Therapy Intensives: A focused, immersive option using extended session formats
Smart Therapy™ offers Therapy Intensives using depth-oriented talk therapy, clinical counselling hypnotherapy, and Brainspotting—an established somatic, brain-body method that supports deep emotional healing and nervous system regulation.
Expansion Brainspotting is also available and can support relief from profound distress while strengthening self-worth and desired states such as freedom, peace, and clarity.
Modalities are selected collaboratively, taking into account clinical fit, therapeutic goals, and client preference.
My therapeutic philosophy
While my primary approach is ongoing, long-term depth therapy, a small number of clients may benefit from a short-term intensive as a supplement or entry point into this longer-term work.
My work is grounded in the belief that meaningful change—especially around attachment patterns, trauma, and deeply ingrained anxiety or OCD processes—unfolds over time, within a consistent therapeutic relationship. Therapy Intensives are not a replacement for this work, but in certain situations, they can support momentum or clarity within a broader therapeutic arc.
Many people who find their way here are actually looking for extended therapy—space to explore patterns in depth, to be known over time, and to work at a pace that supports integration rather than urgency. If that resonates, ongoing depth therapy may be the most supportive starting point. If you're interested in ongoing therapeutic work with depth, you can learn more about my approach on my home page.
All Therapy Intensives are offered with careful clinical discernment and are not appropriate for every presentation.
What is an Intensive?
A Therapy Intensive is a highly focused therapy session with an extended length; sessions can last up to three hours, and you may have several sessions over consecutive days.
This expanded structure allows for a therapy experience that can feel like a luxurious personal retreat, characterized by deep processing and meaningful emotional work that is best supported through integration over time.
Because an intensive involves such abundant time to focus on your chosen issues, you never have to feel rushed; there’s no need to watch the clock and try to wrap things up before the 50-minute mark in a standard session.
Intensives are like a psychotherapeutic spa day & personal mental health retreat
An Intensive can treat:
Any clinical issue can be suitable for a Therapy Intensive, but at Smart Therapy, I focus on:
- Anxiety
- OCD
- Phobias
- Panic attacks
- Stress & burnout
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
- Inner child healing
- Childhood trauma
- Relational or attachment trauma
- Family difficulties
- Anger
- Assertiveness & personal boundaries
- Body image
- Emotional dysregulation & self-soothing challenges
- Performance-related concerns (athletic, creative, etc.)
Intensives have unique advantages:
These advantages include:
- Ease of scheduling
- For clients who already have a therapeutic foundation, intensives can offer flexibility when weekly sessions aren’t feasible for a short period of time.
- A relaxed feel
- Never feeling rushed by the constraints of a 50-minute session
- Fewer distractions
- No need to address issues that come up during the week, that ultimately cut into time spent focusing on your most important treatment goals
- Clarity & Momentum
- For some clients, an intensive can accelerate clarity or emotional access that might otherwise unfold more gradually in weekly work. This does not replace long-term therapy, but can support momentum within it.
In therapy, you tend to get out of the experience what you put into it. For some clients, the concentrated focus of a therapy intensive can support meaningful movement or insight within a broader healing process.
Who are Intensives for?
An intensive format may be a good fit if you:
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Are already engaged in therapy (with me or another therapist) and want to focus intensively on a specific theme or stuck point.
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Are navigating a particular life transition or emotionally charged period and would benefit from contained, focused support within a short time frame.
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Have limited availability for a brief period and want to use that window intentionally, rather than as a replacement for longer-term therapy.
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Have previous therapy experience and are looking to revisit or integrate unfinished material, deepen insight, or clarify next steps in your healing process.
Therapy intensives can be especially helpful during transitions (such as after a breakup, career change, or loss), when used thoughtfully and with attention to pacing, integration, and ongoing support.
Frequently asked questions about Intensives
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An intensive starts at $330 per hour, and may be eligible for partial or full reimbursement using your health benefits. Intensive packages (1 hour Intake session, 3 hour Intensive session) start at $1320.
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I offer video or phone consults to explore your needs within a therapy intensive treatment approach
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Please note, if you are a current client adding a therapy intensive to your care, your rate may be different.
- To receive partial or full coverage for your intensive, please make sure that your plan covers treatment by Canadian Certified Counselors (CCC) or Registered Social Workers (RSW) with an MSW (Master of Social Work), as those are my designations. Depending on your current health insurance provider or employee benefit plan, services may be covered in full or in part.
- Please contact your provider to verify how your plan compensates you for psychotherapy services, including services that are beyond a standard 50-minute session. Questions to ask include:
- “Does my health insurance plan include mental health benefits?
- “Does my plan only cover certain types of mental health professionals?”
- “Does my plan have a limit on how much it will cover per session? Does that change depending on the length of the session?”
- “Does my plan limit how many sessions per calendar year it will cover? If so, what is the limit?”
- “Do I need written approval from a primary care physician for services to be covered?”
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Yes. If you are seeing another therapist, an intensive with me can be a collaborative experience. If you like, I can coordinate with your current therapist both before and after the intensive, so that you can get the most out of your experience by integrating it with your ongoing treatment.
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An intensive begins with an 60 minute intake session, where we will review your concerns and develop a plan for the intensive work. At that time, we will schedule a 3-hour intensive session (the first of several if it is a multi-day intensive), with a 15-minute follow up a week or two after the final intensive session to check your progress. Follow-ups may also take place by email, if you prefer.
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Intensive sessions can feel like a personal mental health retreat. You may benefit from allowing some unscheduled time outside of sessions to process or engage in self-care activities like exercise, time in nature, body work such as a massage or acupuncture, or creative expression.
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A 1-day intensive can help you increase feelings of well-being, decrease mental health symptoms such as anxiety or depression, or process a single traumatic event.
- While meaningful insight or emotional movement can occur within a one-day intensive, multi-day intensives may be considered in select situations where additional time and containment are needed. In our initial consult, we’ll carefully assess whether this format is appropriate for your needs.
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That depends.
Some people use a therapy intensive to bring focused attention to a specific issue or stuck point, and then return to their ongoing therapy with greater clarity or momentum.
Others benefit from continued support as they integrate what emerged during the intensive and apply it within their day-to-day lives. For many people, this integration phase is where deeper, lasting change takes place.
Occasionally, a person may feel satisfied with what they explored in an intensive and choose not to continue with ongoing therapy at that time.
For individuals with complex or developmental trauma, ongoing, relational therapy is typically the most supportive foundation. In select cases, an intensive may be used thoughtfully as a supplement to longer-term work, rather than as a stand-alone or primary approach.
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All of Smart Therapy’s services, including intensives, are currently only available via telehealth (online).
