Therapy Intensives in Alexandria & Across the DMV
Experience the kind of change you’ve been waiting years for.
If you’ve been in therapy before and felt like you barely scratched the surface with weekly sessions, intensives offer a different way forward.
It’s frustrating when just as you’re finally opening up, the clock runs out. Picking back up the next week can feel disjointed, like you’re circling the same ground without ever actually getting to the root of the issue. After months or even years, you may wonder if anything is really changing, since you can’t feel much of a difference day-to-day.
Intensives give you the time to dig in without interruption and experience the kind of lasting progress you can feel.
Intensives may be the right fit if you…
Leave weekly sessions wishing you had more time to get into the deeper issues.
Feel like you’ve been in therapy for a long time, but aren’t seeing the shifts you hoped for.
Are motivated to do the work and want to see change in weeks, not years.
Are ready to invest in giving yourself the space to actually heal and get to the other side of your anxiety or relationship issues.
Real healing can’t be rushed or cut short.
Here, you’ll have all the time you need.
How it works
Focused, personalized care to help you get to the root of what’s going on & create lasting change.
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Book a free 20-minute consultation by clicking here. We’ll talk about what you’re hoping for and see if an intensive feels like the right fit. This is your chance to ask questions and get a sense of whether this format could help you move forward.
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If you decide to move ahead, we’ll meet for a 60-minute assessment session. This gives me a clear picture of what you’ve been carrying, your history, and what you want to change. It’s also a chance for us to get comfortable with one another and set expectations for the work we’ll do moving forward.
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Before diving into the longer work, we’ll spend another 60-minute session preparing for the intensive. During this time, I’ll introduce you to approaches like IFS (Internal Family Systems) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)—in plain terms, these are ways of gently connecting with the parts of you that carry old pain and helping your nervous system finally process it. You’ll leave this session with tools to ground yourself and feel ready.
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This is where we dig in. You’ll have a 3-hour intensive session, either in-person at my Alexandria office or virtually if you live in Virginia, DC, or Maryland. The extended time means you won’t feel rushed or cut off right when you’re opening up. We’ll take breaks as needed, and I’ll guide you through a mix of talk therapy, EMDR, and IFS so you can really stay with the work instead of circling back week after week.
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After the intensive, we’ll meet again for a 60-minute integration session. This is where we make sense of what came up, talk about how you’re feeling, and create a plan for carrying the progress forward. Healing isn’t a single “aha” moment—it’s what happens when you can weave that new insight into your daily life.
What we’ll work on:
Making faster progress in a shorter timeframe.
In a normal 50-60-minute therapy session, you might only get to do 30 minutes of actual therapy after updating your therapist on the events of the week. It could take 2-3 months of weekly therapy sessions to accomplish the same goals that you could in a few hours of an intensive.
Connecting old wounds to present struggles.
With approaches like IFS and EMDR, we’ll uncover how past experiences still shape your present, and begin to release the pain so it doesn’t keep showing up in new ways.
Breaking through long-standing patterns.
Use the time to get unstuck from cycles you’ve carried for years—and finally feel in control of your future.
Feeling calmer and more steady.
The extended work allows you to address the triggers that keep fueling your anxiety or self-doubt, leaving you lighter and more grounded.
Building confidence in your decisions.
With space to process more fully, you’ll leave with clarity about your choices and confidence in your ability to trust yourself.
The methods we’ll use:
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With EMDR, we’ll bridge the mind-body connection using bilateral stimulation—like eye movements or tapping on alternating sides of your body—to help your brain and nervous system finally process the memories or experiences that keep getting triggered in the present. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by feelings that belong in the past, you’ll be able to align your emotions with what’s happening right now. The result is less re-living and more freedom to live your life the way you want.
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With this method, we connect with the parts of you—often younger versions of yourself—that first learned the beliefs you’re still subconsciously holding onto. Every part of you exists for a reason, even the ones that feel overwhelming or like they’re “too much.” Together, we’ll listen to those parts with compassion instead of trying to silence them, and find out what it is they’re trying to tell you.
You don’t have to stay stuck.
Give yourself the gift of moving forward.
FAQs
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If you’ve been in therapy before and felt like you were just scratching the surface, or if you’re motivated to make change more quickly, intensives may be a good fit. You can schedule a free, 20-minute consultation by clicking here, and we can discuss whether intensives are right for your needs.
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An intensive is a longer session—usually 3-5 hours—designed to help you go deeper without the stop-and-start of weekly 50-60-minute therapy. Intensives with me are tailored to your specific issues, needs, and goals, which allows us to target something specific and move through it together. It’s a way to make faster progress and get to the root of what’s been keeping you stuck.
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Intensives aren’t the right option if you’re in the middle of a crisis or your symptoms feel too overwhelming to safely stay with the work. Weekly therapy may be a better place to start if you’ve had a recent psychiatric hospitalization, or are actively struggling with self harm or suicidal thoughts, substance use, eating disorders, hallucinations, or you’re in an abusive or unsafe living envionement. My priority is making sure you feel supported and safe — and sometimes that means beginning with a different level of care before moving into this kind of deep, focused work.
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It’s normal to wonder about that. I pace sessions carefully and make sure you feel supported the entire time. We also plan for breaks and end with grounding so you leave feeling steady and ready to move forward.
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Yes, at my office in Alexandria, Virginia. However, I have limited in-person availability, so I may recommend doing the preparation sessions virtually to expedite the pre-intensive process. But, if you live in Virginia, DC, or Maryland, we can do the entire intensive process virtually and make the same progress you’re seeking right from the comfort of your own space.
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Some insurance plans will reimburse a portion of the cost of a therapy intensive if you have out-of-network benefits. Otherwise, intensives are usually an out-of-pocket expense. If reimbursement is an option for you, the insurance company will require a diagnosis code as a reason for treatment. We’ll talk about cost during your consultation so there are no surprises, and discuss other options if intensives are out of your budget at this time.
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Yes. During our work together, you can always add extended sessions (90 minutes) or Intensives, if you feel like you want longer sessions to work on a particular issue, or would like deeper, faster healing.
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Yes. I will work with your primary therapist to coordinate services, and ensure that you have ongoing support to continue integrating the changes.
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Initial 20-minute Consultation: Free
Assessment 60 minutes: $200
Pre-Intensive 60 minutes: $200
Intensive 3 or 5 hours: $720 or $1200
Post-Intensive Integration 60 minutes: $200