What is a trauma intensive?
A trauma intensive is a singular, extended, highly focused therapy session that helps clients get movement in specific areas. Intensives can last between 4-8 hours and can help jumpstart clients who are feeling stuck or limited with the progress they’re making in traditional therapy.
Intensives are facilitated by our highly trained and experienced trauma experts. Our therapists use a myriad of trauma-focused modalities to help clients navigate poor self-worth, past distressing memories, maladaptive behaviors, dissociation or shutting down, and overwhelming emotions. Intensives are powerful tools that can help clients reintegrate painful past experiences into the present moment.
You are worthy of relief from pain.
You are worthy of believing in your inherent goodness.
Trauma intensives may include:
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
Internal family systems-informed therapy/Parts work/Parts Mapping
Ego states therapy
Somatic therapy
Movement/Yoga therapy
Sound Therapy
Nervous system regulation (applied polyvagal techniques to promote regulation in the body in the autonomic nervous system)
Use of expressive arts or art in session
Guided visualization/meditation
Ecotherapy (time spent outdoors)
Physical touch with written and verbal consent
Learn more about how each therapist approaches and tailors trauma intensives
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During intensive work I provide a warm, collaborative and comforting environment for you. We will go deeper into your subconscious networks and utilize the natural wisdom of you nervous system to desensitize distressing life experiences and emotional patterns that have been stored in the body. As a somatic therapist, yoga teacher and meditation instructor, I utilize a body-centric approach with my intensive clients rooted in applied polyvagal theory (in other words, the science of feeling connected and awake to ourselves and the world), parts work (IFS-informed) and EMDR. I help your nervous system increase it’s capacity to tolerate past, present and even future stressors so that ‘stuck’ information in your body can be released and reprogrammed. I use a variety of techniques, evidence-based interventions and integrative modalities including sound therapy/sound healing, dynamic body movement, guided visualization/hypnotic relaxation, use of creative arts such as drawing, journaling, poetry and painting and applied polyvagal techniques such as weighted pillows, humming/vocalization, rocking, swaying, brainstem blood flow stimulation, bilateral brain hemisphere stimulation and restorative yoga techniques.
Whether you are doing a half or full day intensive, we will set an agenda together so that expectations are clear for our intensive work. This agenda incorporates time for any education on the nervous system or parts work, a lot of co-regulation and resourcing with your nervous system to ensure it is capable of tolerating the intensive work, identifying the most intrusive or difficult aspect of your theme(s) or life experience(s) and working on it through deep subconscious desensitization, reprocessing and stabilization, post-processing time for “making sense of” things together as well as quiet time for journaling, art or meditation. We will build in breaks for snacks and bathroom use and make a plan for how you will navigate the rest of the day/week until your next appointment with your primary therapist. Shelley lake is up the road and I also offer the last 30 minutes to 1 hour to take place there as we walk, process any remaining takeaways and down regulate our systems using this eco therapy approach.
After the intensive, I will collaborate and connect with your primary therapist to give them a clinical update from the intensive (if you wish). However, the body will continue to process the work we do together for several days after the intensive is over. After an intensive, many clients report feeling better immediately and notice new perspectives, a reduction in intensity of symptoms, less mental chatter, a decrease in physical pain/discomfort, access to new coping skills, a better understanding of their emotions and emotional challenges and an increased capacity to self-soothe and regulate from the space of Self.
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This is what a trauma intensive with Molly looks like!
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This is what trauma intensives with Erica look like!
Cost and Additional Details
Trauma intensives at Nourish Carolina Counseling are offered at half day (4 hours) or full day (8 hours) sessions. A 50% deposit is required in order to secure your intensive slot. Please note that intensives are not covered by insurance.
Half day trauma intensive (4 hours): $620
Full day trauma intensive (8 hours): $1,240