Therapy Intensives

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Sometimes a 50-minute session simply isn't enough.

You may be facing a major life transition, working through trauma, feeling stuck in a pattern you've tried to change, or wanting to make meaningful progress without waiting weeks between sessions.

Therapy intensives provide dedicated time and space for focused therapeutic work.

Rather than trying to fit complex work into a traditional weekly appointment, an intensive allows us to slow down, go deeper, and concentrate on the areas that matter most to you.

At Riverside Counseling, intensives are individualized, clinically intentional, and designed around your goals.

A therapy intensive is an extended therapy session—or series of extended sessions—designed to provide concentrated therapeutic attention over a shorter period of time. An intensive may involve several hours of therapeutic work in one day or multiple extended sessions scheduled close together.

The additional time can allow for:

• More thorough exploration of complex concerns
• Focused trauma processing
• Deeper work on recurring patterns
• Greater opportunity for experiential and somatic interventions
• Developing and practicing new coping strategies
• Working through a specific life transition or challenge
• Creating a more concentrated treatment plan
• Building momentum when traditional weekly therapy feels too slow

An intensive is not simply "more therapy." It is a different pace and structure for therapeutic work.

Therapy intensives may be a good option for adults or adolescents who want focused support around a specific concern or therapeutic goal.

An intensive may be considered for:

• Trauma and PTSD
• Anxiety and emotional overwhelm
• Addiction and substance use concerns
• Grief and significant loss
• Relationship and attachment patterns
• Major life transitions
• Persistent emotional patterns
• Shame and self-worth concerns
• Stress and burnout
• Significant personal or professional transitions
• Preparing for or processing a major life event
• Clients who want concentrated therapeutic work alongside ongoing therapy

Intensives can also be helpful for clients who have already been participating in therapy and want additional focused time to address a particular issue.

Every intensive is different because every client is different. Before scheduling an intensive, we identify what you want to accomplish and determine whether an intensive format is clinically appropriate for your needs. Depending on your goals, an intensive may incorporate:

Assessment & Preparation
Clarifying what brought you to therapy, identifying treatment goals, reviewing relevant history, and establishing a plan for the intensive.

Insight-Oriented Work
Exploring patterns, beliefs, emotional responses, relationships, protective strategies, and experiences that may be contributing to your current concerns.

Trauma-Focused Work
When clinically appropriate, trauma-focused approaches such as EMDR or Brainspotting may be incorporated.

Somatic & Nervous-System Work
Increasing awareness of physical responses, emotional activation, regulation, and the connection between your mind and body.

Skills & Integration
Turning insight into action by developing practical strategies you can use outside the therapy room.

Reflection & Next Steps
Ending the intensive with intentional integration, a plan for continued care, and clear next steps.

More time does not mean we rush through therapeutic work.

In fact, the additional space can allow us to slow down.

Some therapeutic work requires preparation before processing. Some experiences need time to settle before moving to the next layer. Some clients need time to make sense of what surfaced before deciding what comes next.

The goal is not to accomplish as much as possible in the shortest amount of time.

The goal is to use the additional time intentionally.

Your pace matters.

Because Riverside Counseling uses an integrative approach, therapy intensives can be tailored to your individual needs.

Depending on your goals and clinical presentation, an intensive may incorporate:

• Integrative Depth-Oriented Therapy
• EMDR Therapy
• Brainspotting
• Somatic & Nervous-System approaches
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
• Attachment-focused interventions
• Mindfulness-based approaches
• Motivational interviewing
• Other evidence-informed therapeutic interventions

Not every approach is appropriate for every client, and an intensive does not automatically mean trauma processing.

Your treatment plan is built around you.

Traditional weekly therapy provides consistency, continuity, and ongoing support.

Intensive therapy provides a concentrated block of therapeutic time. For some clients, an intensive may be used as a stand-alone focused experience. For others, it may complement ongoing weekly therapy.

An intensive may be particularly useful when you:

• Have limited availability for weekly appointments
• Want to focus on a specific therapeutic goal
• Are traveling from outside the Brainerd Lakes Area
• Want additional therapeutic time between regular sessions
• Feel ready to make a concentrated investment in your healing
• Need more time than a traditional session allows

An intensive does not replace ongoing care when ongoing care is clinically indicated.

At Riverside Counseling, therapy is compassionate—but it is also intentional.

We don't believe you have to spend years talking about the same problem without moving toward change. At the same time, we don't believe meaningful healing can always be rushed.

Therapy intensives create space for both depth and action.

You can expect a collaborative process that respects where you are while also helping you identify where you want to go. You will be met with compassion, curiosity, and respect—and safely held accountable for the changes you want to make.

An intensive may be worth considering if you find yourself thinking:

"I know I need to work on this, and I want to really focus on it."

"I don't want to spend months circling around the same issue."

"I have more to work through than we can cover in a regular session."

"I want dedicated time to focus on myself."

"I'm ready to do deeper work."

The first step is determining whether an intensive format fits your needs and goals.

Not every concern is appropriate for intensive therapy, and some clients benefit more from traditional weekly treatment or another level of care. We will discuss the options with you and determine the most appropriate approach.

Therapy intensives are available through Riverside Counseling in the Brainerd Lakes Area and, when clinically appropriate, through secure telehealth throughout Minnesota.

Call or text: 218-450-8400
Email: anna@riversidebrainerd.com

Therapy Intensives in Minnesota | Riverside Counseling

Explore therapy intensives at Riverside Counseling in Brainerd, MN. Focused, extended therapy sessions designed for deeper therapeutic work, trauma recovery, life transitions, and meaningful change.

Insurance coverage for therapy intensives and extended therapy sessions can vary significantly by insurance plan.  Some insurance plans may not cover extended or intensive therapy sessions, or they may limit the number, duration, or type of psychotherapy services they will reimburse. Coverage is determined by your individual insurance plan—not by Riverside Counseling.

Before scheduling an intensive, we encourage you to contact your insurance company and ask specifically about coverage for extended psychotherapy sessions and the applicable CPT codes. You may also want to ask about deductibles, copays, coinsurance, prior authorization, and any limitations on extended sessions.

If your insurance does not cover the intensive, you may choose to use private pay.

You are ultimately responsible for understanding your insurance benefits and for any services your insurance does not cover.

Riverside Counseling can provide information about fees and, when applicable, assist with billing or documentation. However, verification of benefits is not a guarantee of payment.

Private-pay intensives may provide greater flexibility in scheduling and treatment structure when insurance does not cover the intensive format.

Before your intensive is scheduled, you will receive information about the applicable fee so you can make an informed decision about your care.