Trauma Intensives
Chesapeake Counseling Associates provides trauma intensives. Trauma intensives are primarily offered on Fridays and weekends if additional time is needed. Intensives are offered on a full or half-day basis depending on the clinical need and your preferences. The intensive process starts with a complimentary 15-minute phone screening to help determine if an intensive might be a good fit for you and answer any questions about the process. If you would like to proceed with the intensive process, a one-hour intake appointment will be scheduled. Prior to the intake, you will be sent paperwork that includes several assessments and questions about your goals for treatment as well as your patient history. These will be reviewed with you during your intake as well as additional background information regarding your trauma history to help the therapist ensure an intensive is appropriate for you and the estimated length of treatment. After the intake and 50% deposit have been received, the intensive will be scheduled. The half-day intensive includes approximately three hours of therapy and a few breaks. The full day includes approximately six hours of therapy and breaks. After your intensive, a one-hour follow-up can be scheduled to review progress made and identify any additional treatment needs. Additional intensives can be scheduled at that time if necessary, or ongoing therapy may be more appropriate.
Frequently Asked Question
What is a trauma intensive?
A trauma intensive is a way to condense therapy into a shorter amount of time. Instead of ongoing weekly or bi-weekly therapy sessions to address a specific issue, therapy occurs over the course of one or more days worth of several-hour sessions. Oftentimes during weekly/bi-weekly therapy sessions, much of the session is spent managing or processing events from the past week. While this is often necessary, it takes away from the time that can be spent processing past trauma. Participating in therapy for several hours at a time allows you to go deeper and potentially resolve issues in a single session instead of having to revisit the issue over the course of several sessions.
Who is a trauma intensive for?
A trauma intensive can be helpful for people who have a single traumatic episode (car accident, sexual assault, natural disaster, medical event etc) as well as a history of ongoing trauma (divorce, first responder events, combat, childhood abuse, chronic medical issues including infertility or pregnancy losses etc) or multiple unrelated traumatic events. The length of the intensive recommended will depend on your personal history of trauma.
How can a trauma intensive help me?
CCA offers trauma intensives utilizing Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and/or Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) which are evidence-based trauma treatments. This means that there is scientific evidence to support that these therapies are effective in decreasing or eliminating symptoms and problems related to trauma including anxiety, anger, nightmares, flashbacks, negative thoughts or self-talk, and difficulty in functioning in a variety of areas including relationships, work, school or emotional regulation.
How much does an intensive cost?
Insurance may cover some or all of the cost of your intake ($160) and one-hour follow-up ($140) based on your coverage. We do not accept insurance for the half or full-day intensives and they cost $500 and $900 respectively.
I already have a therapist. Can I do an intensive?
Yes. However, you will be required to sign a release of information for your current therapist prior to the intake so that the intensive therapist can coordinate care and ensure the intensive will not disrupt or impede your current treatment. This is best practice and an ethical requirement of your therapist.
Do I have to live in Virginia to do an intensive?
No, however, our intensives are only offered in person. You may attend the intake and follow up virtually, however, you must be physically located in the state of Virginia for the virtual appointments due to licensure laws.
Is there anyone an intensive is not a good idea for?
If you are undergoing current medication changes for mental health or have had a recent psychiatric hospitalization we ask that you stabilize on any medications before attempting an intensive. Certain medications may impede your brain's ability to reprocess and use EMDR/ART effectively. If you take one of these medications, your therapist will let you know and you can decide together how best to proceed.
If you have tried EMDR or ART in the past and they were not successful, please let your therapist know during the consultation or intake so they can help determine why it was not successful and if an intensive version of those therapies are appropriate.
If you are pregnant or have underlying medical issues, it is suggested you consult your physician before participating in an intensive. Certain neurological and ocular (eye) disorders will require medical clearance before participating.
Intensives can be helpful for traumatic grief, however, you may need ongoing therapy or an additional intensive to help continue processing grief.
If you are currently struggling with addiction, that will need to be addressed prior to EMDR/ART. In some cases, an intensive with a focus on treating addiction may be appropriate. Please discuss this with your therapist during your intake/consultation if you have any questions.
How do I prepare for an intensive?
Try to get a good night’s sleep the day before and eat breakfast. Some snacks and drinks will be provided and we will break for lunch during the full day intensive. You are welcome to pack a lunch and store it in our refrigerator or order lunch. Avoid any alcohol and/or marijuana for a minimum of 24 hours before and after the intensive. Dress comfortably.
Is this guaranteed to work?
No therapy is guaranteed to work regardless of the type of therapy or how it is offered. However, EMDR and ART are both evidence-based and there is a growing body of research that further supports the efficacy of intensive trauma treatment in comparison to weekly therapy.
Intensive EMDR to Treat Patients With Complex Posttraumatic Stress...: Ingenta Connect
Everyone’s response to therapy is impacted by their personal history, coping skills, and background. Some clients are able to complete one intensive and accomplish their goals. Others may feel that after completing an intensive they may require additional intensives or ongoing regular therapy to continue working towards their goals.