Trauma Healing Intensive
Trauma Healing Intensives
A trauma healing intensive is a longer, carefully paced container for trauma work when continuity and momentum matter. Over one to three days, we can stay with the work instead of closing it up every 50 minutes, with stability first and breaks built in.
When the Thread Keeps Getting Lost
Sometimes the session ends just as something important finally opens up, and by the next week the door has closed again. You may spend the first half of every appointment finding your way back to where you were. An intensive offers another option: several hours of supported work in one day, or across two or three days, so the work can continue while it is alive. It may suit you if momentum keeps getting lost between weekly sessions, if you are traveling to Austin, or if a weekly schedule is simply not sustainable right now. The goal is continuity, not endurance.
Stability Before Anything Difficult
In an intensive, as in a weekly session, safety comes before breakthrough. The first part of the work is building enough stability to stay present: grounding, a clear sense of what helps you stay safe now, and an agreement that you can pause or say no at any point. Mindfulness-based grounding helps you come back into the body when the mind has raced ahead. When trauma and unsafe coping have become intertwined, Seeking Safety ideas help build that footing. The first question is not how quickly you can retell the past but what helps you stay present and safe today.
Trauma-Focused CBT in Plain Language
Trauma-Focused CBT sits at the center of my trauma work, and I hold a certification in TF-CBT. In plain terms, we build understanding and coping skills first, then work with trauma memories at a pace you can stay with, connecting thoughts, feelings and the body and practicing new responses. Trauma work does not depend on retelling everything. In a longer format, we can move through those steps with fewer interruptions while breaks protect your capacity. If you would like to hear it from me, there is a five-minute TF-CBT video, and the page on Trauma-Focused CBT explains more.
Formats, Fees and a Sample Day
There are three lengths to choose from, with fees set up front. The initial assessment for all services is 80 minutes and $275. It lets us plan the intensive around your history and goals. This is a self-pay practice with payment due at the time of service, monthly superbills are available for possible out-of-network reimbursement, and every fee is listed on the rates page. If cost is a concern, raise it on the consultation; it is a fair question.
A one-day intensive might begin at 9:00 with arriving, settling and setting the focus. From 9:30 we work in a focused block with pacing breaks. At 12:00 there is lunch and quiet integration time; at 1:00 we continue and practice new responses; and at 3:00 we turn to grounding, next steps and the transition home. That is an example, not a rigid agenda, and pacing is personalized.
- One day (6 hours): $1,000
- Two days (11 hours): $1,800
- Three days (16 hours): $2,500
When Weekly Therapy Is the Better Choice
Neither format is better, and sometimes the honest answer on the consultation is weekly therapy. Weekly sessions give you time to practice between appointments, notice what comes up, and bring it back into the work. If your trauma history is long-running or complex, the work usually asks for months, sometimes much longer, and a steady weekly relationship may serve you better than a few concentrated days. If daily life feels unstable right now, building steadiness week by week may need to come first. The guide to weekly therapy or an intensive walks through the choice.
Coming to Austin for the Work
Intensives are held in person in Austin, and my only office is in Southwest Austin, at 5900 Southwest Pkwy, Building 5, Suite 230. If you are traveling in, the one-to-three-day format lets you gather the work into a short stretch rather than arranging weekly trips. If you live elsewhere in Texas, we can also talk about whether telehealth sessions before or after an intensive make sense, since video sessions reach anywhere in the state. If you are still deciding where to begin, the page on trauma therapy in Austin covers weekly trauma work.
Common Questions
Do I have to talk about everything that happened?
No. Trauma work does not depend on retelling everything. We build stability first, and you can pause, change the subject or say no to a topic at any point.
What does a trauma healing intensive cost?
The fees are $1,000 for one day of 6 hours, $1,800 for two days of 11 hours, and $2,500 for three days of 16 hours. As with every service, there is also an 80-minute initial assessment for $275.
What if the work feels like too much partway through the day?
We slow down or take a break. Longer does not mean forced; safety, consent and your capacity still guide the day, and you can say no to a topic at any point.
Can I come from outside Austin for an intensive?
Yes. An intensive can make sense when you are traveling to Austin, since the work is gathered into one to three days instead of weekly appointments. We can plan the schedule together on the free consultation.
The consultation is free and there is no obligation on either side.
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