Therapy Intensives for Phobias & Anxiety
A therapy intensive is a focused, time-limited therapeutic experience designed to address specific challenges or goals. Unlike traditional weekly therapy sessions, intensives typically involve extended sessions over one or several consecutive days.
Who are therapy intensives for?
- Wake up anxious about the day, worried about triggers or disasters you might face;
- Struggle with daily activities, like using an elevator or being in crowded areas;
- Have difficulty focusing on what matters to you, such as work or family, because of unwanted thoughts or urges;
- Avoid social events due to fear, even though you desire connection;
A therapy intensive may provide the dedicated, focused time and space to tackle your anxiety head on.
Anxiety Therapy Intensives
Anxiety disorders are well-suited to a therapy intensive format. We know that exposure therapy is highly effective for many different types of anxiety, andthere is a solid body of research supporting the use of exposure therapy for specific phobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder in few (1-5) extended sessions.
A 1-Day therapy intensive is offered for specific phobia, although a client may opt to schedule more days (6 hours) or half days (3 hours) depending on their preferences and needs. Other anxiety-relateddisorders (e.g., OCD, social anxiety, health anxiety) are offered as 15-hour programs that span 4 days over the course of 2 weeks. This allows not only more therapy time, but also time between sessions for practice.
My availability for therapy intensives changes throughout the year, depending on the academic calendar. Please contact me for current availability.
Due to insurance reimbursement constraints, therapy intensives are offered as self-pay only.
Therapy intensive rates generally are $200/hour. One-day intensives for phobias are $1400. This fee includes both the one-day intensive treatment (6 hours of therapy) and two 30-minute maintenance therapy sessions at 1- and 3-months post-treatment. 15-hour intensives, typically held over 4 days across 2 weeks, are $3000. Additional sessions in blocks of 3 hours are available, at a rate of $600. I am happy to consult with you regarding what amount of treatment will be feasible and effective.
One of my professional values is to ground all of the treatments I provide in scientifically supported techniques. I use exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring techniques that we know are effective for phobias and other anxiety-related conditions.
More specifically, research supports a phobia treatment protocol called One-Session Treatment for Specific Phobia (Ost, 1989). A published review of OST’s efficacy across various phobias noted that it achieves clinical improvement rates of 85-90% in adults. OST is comparable in effectiveness to other prolonged treatments while requiring less time.
Example: One-Day Treatment for Specific Phobia
Initial Consultation
We will start with a free 30-minute consult by video or phone to determine whether an accelerated phobia treatment is a good fit for you. I’ll also answer any questions you have.
Treatment Phase
If it is clinically appropriate and you choose to move forward, we will schedule one full day 9am-4pm) to meet. In the morning, a thorough intake interview will be completed, psychoeducation will be provided, and we will start developing a personalized plan to address your fear. In the afternoon, we will engage in an extended, up to 3-hour session of exposure work. We will use a combination of exposure techniques (imaginal, virtual reality, and in vivo/real-life) as appropriate for your needs. The last approximately 1 hour will consist of debriefing and post-treatment planning.
Maintenance
Continued practice at home will be crucial to maintain and build upon the gains made in treatment. You will leave treatment with a detailed plan for continued practice at home, and we will schedule two, 30-minute maintenance/booster sessions at approximately 1-month and 3-month post-treatment to check-in and troubleshoot your individual practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common phobias include animal phobias (dogs, spiders, etc.), darkness, heights, small spaces, vomiting (emetophobia), and needles. That said, there are many, many phobias out there, and they can all be treated with this approach. I also use virtual reality exposure therapy as appropriate, which allows me to personalize the treatment and make all kinds of feared situations accessible.
An anxiety therapy intensive is best for someone who is interested in tackling a specific concern in an efficient, accelerated time period. Although you do not need to be fearless, a person pursuing a therapy intensive for anxiety should be prepared to tolerate some moderate, short-term distress. In collaboration with you, I’ll be thoughtfully guiding the pace and structure, but still – facing something you fear in exposure therapy is daunting!
Not necessarily. But it can help you make good progress in a short amount of time. Continued practice at home will be crucial to maintaining and furthering progress you make in the intensive. We will work together to develop a plan for continued practice, so you have a clear path forward. You may still need additional sessions or to set up weekly therapy with a clinician to continue working toward your goal.
I work with primarily with adults. I sometimes work with children and adolescents, on a case by case basis; please feel free to contact me with inquiries.
Unfortunately, no. Therapy intensive clients sign an insurance opt-out/cash pay agreement.
Ready to take the next step?
Get in touch if you have any questions, or book a free initial consultation to determine whether a therapy intensive is a good fit for you.