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Therapy Intensives

When insight isn’t the problem, but something still feels stuck.

Sometimes people come to therapy with a question that cannot easily be explored in a single hour each week.

You may already understand many parts of your story.
You may have spent years reflecting, learning, and growing.

And yet something still feels unresolved.

Perhaps you notice the same pattern appearing in relationships.
Perhaps certain experiences still carry emotional weight.
Perhaps you understand where your reactions come from, but they still arise.

A therapy intensive creates space to slow down and explore these experiences in depth, with care and continuity.

Marjorie Richard

You Might Recognize Yourself Here

Many people who seek therapy intensives are thoughtful and reflective individuals who have already done meaningful personal work.

They may feel confident and capable in many areas of life yet still experience emotional or relational patterns that feel difficult to shift.

You might recognize yourself in experiences such as:

  • noticing the same relationship dynamic appearing again and again
  • feeling successful externally but still carrying a lagging sense of “not enough.”
  • understanding your past but still feeling its emotional impact in the present
  • having done therapy before, but sensing something still feels unfinished
  • wanting the time and space to explore something important without rushing

Sometimes insight develops over time.

Other times, what is needed is a dedicated space to explore something more deeply.

Why Clients Choose a Therapy Intensive

Over time, many of the individuals I work with have shared a similar experience.

They are motivated to do meaningful therapeutic work but often find that the pace of weekly sessions makes it difficult to fully explore certain themes.

Some clients notice that just as they begin reaching something important in a session, the hour ends. Others find that new experiences arise while they are already working on something significant in ongoing therapy.

A therapy intensive offers the opportunity to create a dedicated space for this kind of work.

For some people, this means having enough time to stay with an experience long enough for deeper understanding and emotional processing to unfold.

For others, it provides a focused container to explore a specific theme without disrupting the progress they are already making in ongoing therapy.

What Is a Therapy Intensive?

A therapy intensive condenses multiple therapy sessions into a focused block of time.

Instead of meeting for one hour each week, we work together across extended sessions over several days. This allows us to remain connected to the therapeutic process long enough for deeper layers of experience to emerge.

During an intensive, we have the space to:

  • explore the roots of emotional or relational patterns
  • process experiences that continue to carry emotional charge
  • understand the internal parts that developed to protect you
  • integrate new insights and emotional shifts in a grounded way

For many people, the extended time allows emotional processing and insight to unfold more naturally than they can in shorter sessions.

A One-to-One Therapeutic Retreat Experience

A therapy intensive is intentionally designed to create a slower and more spacious therapeutic environment.

Rather than moving quickly toward solutions, the work allows us to remain present with meaningful experiences, emotions, and internal patterns that may not have had enough space to be explored before.

The intention is not immediate transformation or perfection.

Instead, the goal is to support:

  • deeper understanding of your internal system
  • greater clarity around emotional and relational patterns
  • a sense of resolution where something once felt unfinished
  • the ability to move forward with greater alignment and self-trust

Themes Often Explored During Intensives

  • recurring relationship patterns
  • experiences that shaped your sense of self
  • internal narratives such as “I’m not enough.”
  • emotional wounds from earlier relationships
  • parts of you that learned to protect you
  • unresolved experiences that still carry emotional charge

APPROACHES USED DURING THE INTENSIVE

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

About IFS

IFS recognizes that we all have different internal parts that developed to help us navigate life.

Some parts strive to achieve.
Some analyze situations carefully.
Some scan for signs of acceptance or rejection.
Some carry emotional wounds from earlier experiences.

During the intensive, we explore these parts with curiosity and respect, allowing protective parts to soften while wounded parts receive the attention they may not have received when those experiences first occurred.

EMDR

About EMDR

EMDR supports the brain in reprocessing distressing memories and beliefs, so they no longer carry the same emotional intensity.

It allows the nervous system to complete experiences that previously felt overwhelming or unresolved.

Marjorie Richard

Why I Offer Therapy Intensives

Over the years, I have noticed that some therapeutic work benefits from more time and continuity than traditional weekly sessions allow.

Many thoughtful individuals understand the themes in their lives, but still feel that something remains unresolved. In these situations, having dedicated time to stay with the therapeutic process, rather than starting and stopping each week,  can create space for deeper exploration and integration.

Therapy intensives allow us to approach meaningful experiences with care, curiosity, and enough time for the work to unfold at a natural pace.

For some people, this format allows insights and emotional shifts to emerge in ways that feel more grounded and lasting.

Location & Format

Therapy intensives are available in both virtual and in-person formats.

Virtual Intensives

Virtual intensives are conducted through secure video sessions and allow clients to participate from the comfort of their own space. The structure and therapeutic depth of the intensive remain the same in the virtual format.

This option can be particularly helpful for individuals who prefer not to travel or who live outside the Washington, DC area.

In-Person Intensives

In-person therapy intensives are offered three times per year: April, July, and October.

These intensives take place in either Washington, DC or Maryland, depending on the scheduling and availability for that particular session.

The exact location will be confirmed once the intensive has been scheduled.

How the Intensive Process Works

Initial Consultation

90-minute video consultation to explore your goals and determine whether an intensive is the right fit.

Reflection and Preparation

You receive a personalized reflection guide to begin exploring the theme we will focus on.

The Intensive

2–4 days of focused therapeutic work (approximately four hours each day).

Integration

A 60-minute follow-up session to support integration.

Investment

Therapy intensives condense what might otherwise unfold over many months of therapy into a focused, supported, multi-day experience.

Initial Consultation

90-minute video consultation — $350

Therapy Intensive Options

One-Day Intensive (4 hours) — $1800

Two-Day Intensive (4 hours each day) — $3,000

Four-Day Intensive (4 hours each day) — $4,200

Each package includes:

  • customized preparation materials
  • clinical preparation tailored to your goals
  • therapy intensive sessions
  • reflection guide
  • 60-minute integration session

Who Therapy Intensives Are Often Helpful For

This format often resonates with individuals who:

  • have already engaged in personal growth or therapy
  • feel ready to explore a meaningful theme more deeply
  • are seeking forward movement in an area that has felt stuck
  • are curious about emotional patterns and internal experiences
  • prefer a concentrated therapeutic format

Is a Therapy Intensive the Right Fit?

Therapy intensives tend to be most meaningful for people who feel ready to engage thoughtfully with their inner experience.

Often, the individuals who benefit most from this format are those who have already spent time reflecting on their story and sense that something important in their lives is ready to be understood more deeply.

If that resonates with you, a therapy intensive may offer the focused environment needed for that kind of work.

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