Your Therapy Intensive Prep Guide: What to Know and Bring
If you’ve booked (or are considering booking) a therapy intensive - first of all, welcome! You’re taking a powerful step toward your healing, and I want you to know: you don’t have to walk into this experience feeling overwhelmed or unsure of what to expect.
Therapy intensives offer deep, focused time to move through stuck points, whether you're processing a painful past experience, working through burnout, or navigating a major life shift. For many of the women and BIPOC professionals I work with, an intensive offers something regular weekly therapy can’t: the space to go deeper without the usual stops and starts.
If you’re wondering how to prepare - emotionally, mentally, and practically - you’re in the right place. This guide is here to walk you through it all with clarity, warmth, and encouragement.
Why Choose a Therapy Intensive?
Let’s start with the basics:
A therapy intensive is a longer session (or series of sessions) focused on helping you move through a specific issue or theme with intention and care. Unlike traditional weekly therapy, intensives allow us to do more focused EMDR work in a shorter time frame - helping you shift and process without the disruption of a week-to-week schedule.
Many of my clients choose intensives because they:
Feel stuck in traditional talk therapy
Need a reset after burnout or life changes
Want to process a recent or past traumatic event
Are short on time but ready for transformation
Whether you’re healing from a single distressing experience or untangling years of accumulated stress, an intensive can help you feel more grounded, clear, and connected to yourself.
Your Therapy Intensive Prep Guide
Below are a few simple and supportive steps you can take to prepare for your session. Think of this as your personal therapy intensive checklist.
1. Get Clear on Your Intentions
Before your session, take time to reflect on what you’re hoping to gain. You don’t need to have it all figured out (that’s part of our work together!), but having a loose sense of your goals can help center the experience.
Try asking yourself:
💭 What am I hoping to shift, heal, or gain clarity around?
💭 What’s been weighing heavy on my heart or mind?
💭 What patterns or memories keep resurfacing?
This reflection isn’t about doing “homework” or getting it perfect - it’s about tuning into your truth and giving yourself permission to show up with curiosity and compassion.
2. Prepare Emotionally
It’s natural to feel a mix of emotions before your intensive - hopeful, nervous, ready, even hesitant. That’s okay. This is big, brave work.
To help settle your nervous system, consider:
Journaling about what you're feeling in the days leading up to the session.
Practicing grounding techniques, like deep breathing or body scans.
Setting boundaries around your time (more on that below) so you can show up present and unhurried.
Remind yourself: you are not alone in this. We’ll move at a pace that honors your story and nervous system. Everything in session is done with care and consent.
3. Plan Logistically for Recovery Time
Taking time to unwind after therapy: Rest and reflection are key to integrating your intensive session.
Healing requires space - not just during the session, but afterward too. That’s why I always recommend building in buffer time after your intensive.
This might look like:
Taking the rest of the day off from work (or at least lightening your load)
Not scheduling social commitments or demanding tasks right after
Planning a nourishing meal or comforting activity post-session
Giving yourself permission to rest and reset helps your body and mind integrate the work we’ve done together.
4. Rest & Integration: Giving Yourself Space to Absorb the Work
Creating moments of calm after therapy: Unwinding with simple joys, like time with a pet, supports emotional recovery after an intensive session.
Healing doesn’t stop when the session ends. After an intensive, your mind and body need time to process, rest, and integrate the work we’ve done. This is a vital part of the journey—one that often gets overlooked in busy, high-achieving lives.
Intensives can stir up deep emotions, bring clarity, or simply leave you feeling tender. Giving yourself the gift of rest allows these shifts to settle gently.
Simple Ways to Support Integration After Your Intensive:
Create quiet time: read, listen to calming music, or simply be still
Spend time in nature: grounding walks, sitting by water, or just breathing fresh air
Connect with simple joys: cuddling with a pet, enjoying a warm drink, gentle movement
Prioritize sleep and hydration: basic care helps your body recover and recalibrate
Journal your reflections: capture insights or lingering emotions in a safe space
This is not “extra credit” - this is an essential part of the healing process.
Remember: Rest is productive. Integration is healing.
5. What to Bring to Therapy: A Quick Checklist
You don’t need to bring much, but a few thoughtful items can help you feel more grounded during your session:
Notebook or journal to jot down thoughts or reflections (before, during, or after)
Water and snacks especially helpful during longer intensives
Comfort items like a cozy sweater, essential oils, or small grounding object
EMDR Workbook or preparation materials, if provided
Charged phone (on silent) for emergency use or communication post-session
Anything you’ve discussed with your therapist ahead of time
Our space will be calming and private, designed to help you feel safe, supported, and centered.
6. Practice Gentle Self-Talk
It’s easy to feel pressure to “get it right” or to wonder, What if I don’t remember things clearly? What if it gets too intense?
Let me reassure you: There is no wrong way to show up.
You don’t need to have all the answers or hold it together. Your only job is to come as you are. We’ll move together through whatever arises, at your pace.
Some affirmations you might carry with you:
🗣️ “I am safe to feel and heal.”
🗣️ “I don’t have to do it all alone.”
🗣️ “This is my time to reconnect with myself.”
7. Ask Questions Beforehand
If you’re unsure what to expect from the structure or flow of your session, reach out! I’m happy to answer any questions before we begin. Feeling informed helps reduce anxiety and lets you focus on showing up fully for yourself.
No question is too small or silly - this is your time, and your comfort matters.
Let’s Recap: Your Therapy Intensive Checklist
Here’s a quick summary to help you feel prepared and empowered:
✔️ Reflect on your goals and intentions
✔️ Make space to emotionally prepare
✔️ Schedule time for rest and integration afterward
✔️ Bring helpful items (journal, water, comfort objects)
✔️ Practice kind, affirming self-talk
✔️ Ask questions ahead of time
If you’re curious whether an EMDR therapy intensive is the right fit for you, I’d love to connect.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Looking for a trauma therapist in Washington who understands the impact of stress, burnout, & trauma - especially for women and BIPOC professionals?
Take your first step toward healing the attachment wounds that shape how you show up in your relationships, career, and sense of self.
A free 20-minute consultation gives us a chance to explore your needs, answer your questions, and see if this kind of work aligns with your goals. There’s no pressure - just a safe space to talk about what’s been coming up and how I can support you.
