Why Intensive Therapy?

After working in the insurance-based counseling world for 14 years, I’ve grown increasingly frustrated with the limitations insurance companies place on therapists. Over the years, I’ve learned wonderful and truly effective treatment modalities—such as EMDR and ERP—but I’ve often had to keep one eye on the clock, trying to fit meaningful, healing work into a one-hour time frame dictated by insurance.

As my group practice grew, I also realized that managing a large, week-to-week caseload was becoming exhausting and unsustainable. As much as I love and deeply enjoy my clients—who are truly wonderful people—I could see that this pace was leading me toward burnout.

When my colleagues introduced me to the concept of therapy intensives, it almost felt too good to be true. I get to offer focused, uninterrupted time to one client at a time, with a clear beginning and end to our work together. This allows me to fully focus on each person and create a personalized, multi-pronged treatment plan—without being limited to one hour or only in-office sessions.

Because I specialize in OCD, I’ve learned that much of this work involves facing the fears OCD creates. Many of these fears happen in real-life settings: at home, in public, while driving, and more. ERP is a therapy method that involves facing and overcoming fear, and it works best when the therapist can be there alongside the client during exposure exercises.

This work is incredibly rewarding—but it’s also heavily restricted by insurance regulations. In traditional therapy, it’s often difficult to fit in traveling to a location, doing exposure work, returning to the office, and allowing time to regulate before a client returns to daily life. As a result, sessions can feel rushed, and treatment may stretch on for months or even years before clients reach their goals.

While meaningful work absolutely happens in weekly therapy, I wanted to offer another option—one that allows clients to experience healing and empowerment in a shorter, more focused timeframe. My goal is to help people gain the tools they need to live meaningful lives that aren’t limited by trauma or OCD-related fears.

That’s what led me to take the leap and begin offering therapy intensives.

No, they are not covered by insurance, and they are a true investment in yourself. So why trust me with your hard-earned time and money?

Because I’m a therapist who understands this work not only professionally, but personally. I know what it’s like to live with OCD and to work through past trauma. I have done—and continue to do—my own healing work so that I can live according to my values rather than fear or avoidance. Being able to help others do the same is deeply meaningful to me.

If a three- or five-day intensive isn’t feasible for you, shorter intensives can still be incredibly impactful. Together, we can work on regulating your nervous system, building a sense of safety within yourself, and equipping you with practical tools to manage OCD symptoms and trauma triggers.

If you’re interested, I invite you to visit my website’s intensive therapy page at https://www.verusridgecounseling.com/therapy-intensives. There, you can learn more about my offerings and fill out a contact form so we can determine whether an intensive is a good fit for you. You’re also welcome to reach out by email at veronica@verusridgecounseling.com.

For those who prefer to use health insurance for weekly therapy, I’m proud to work alongside five fantastic therapists at my group practice, Verus Ridge Counseling. Our team offers a variety of specialty services through both in-person and telehealth care. You can learn more about them and request an appointment at https://www.verusridgecounseling.com/our-staff.