Can I Keep My Current Therapist and Still Do a Therapy Intensive?
If you’ve spent any time on therapy websites or mental health social media, you’ve probably seen ads for therapy intensives – half‑day or multi‑day deep‑dive sessions that promise big shifts in a short amount of time. People sometimes ask me, “Can I keep seeing my regular therapist and still do an intensive?” The short answer is yes. Intensives can be a powerful complement to your ongoing therapy, but there are some important things to consider. In this post I’ll explain how intensives fit into your healing journey, how to collaborate with your current therapist, and how to navigate dual support ethically and effectively.
What Exactly Is a Therapy Intensive?
A therapy intensive is like taking the express train instead of making lots of local stops. Rather than weekly 50‑minute sessions stretched out over months, you and a specialized therapist devote several hours over one or more days to focus on specific issues. Some intensives use approaches like EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS) or somatic therapies; others are less structured and simply provide uninterrupted time to dig deep.
Therapy intensives offer personalized treatment plans that offer more time in deep focus, meaning less time starting and stopping sessions and more time actively working toward your goal. Similarly, other providers emphasise that these concentrated sessions help you “address stuck points” and meet specific goals without replacing your primary therapy. Think of them as a focused workshop rather than a new full‑time job.
Why Do People Consider Intensives?
There are many reasons clients explore intensives:
You’re busy. Weekly appointments may not fit your schedule. A concentrated block lets you accomplish in days what might otherwise take months.
You feel stuck. After months or years of therapy, certain memories or sensations might keep looping. Providers offering adjunct EMDR note that when primary therapists collaborate with an EMDR specialist, it can give the client the push needed to move through treatment barriers.
You want to work on something specific. Maybe a past car accident still triggers you, or you want to process a recent breakup before a big life transition. Intensives allow focused attention on a single issue.
You need somatic support to complement talk therapy. Some people love their talk therapist but sense there’s unresolved tension in their body. I offer EMDR intensives that integrate with IFS and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy which offer body‑based tools alongside your regular therapy. We also don’t have to do EMDR - many of my clients benefit significantly from parts work, resourcing, or somatic work alone.
You prefer a retreat-style experience. Spending uninterrupted time on your mental health can feel like a personal retreat. Clients often say extended sessions feel less draining than shifting gears during weekly therapy.
How Intensives Supplement (Not Replace) Your Therapy
A common misconception is that an intensive replaces your ongoing sessions. In reality, intensives are designed to work alongside your primary therapy. Several EMDR specialists emphasize that adjunct therapy is a supplement, not a replacement. You continue meeting with your regular therapist, who remains your therapist of record and provides long‑term care. The adjunct therapist targets specific traumatic memories, body sensations or intrusive thoughts using EMDR or other techniques. After the intensive, you return to your regular sessions with new insights and momentum.
Intensives can break through plateaus that traditional talk therapy or 45 minute sessions are limited in. They can supplement regular therapy and the longstanding relatinship you’ve already built with your current therapist, and help resolve stuck points or break through therapy plateaus. Clients often report that after an intensive, their regular therapy picks up momentum because they’ve processed a big piece or learned new regulation skills.
Collaborating With Your Current Therapist
If you decide to pursue an intensive, open communication with your therapist is crucial. Here are some points to discuss:
Clarify your goals. Decide together what you hope to accomplish. Are you targeting a specific trauma, working on body‑based regulation, or seeking insight into a particular part of yourself? Having a clear goal helps you and the intensive therapist develop a plan. Adjunct EMDR therapists stress the importance of clearly defined goals set in collaboration with both client and primary therapist.
Obtain consent for collaboration. Ethical guidelines typically require a signed release of information so your therapists can share relevant information. If you’re keeping your therapist, you should make sure their is coordination between your them and your therapist providing therapy intensives.
Define roles and boundaries. Your primary therapist remains your anchor for long‑term work and crisis support. The adjunct therapist focuses on the intensive. Both therapists should understand their roles to avoid confusion or duplication. Adjunct EMDR providers clearly state that their short‑term work does not replace ongoing therapy. Instead, they team up with you and your primary therapist to tackle specific issues.
Plan for integration. After the intensive, you may experience new insights, emotions or body sensations. Discuss with your primary therapist how to integrate these changes.
Navigating Ethical Considerations
Working with two therapists can raise ethical questions, particularly around confidentiality and continuity of care. Professional ethics codes emphasise that counselors must avoid multiple relationships that could impair professional judgment or exploit clients. When it comes to intensives, the key is ensuring that both therapists collaborate for your benefit and respect boundaries.
Confidentiality: Signing a release of information allows your therapists to communicate about your care while protecting your privacy. Without your consent, therapists cannot share information; with consent, they can coordinate to avoid conflicting advice or duplicate work.
Continuity of care: The adjunct therapist should stay in communication with your primary therapist, not just during the intensive but afterward. This continuity ensures that any gains made in the intensive are supported and integrated into your ongoing therapy.
Avoiding role confusion: It’s important that the adjunct therapist doesn’t take over as your regular counselor unless you decide to make a formal switch.
Respecting each therapist’s approach: Therapists may use different modalities. For example, an EMDR intensive might feel quite different from your usual cognitive‑behavioral or psychodynamic sessions. That diversity can be enriching, but it requires clear communication so that techniques complement rather than compete.
What an Intensive Typically Looks Like
Although every intensive is customized, most follow a structure:
Pre-consultation and assessment. Before the intensive, you’ll complete intake forms and possibly have a pre-consultation call. The therapist will ask about your history, current symptoms and goals. This screening ensures the intensive is appropriate and helps tailor the experience.
Extended sessions. During the intensive, sessions may last anywhere from 90 minutes to several hours. For EMDR, intensives usually involve 4‑12 extended sessions. For somatic or IFS intensives, you might have a half‑day or full‑day session. Breaks, snacks and movement are often part of the schedule to keep you regulated.
Focused work. Because time is concentrated, you can stay with difficult feelings long enough to process them rather than cutting off at the 50-minute mark. Therapists offering somatic intensives observe that clients often feel less drained than they do after an hour of traditional therapy.
Integration and follow-up. At the end of the intensive, you and the therapist review what you’ve accomplished and discuss next steps. You may receive exercises or journaling prompts. After returning to your regular therapist, you can unpack and integrate the experience. Some clients schedule another intensive down the road to work on additional issues.
Tips for Making Dual Support Work for You
If you’re considering an intensive while staying with your current therapist, here are some suggestions to make the most of it:
Be transparent. Let both therapists know about each other and share your intentions. Hidden treatment rarely benefits anyone.
Clarify expectations. Ask questions such as: How will we communicate? How will progress be shared? What is each person’s role? When providers are clear about their roles, clients are less likely to feel caught in the middle.
Choose providers who value collaboration. Some therapists are uncomfortable with dual support because of past experiences or concerns about conflicting treatment plans. Look for professionals who explicitly welcome collaboration.
Stay involved in your own care. You are the common denominator between your therapists. If something feels mismatched, bring it up. Your insight can help both professionals tailor their approaches.
Reflect on timing. Intensives can bring up strong emotions. Consider scheduling them when you have space afterward for rest and follow‑up therapy. If you’re going through a major life stressor, consult with your primary therapist about whether it’s the right time.
Plan for aftercare. The days following an intensive might feel tender or exhilarating. Having a session with your primary therapist soon after can help process new insights and maintain momentum.
When Intensives Might Not Be the Best Fit
Although intensives are helpful for many people, they aren’t right for everyone. Here are some circumstances where you might pause or adapt the plan:
Active crisis or instability. If you’re in the midst of a crisis (e.g., actively suicidal or in an unsafe environment), weekly therapy and crisis support are more appropriate. Once stability returns, you can revisit intensives.
Severe dissociation or unprocessed trauma without coping skills. Intensives can be intense. Most providers require clients to have some ability to self‑soothe and stay present. Your primary therapist can help you build these skills before you dive into concentrated work.
Lack of collaboration. If your primary therapist is unwilling to collaborate or you can’t sign a release of information, you may have to choose one provider or wait until collaboration is possible. Dual support without communication can create conflicting advice or safety concerns.
Final Thoughts
Choosing to work with more than one therapist can feel like a big step. Done thoughtfully, it can enhance your healing journey. Intensives offer a chance to focus deeply on a specific issue, move through stuck points and learn new skills in a condensed timeframe. Far from replacing your current therapist, a well-structured intensive can supplement the relationship you’ve built, giving you fresh momentum and insights.
The most important factors are communication, collaboration and clarity about roles. With a signed release, your therapists can coordinate care, protect your confidentiality and ensure continuity. When everyone is on the same team, you get the best of both worlds: the stability of your ongoing therapeutic relationship and the transformative potential of concentrated work.
If you’re curious about whether an intensive could benefit you, talk with your current therapist. Together you can decide if now is the right time and, if so, find an adjunct provider who respects your therapeutic journey. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all, and having options – including intensives – can make all the difference.
If you’re curious about EMDR, IFS, SP or my intensives, feel free to get in touch. Together we can design a healing plan that honors your mind, body and spirit.
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About the author
Margot Lamson, LICSW, is a licensed psychotherapist offering in-person and virtual therapy in Washington, D.C. and Virginia. She is trained in multiple trauma-focused approaches, including EMDR, IFS, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to support clients seeking meaningful and lasting healing. Margot also provides intensives, combining evidence-based and holistic techniques, to help clients achieve significant progress and feel better faster in a focused, supportive setting.
