Psychological intensives
Extended therapeutic work for difficulties that benefit from sustained attention
What is a psychological intensive?
Psychological intensives offer an extended period of focused therapeutic work, allowing time to explore a particular difficulty or longstanding pattern in greater depth than is usually possible within a weekly session.
They may be helpful when you are facing a significant decision or transition, struggling with a recurring relationship difficulty, or finding that a familiar pattern continues despite considerable insight and previous therapeutic work.
The extended format creates space for reflection, emotional processing and experiential exploration, without the usual interruptions between sessions. The aim is to develop a deeper understanding of what is happening and create opportunities for different ways of responding.
How this differs from weekly work
Weekly therapy allows patterns to emerge and be explored over time, with opportunities to reflect on experiences between sessions. An intensive offers a different rhythm. Extended time together allows us to remain with a particular issue, explore its emotional and relational dimensions, and work through material that may be difficult to approach within shorter sessions.
An intensive can complement ongoing therapy or serve as a focused piece of work in its own right, depending on your circumstances.
When this may be appropriate
An intensive may be worth considering if you are:
→ Caught in a recurring relationship pattern, such as repeatedly withdrawing, over-accommodating or struggling to express needs.
→ Facing a significant transition or decision that brings up conflicting emotions, longstanding fears or questions about identity.
→ Finding that insight hasn’t translated into change, despite understanding the origins of a particular difficulty.
→ Working through a difficult experience that would benefit from more sustained emotional attention.
→ Feeling stuck in ongoing therapy, where a concentrated period of work might help explore something that has been difficult to approach.
Intensives are not suitable for every difficulty or circumstance. An initial consultation helps determine whether this format is appropriate and what the work might focus on.
How intensives are structured
Depending on the nature of the work, an intensive may be arranged in one of the following formats:
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Half-Day
Approximately 3 hours. Focused exploration of a particular difficulty or recurring pattern.
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Full-Day
Approximately 5–6 hours, with breaks. More sustained exploration and emotional processing.
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Consecutive Days
An extended format that may be considered where clinically appropriate.
What an intensive involves
An intensive begins with an initial consultation to clarify what you hope to explore, understand your circumstances and consider whether an extended format would be appropriate.
The work is tailored to the individual rather than following a prescribed programme. Depending on what emerges, we may explore developmental and relational patterns, process difficult emotions, attend to bodily responses or experiment with different ways of responding.
Sessions include opportunities to pause, reflect and integrate what has been explored. Where appropriate, we may also discuss how to consolidate the work afterwards, whether independently or through ongoing therapy.
Intensives are available online or in person in central London.
If this feels relevant
Psychological intensives are offered on a limited basis, with the format and duration tailored to the individual.
An initial consultation provides an opportunity to explore whether this approach would be appropriate.