A therapy intensive is one longer block of therapy, usually a few hours, instead of a 50-minute session once a week. In my Burnout Recovery Intensive, that block is three hours. We spend it figuring out why you're so depleted, sorting out which kinds of pulling back are protecting you, and building a written plan you take home the same day.
I'm Amanda Morris, LCSW. I'm a trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming therapist and a Certified Financial Social Worker. I work with late-identified autistic and AuDHD women who are worn down by emotional abuse, relational trauma, and burnout. I see clients by telehealth across Louisiana, including New Orleans, and in Florida and Virginia.
If you've been wondering what actually happens in those three hours, here's the walkthrough. No mystery, no surprise trust falls.
What is a therapy intensive, and how is it different from weekly therapy?
Weekly therapy gives you about 50 minutes at a time. That works well for a lot of people. But for many of the women I work with, the first 20 minutes go to warming up and the last 10 go to bracing for the rest of the day.
A therapy intensive gives you more room. You aren't starting over every week, so we can stay with one thing long enough to actually get somewhere with it. My intensive is built around burnout recovery, and it comes in two sizes:
A single half-day: one 3-hour session
A 3-day package: three 3-hour sessions, usually one week apart
An intensive doesn't replace your regular therapist if you have one. Lots of clients keep seeing their own therapist and use the intensive as a focused boost.
What happens before the intensive starts?
The work starts before the big day, so we don't spend your three hours on paperwork. Here's what comes first:
A free 20-minute consult. We talk about what's going on and whether this is a good fit. No pressure either way.
Intake paperwork. You fill out a questionnaire and a couple of burnout checklists from home.
A pre-intensive workbook. You complete it at your own pace and send it to me at least 72 hours before your assessment session.
A 75-minute assessment session. This is where I get to know you, review what you've shared, and make sure the intensive is set up around your actual life.
By the time your intensive day comes, I already know a lot about what's draining you. We get to skip the small talk. (I know. You're welcome.)
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What happens during a 3-hour therapy intensive, hour by hour?
Every intensive is shaped around the person in front of me, so this is a general map, not a script. You'll get either one 20-minute break after the second hour or two 10-minute breaks between hours, whichever works better for you. You're also welcome to have your snacks, your fidgets, your weighted blanket, and your camera angle exactly how you like it.
We open with 5 to 10 minutes of a regulation practice, like breathing, movement, or stimming, and close with a shorter version. It's the same practice every time, so it starts to feel familiar.
Hour 1: Why are you so tired?
We start by looking at your burnout checklist results together. Then we map what drains your energy and what fills it back up, including unpaid work like caregiving and running a household. We also look at the places where your needs seem to pull in opposite directions.
In my work with clients, this is often the first time someone has seen all of it written down in one place. It can be a relief to realize you're not lazy or broken. You've been carrying a lot.
Hour 2: Which avoidance is protecting you?
Not all pulling back is a problem. Some avoidance protects you. It keeps you from walking into situations that drain you dry. Other avoidance is driven by fear, and it keeps your life smaller than you want it to be.
In this hour, we use a worksheet to sort the two apart. The goal isn't to make you do more. It's to help you see where you have choices.
Hour 3: How do you ask for what you need?
Many autistic and AuDHD women learned early that having needs made them "too much." So in the last hour, we work on one way to ask for a need. Just one. Something real and doable in your actual life. We also look at how much you want to share, and with whom.
By the end, your Burnout Recovery Plan is done. I build it as we go, adding what you find after each piece, in your words. If something involves another person, you choose the wording. Nothing goes in that doesn't sound like you.
What happens after the intensive?
You get your Burnout Recovery Plan as a PDF the same day. It's short on purpose, because the last thing a burned-out brain needs is a 20-page homework packet.
If you book a single half-day, you also take home one worksheet to work on. It leads right into Day 2 if you decide to book the full package within 30 days.
A few weeks later, we have a 60-minute follow-up session. We talk about what you've noticed since the intensive and what your next steps might be.
Between sessions, I'm available for scheduling and logistics. Bigger questions about your plan get saved for the follow-up, so we can give them real attention.
What if I want more than one day?
The 3-day package builds on itself, about a week apart:
Day 1: Map. Everything described above.
Day 2: Rebuild. Needs, accommodations, boundaries, and how invalidation has shaped you, including in controlling relationships.
Day 3: Sustain. Your early warning signs and a 90-day plan.
Your Burnout Recovery Plan grows across all three days, and there's one email check-in from me between each day.
Is this a good fit for you?
A therapy intensive might be a good fit if:
You're a late-identified autistic or AuDHD woman (self-identified counts)
You're burned out and weekly therapy feels like it never gets past the surface
You've been in a relationship that left you second-guessing yourself
You want to leave with something concrete, not just a good conversation
That third one matters. In my practice, I often hear some version of "He never hit me or put his hands on me." That's often said to explain why it "wasn't that bad." But emotional abuse doesn't need bruises to do damage. A review of research on partner abuse found that psychological abuse can be just as harmful to mental health as physical violence.
Something else might be a better fit if:
You're looking for a marriage therapy intensive or couples therapy intensive. This intensive is for you as an individual, not for couples.
You're searching for an EMDR intensive near me. I don't offer EMDR, so you'll want a therapist trained in it.
You're in crisis or not safe right now. An intensive isn't crisis care. Getting safe and steady comes first.
During our consult, I'll be honest with you if I think something else would serve you better.
Can I do a therapy intensive near me if I live in New Orleans?
Yes. Most of my intensives are online, so if you're searching for a therapy intensive near me in New Orleans or anywhere in Louisiana, you can do it from your own couch. I also see clients by telehealth in Florida and Virginia. If you'd rather meet face to face, I also offer in-person intensives on Tuesdays at my office in Baton Rouge.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a therapy intensive?
My Burnout Recovery Intensive is three hours per day. You can book a single half-day or a package of three half-days, usually one week apart. Before your first day, there's also a 75-minute assessment session, and afterward, there's a 60-minute follow-up session. Breaks are built into the intensive day, so you aren't sitting still for three hours straight.
Does insurance cover a therapy intensive?
My practice is private pay, so I don't bill insurance directly. If you'd like to try for out-of-network reimbursement, I can give you a superbill on request. A superbill requires a mental health diagnosis, and I can't promise your insurance will reimburse you. It's worth calling your insurance company to ask about out-of-network mental health benefits first.
Can I keep seeing my regular therapist?
Yes. The intensive doesn't replace the therapist you already have. Many people use an intensive as a focused boost alongside their ongoing therapy. If it helps, you're welcome to share your Burnout Recovery Plan with your therapist, so they know what we worked on. That choice is always yours, and you decide what gets shared.
Do I need an official autism diagnosis?
No. If you're a woman who self-identifies as autistic or AuDHD, you're welcome here. Many women figure this out later in life, and getting a formal diagnosis isn't always possible, affordable, or something you want. What matters most is that the intensive is built around how your brain and body actually work.
What if I get overwhelmed during the intensive?
That's okay, and it's expected. We take breaks, slow down, or change direction whenever you need to. You can keep your camera, lighting, and sensory setup however feels best. The point isn't to push through. The point is to work in a way that doesn't leave you more depleted than when you started.
Ready to talk it through?
A therapy intensive isn't magic, and it isn't the right fit for everyone. But if you're tired of feeling tired, and you want three focused hours to understand why and what to do next, it might be worth a conversation.
You can book a free 20-minute consult here. We'll talk about what's going on, and you can decide from there. No pressure, no sales pitch.
If you're in crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room.
