How Therapy Intensives Can Help You Go from Angry to Empowered, from Burnout to Actually Living
You’re overwhelmed, but you just can't stop. You know you’re at your limit, but a voice inside your head screams, "What if no one else steps up? What if things aren't done the 'right' way? What if they just don't get done at all?" You’ve always been labeled the caretaker and the high-achiever. As you get closer and closer to the edge of burnout, working less—or even doing less—not only feels impossible, it feels like a failure.
This cycle of never getting any rest, of not slowing down, is what most people, myself included, would consider burnout. You might think, "I thought burnout was when I'm literally burned out, when I can't move or can't keep up." And that's true—burnout can look like that for some. But for others, especially for moms caught under the pressure of taking care of another human being and the patriarchal and societal expectations of "looking like you have it all together," you find a way to keep moving even if it hurts. Eventually, you may even forget that it hurts, or start to believe that everything is just supposed to be this hard, that it's not too much, and that something is actually wrong with you. But that’s not it.
Burnout is that feeling of being completely depleted—physically, mentally, and emotionally. For the moms I work with, it often shows up as that constant state of being on edge, where you're tense from holding all your feelings in so tightly, desperate not to explode. It's the anxiety that buzzes beneath the surface of every to-do list and the resentment that builds with every unasked-for task you take on. It’s the feeling of going through the motions of your life without actually living. It's the belief that everything is just supposed to be this hard and that somehow, if you just keep working faster, harder, and doing more, you'll eventually figure it out and it will all become easier.
Traditional weekly therapy is an incredibly valuable tool. But sometimes, when you're in the thick of it, it can feel like trying to empty a swimming pool with a teaspoon. You make a little progress, but the pool keeps filling up faster than you can scoop the water out.
This is where a therapy intensive can make a huge difference.
What is a Therapy Intensive?
A therapy intensive is a concentrated, focused period of therapeutic work that lasts for multiple hours or even days. Instead of meeting for 50 minutes once a week, we dedicate a larger block of uninterrupted time to dive deep into the core issues that are causing your burnout.
Think of it this way: weekly therapy is like regular maintenance for your car. An intensive is like taking your car to a specialized shop for a full engine overhaul.
How Intensives Help You Go From Burnout to a Systems Reboot
When we're burned out, we often think the solution is simply more rest. And yes, that's absolutely real; we have to find a way to build more rest into your life. But sometimes, the issue isn't just a lack of rest; it's that your entire system is running on an old operating system (it still works, but outdated for your current life). The intensive isn't just about a quick recharge; it's about a system reboot that allows for significant, lasting change.
The reason intensives are so effective at helping you find relief faster is the dedicated, uninterrupted time. We get to bypass the small talk and dive straight into the patterns that are keeping you stuck. This is a chance to really break down the protective parts of you—like the high-achiever or the people-pleaser—and recognize that these ways of being might have been helpful at some point. It might feel really confusing because you've tried to change them before and it didn't work. By understanding these parts, we can navigate that confusion and grief.
Here’s what we can accomplish in an intensive:
Emotional Catharsis: We'll create a safe space for you to unpack not only what you've been feeling for the past few weeks or months, but also the deep emotions you were never allowed to express, or that you learned were "bad." This is about more than just venting; it's a powerful emotional release that leads to healing.
Identify Your Needs: We'll focus on reclaiming space for you and figuring out what you truly need for rest and support. But more than that, we'll work on the foundations of how you can feel confident and connected as a person, so you can tune into not only labeling your needs but expressing them.
Build New Tools: We’ll cultivate a toolkit of foundational, actionable strategies for you to take care of yourself in new ways. This includes learning to be with yourself compassionately and letting anger exist without feeling like a tug-of-war. We'll work on setting boundaries and developing partnerships where you can ask for help, make requests, and have other people show up for you.
The goal isn't just to talk about the problem; it's to experience a shift and start building a new way of being. By dedicating this time to yourself, you give yourself permission to heal, to rest, and to stop relying on survival mode as your default.
You have the power to move from angry to empowered, from burnout to actually living a life that feels like yours.