Healing from trauma can feel like a long and winding road. For many, traditional weekly therapy offers a slow, steady path, but the pace can be frustrating. Revisiting painful memories for an hour, only to put them away until the next session, can sometimes feel like picking at a wound without giving it enough time to fully heal. If you are a high-functioning individual ready to make significant progress, you may be seeking a more focused and accelerated path to transformation.
At Willow & Stone, we offer a powerful alternative: a 1-to-3-day immersive healing intensive. This model is designed to create a safe, concentrated space for you to do deep, transformative work. Instead of spreading the process over months or years, we condense it into a focused period, allowing you to move through emotional blocks and trauma without the disruption of weekly stops and starts. It’s a unique opportunity to accelerate your journey toward peace, clarity, and renewed purpose.
Appointments for minors require parent or guardian initiation. Please include the child’s age and primary concern in the Contact Us message.
An intensive trauma therapy session in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is a deeply personal and structured experience, tailored entirely to your needs. Unlike standard therapy appointments, these are full-day or multi-day sessions dedicated solely to your healing journey. This extended format allows us to go deeper, fostering profound shifts in a short amount of time.
Here is what you can expect from the structure and flow of an intensive:
The core of the intensive consists of extended sessions dedicated to processing traumatic memories and emotional blocks. This protected time allows your nervous system to settle, creating the safety needed to access and heal memories that may be inaccessible in a shorter timeframe.
We don’t rely on a single method. Dr. Forbes skillfully weaves together several evidence-based approaches, including:
An EMDR intensive in DFW utilizes bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping) to help your brain reprocess and store traumatic memories in a less distressing way.
This form of somatic trauma therapy in Texas focuses on the body’s physical sensations. We guide you to track your bodily responses, release stored tension, and complete self-protective responses that were frozen during the traumatic event.
This approach helps you understand and heal the different parts of yourself that may be in conflict, such as the part that wants to heal and the part that is terrified of the memories.
Your safety and comfort are paramount. The entire process is collaborative. We move at a pace that feels right for you, with frequent check-ins and breaks. You are always in control, and every step is taken with your full consent.
The intensive is just the beginning of a new chapter. The experience concludes with a comprehensive follow-up plan. We help you integrate the changes you’ve made and provide you with tools and strategies to continue your healing. This may include referrals, follow-up sessions, or a plan to share with your primary therapist.
Trauma intensives are designed for individuals who are ready for a significant leap forward in their healing. This format is particularly effective for high-functioning teens (16+) and adults who feel stuck despite their best efforts in traditional therapy.
This approach may be right for you if you are experiencing:
For those dealing with single-event traumas (like an accident, assault, or natural disaster) and struggling with flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance.
For individuals who have experienced prolonged or repeated trauma, such as childhood abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, and who struggle with issues of self-worth, emotional regulation, and relationships.
If you feel stuck in patterns of anxiety, depression, or shame that seem disconnected from your present circumstances, an intensive can help uncover and heal the root traumatic experiences.
For busy professionals, parents, or anyone who feels they don't have years to spend in weekly therapy and are motivated to do deep, concentrated work.
Readiness is Key: A trauma intensive is a powerful but demanding process. It requires a certain level of stability and a strong motivation to heal. Before accepting a client for an intensive, we conduct a thorough, trauma-informed screening to ensure it is the right fit. An intensive may not be appropriate for individuals currently in active crisis, struggling with active substance abuse, or without a foundational level of emotional stability. Our first priority is to “do no harm,” and we will always guide you toward the safest and most effective level of care for your current needs.
Our approach to trauma recovery in Mansfield and beyond is grounded in neuroscience, clinical expertise, and deep compassion. We have meticulously designed our intensives to provide a container of profound safety, allowing for true mind-body healing.
We understand that trauma is not a story you tell, but a physiological reality stored in your body and nervous system. Our interventions are based on the latest science of how the brain and body process and heal from trauma.
The intensive is personally guided by Dr. Stacey Forbes, a board-certified psychiatrist with advanced training in trauma modalities. Her medical background provides an extra layer of safety, ensuring she can manage any intense emotional or physiological responses that may arise.
We move beyond talk therapy. True healing involves the body. We integrate techniques like therapeutic breathwork, grounding exercises to connect you to the present moment, and interoception (the practice of sensing your body’s internal signals) to help you regulate your nervous system and release stored trauma.
If you have a primary therapist, we see ourselves as a partner in your care. We can collaborate with your therapist before and after the intensive to ensure a seamless experience and a smooth transition back into your ongoing therapeutic work.
Choosing to engage in a focused, immersive healing experience can yield profound and lasting benefits that often surpass what is possible in weekly sessions.
The most significant advantage is the acceleration of the healing process. By dedicating a concentrated block of time, you can achieve progress in a few days that might otherwise take many months or even years.
The primary goal is to significantly reduce the emotional charge of traumatic memories. Clients often leave feeling a sense of lightness, with a marked decrease in symptoms like anxiety, flashbacks, and emotional reactivity. You will also learn powerful skills to regulate your nervous system.
Healing the wounds of the past frees up immense mental and emotional energy. Many individuals report a renewed sense of clarity, purpose, and hope for the future. They feel more present in their lives and more connected to themselves and others.
Because this method addresses trauma at the root level—in the brain and the body—the results are often durable. The integrative follow-up plan is designed to help you solidify these gains and build upon them long after the intensive is over.
A successful intensive involves careful preparation and thoughtful aftercare. We support you through the entire process to maximize the benefits and ensure your long-term well-being.
Once you are scheduled, we will provide you with a detailed guide to help you prepare. This includes practical advice on creating a calm and supportive environment for yourself. Your preparation checklist may include:
We will guide you through every moment, ensuring you feel safe and supported. Breaks are scheduled for rest, reflection, and nourishment.
The work continues after you leave. We will co-create a detailed aftercare plan, which may include:
We are committed to making this transformative work accessible. Our in-person intensives are held in North Texas, making them easily accessible from Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and surrounding cities. Intensives are held in a private, serene space designed for comfort and healing.
For clients who cannot travel, we may offer tele-intensives when clinically appropriate. These virtual sessions are conducted via a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. Please note that for legal and ethical reasons, care can only be provided when you are physically located in a state where Dr. Forbes is licensed (Texas, Florida, or Louisiana) at the time of the service.
Disclaimer: This website and its content are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your physician or a qualified health provider regarding any medical condition.
You do not have to carry the weight of the past forever. If you are ready to take a courageous step toward accelerated healing and lasting freedom, we invite you to learn more about our trauma intensives.
It is a focused 1–3 day treatment model using EMDR and somatic work to process trauma in a concentrated format, rather than spreading it across many weekly sessions.
People with unresolved trauma or PTSD who want focused, accelerated processing. Dr. Forbes evaluates each person to confirm the intensive model is the right fit.
It complements them. Intensive trauma work is integrated with medication management and ongoing psychiatric care as needed.
Willow & Stone provides integrative, cash-pay telehealth psychiatry to patients across Texas and New Mexico — from major metros to rural communities with few local providers.
Popular areas: Dallas · Fort Worth · Houston · Austin · San Antonio · Plano · Albuquerque · Santa Fe · Las Cruces · Rio Rancho
