Why My Trauma-Therapy Intensives Are Designed with You in Mind
By Amanda Hankins, MSW, T.S., Clinical Director, Clinic Altera
Introduction
Choosing the right kind of therapy can feel overwhelming, especially if you have already tried traditional talk therapy and are still searching for deeper change. Many people I meet have done years of meaningful work through CBT or other top-down approaches, but still feel that something important has not shifted.
That is exactly why I created trauma-therapy intensives. These experiences are intentionally designed to put you first: your pace, your nervous system, and your capacity. Instead of fitting yourself into a weekly therapy model, intensives adapt to you and create the conditions for real transformation. Sessions can be held in person in Montreal or virtually from anywhere in Quebec or Ontario, so that support can meet you wherever you are.
Designed for Flexibility
Every person’s healing process looks different. Trauma-therapy intensives are structured to meet you where you are, whether that means one focused day of deep work, a two-day reset, or an immersive multi-session format.
Because the sessions are longer and more spacious, we have the flexibility to follow the natural rhythm of your process. If your nervous system needs time to regulate, we slow down. If a powerful memory arises, we have the time to stay with it until it fully integrates. This flexibility is what makes personalized therapy both effective and humane. It honors your unique way of healing rather than rushing it.
Evidence-Based and Personalized
Your intensive is never one size fits all. Each experience is carefully designed using evidence-based modalities that best fit your goals and readiness. Depending on your needs, we may integrate:
Brainspotting or EMDR-style reprocessing for trauma, emotional release, and memory reconsolidation
Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help you connect with and heal inner parts of yourself with compassion
Somatic and nervous-system regulation practices informed by polyvagal theory
A psychodynamic foundation, which helps us understand how early relational patterns shape your current experiences
Together, these approaches create an individualized mental health support plan that is science-based, deeply relational, and uniquely yours.
Why This Matters
When therapy is tailored to the individual, healing becomes not only faster but more sustainable. Clients often describe feeling deeply seen, supported, and empowered in a way that traditional weekly therapy never allowed.
A personalized trauma-therapy intensive offers:
Momentum: meaningful progress in days instead of months
Integration: tools that actually fit your life and body, not just your thoughts
Support: ongoing guidance and follow-up to maintain what was gained
By combining neuroscience, relational depth, and individualized care, trauma-therapy intensives make healing both efficient and profoundly human.
Ready to Take the Next Step
If you have tried traditional therapy and are ready for something deeper, more embodied, and designed entirely around you, it may be time to explore a personalized trauma-therapy intensive.
Schedule a consultation to see whether this approach might be the next right step in your healing journey.
About the Author
Amanda Hankins, MSW, T.S. is a licensed social worker and psychotherapist with over 14 years of experience supporting clients across Canada. She is psychodynamically trained with additional certifications in EMDR, Brainspotting, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and Internal Family Systems, which she uses integratively to help clients understand their history, relational patterns, and embodied trauma responses while creating new ways of relating and responding to these triggers.
At Clinic Altera, Amanda is committed to providing compassionate, expert care both in person in Montreal and online throughout Quebec and Ontario. Her approach blends science and relationship, structure and intuition, offering clients an attuned space for growth, healing, and change.