Frequently Asked Questions: Brainspotting Intensives in Maryland

FAQs About Brainspotting Intensives in Baltimore City, Maryland

At LifeSpring Counseling Services, we understand that choosing to invest in a Brainspotting Intensive is a big decision. Below, we’ve answered some of the most common questions people ask about intensives so you can feel confident in your next steps.

If you have a question that isn’t covered here, feel free to reach out!

What is a Brainspotting Intensive?

A Brainspotting Intensive is a focused, extended therapy session designed to help you work through a specific issue in a concentrated period of time to make headway fast. Instead of making progress gradually through shorter increments with traditional weekly therapy, intensives offer deep, uninterrupted time to process difficult emotions and experiences, reduce distress, and gain insight.
At LifeSpring, we offer:
1-Day Intensives (9 AM - 4 PM)
3-Day Intensives (same schedule, multiple days)
Weekend Intensives for those with busy weekday schedules
How do I know if a Brainspotting Intensive is right for me?

A Brainspotting Intensive might be a good fit if you:
✔ Need help quickly so you can function better or return to your usual level of functioning
✔ Need relief quickly, so you can stop feeling distressed or uncomfortable
✔ Are feeling stuck in your current therapy and need something different to help you get through that area of stuckness
✔ Are participating in weekly therapy, but need more time to work through one particular issue
✔ Prefer to work intensively rather than attending weekly therapy sessions
✔ Don’t have time for weekly therapy, so you need to do a deep dive on an issue all at one time
✔ Want to address trauma, stress, grief , nightmares, creative blocks, or other unresolved emotions in a concentrated period of time.
If you’re unsure, we’re happy to talk through your situation to see if an intensive is the right choice for you.
Do I need prior experience with Brainspotting to do an intensive?

No. You don’t need to have done Brainspotting before. Melissa will provide you with the information you need to understand how Brainspotting works. Regardless of how much (or how little) experience you have with Brainspotting, you can still participate in an Intensive.

What can I expect during a Brainspotting Intensive?

There’s no standard structure for Intensives, so we can only speak to the structure of LifeSpring’s Intensives. Each intensive is customized to your needs, but here’s a general structure.
Pre-Work: Prior to the day of your Intensive, you will complete intake forms that will prepare you for the Intensive at LifeSpring and that will provide your therapist, Melissa Wesner, LCPC, Certified Brainspotter, and Brainspotting Consultant with information that will help her prepare for your time together.
The Day of the Intensive: The Intensive will start with a brief review of the forms you’ve signed and the information you’ve provided on your intake forms. This will be a time for you to ask any questions that you have about the day ahead. Melissa will work with you to get clear on the issues you are wanting to work on and ways that you will know if progress has been made by the end of the day. Melissa will also explain the Brainspotting process, and we’ll discuss how we can make the best use of our time together.
The Intensive Schedule:
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM with 2, 15 minute breaks (you’ll want and need those) and a 30 minute break for lunch.
30 minute virtual follow-up appointment the week after completing the intensive
Intensive can be completed over the weekend.
Unlike traditional therapy, intensives provide deep, uninterrupted time to explore and work through the issue you came in to address.
How do I prepare for a Brainspotting Intensive?

Before your intensive, we’ll provide guidance on how to prepare, but in general we recommend that you:
✔ Get plenty of rest the night before.
✔ Eat a good meal before the session.
✔ Wear comfortable clothing.
✔ Bring water, snacks, and anything that helps you feel at ease.
✔ Keep your schedule clear the evening of the Intensive. Do not make plans. Give yourself time to rest, enjoy a good meal, go for a walk, stretch, do yoga. Allow time to process and reflect. Consider giving yourself opportunities to process your experience by journaling, coloring, doodling, or going for a walk.
✔ Get a good night’s rest after the Intensive
What can I expect to get out of an Intensive?

That depends. Every person comes with their own unique goal or intention for attending a Brainspotting Intensive. At the start of the Intensive, you will review your goals for the day with Melissa, and how you’ll know if that goal was achieved.

What can I expect from Brainspotting?

Every Brainspotting experience is unique. As Brainspotting professionals, we never make assumptions about what someone’s Brainspotting experience will be like. One of our Certified Brainspotters at LifeSpring likes to say that Brainspotting is like the Barrel Full of Monkeys game. You go to pull one monkey out of the barrel only to find that it is attached to a bunch of other monkeys. While we may be starting off our Brainspotting session focused on one particular issue or topic, it’s not uncommon to find that that one issue is wrapped up in other issues as well. As Brainspotting professionals, however, we trust the process and encourage you to trust the process too. Our bodies know exactly where to take us during a Brainspotting session, even if the place a Brainspotting experience takes us is unexpected or surprising.
What do our clients say about Brainspotting?

As mental health providers, our Codes of Ethics do not allow us to solicit testimonials from the people we work with. For that reason, you’ll never see client testimonials on our website or most other therapists’ websites. Having said that, here are some things we often hear our clients say at the end of a Brainspotting session:
“I know that event happened, but I’m not feeling activated when I think about it now.”
“That event feels smaller now.”
“It feels further away now.”
“I can talk about it without getting upset now.”
“I feel calmer now.”
Who leads the intensives at LifeSpring?

All Brainspotting Intensives at LifeSpring are led by Melissa Wesner, LCPC, LifeSpring’s Founder and Owner. She’s a:
✔ Certified Brainspotter and Brainspotting Consultant
✔ Trauma-informed therapist with extensive experience doing Brainspotting
✔ Specialized training and experience with depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use disorders and sex therapy
Melissa has years of experience using Brainspotting to help people work through difficult emotions and life experiences.
Can Brainspotting Intensives Be Completed Online?

Brainspotting Intensives can certainly be completed online. Some people ask us if one option is more effective than the other. Brainspotting is effective online. Our recommendation is to choose online or in-person based on your own preference or circumstances. To date, everyone who has completed an Intensive at our office has opted to come in-person.

What if I live in a state outside of Maryland? Can I still do an Intensive?

Yes, you can. It’s not uncommon for people to travel to complete Intensives. For some people, it can be difficult to find an Intensive locally or to find a provider that they really want to work with. If that’s the case, we can certainly help.
Due to licensing requirements, however, you would need to travel to Maryland in order for us to help. Licensed Counselors are only able to work with people who are physically located in the state where they are licensed, even if a session is being conducted virtually.
Need an excuse to visit Maryland? We got you! Our office is located in Baltimore City, and there are plenty of cultural activities (museums, festivals, restaurants, etc.) for you to explore while here. Our office has plenty of free parking, and we’re located right by a light rail stop too.
Will insurance cover a Brainspotting Intensive?

No. Therapy Intensives are private pay only, as insurance companies do not cover them.
We accept:
✔ Credit cards
✔ Checks
✔ FSA/HSA cards
How much does a Brainspotting Intensive cost?

The cost of a Brainspotting Intensive is not based on an hourly rate. Instead, pricing reflects the value of focused, dedicated therapy time with a highly trained Brainspotting Practitioner and the outcomes that can be achieved during that time.
At LifeSpring, our 1 day Intensives + 30 minute follow-up visit cost $4,000. Our 3 day Intensives + 30 minute follow-up visit costs $11,500 (a $500 discount for 3 day Intensives).
If cost is a concern, traditional weekly therapy may be a better option. We don’t want anyone signing up for an intensive if it would create financial stress. But if a Brainspotting Intensive feels like exactly the right thing that you are needing at this time, we’d love to support you.
How do I get started?

If you’re ready to move forward, the first step is to schedule a consultation to discuss your goals and determine if a Brainspotting Intensive is the right fit for you.
Contact us today to learn more or to schedule your intensive.
Call our office at 410-497-8451 M-F from 9am-5pm to schedule a free, 15 minute consultation call with Melissa Wesner, LCPC, or email Melissa directly at melissa@lifespringcounseling.net to schedule a consultation call.

We Make Scheduling Easy!

1. Call Us

Give us a call at 410-497-8451, Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm and speak with our office admin who will help you get scheduled!
2. Schedule With One of Our Therapists

Click on the “Make an Appointment” button with the therapist of your choice here (make sure they’re accepting new clients). Follow the prompts to create your account, schedule an appointment, and complete the biography section. You got this!
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Getting Started is Simple!

When you start therapy, you’ll have some decisions to make. Am I interested in online counseling, or do I want to meet with someone in person? From there, you’ll have to think about the type of therapist you think you’d work well with. At LifeSpring, we have both male and female therapists in case you have a preference.

Scheduling your first session is simple:

Click Here to book online 24/7 with the therapist of your choice or give us a call at 410-497-8451 Mon-Fri from 9am-5pm.
Complete your intake paperwork.
Attend your first session and start feeling better with professional support!

Your healing matters, and you don’t have to do this alone. If you’re ready to experience the benefits of a focused, two-hour Brainspotting session, we’d love to support you. Give us a call today.