The Deepening | Somatic Therapy Intensive in NYC | Ivy Chim Psychotherapy

Ivy Chim Psychotherapy  ·  Somatic Therapy Intensive

The Deepening

For moments that need more room

Some moments are too significant for 45 minutes. A medical trauma your body is still holding. A break-up that cracked something open. A grief that’s waited long enough. The Deepening gives threshold moments the focused, unhurried space they need.

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About This Intensive

An unhurried container for threshold work

A therapy intensive is an immersive format: several hours of focused clinical work held in a single encounter, rather than spread across months of weekly sessions. It works especially well when there’s something specific to move through — a particular event, experience, or threshold that needs more than what 45 minutes at a time can give.

Rather than talking about it week after week, you have enough time to actually move through it: activation, settling, discharge, integration. The body follows its own timing — and in an intensive, we have enough room to honor that.

Grounded in somatic, relational, and experiential approaches — and drawing from Somatic Experiencing (SE), AEDP, and Parts Work — our time together is shaped entirely around you: what you’re carrying, what your nervous system needs, and what’s ready to move.

Many people find they make more movement in a single intensive than in months of weekly sessions. Not because the intensive is better — but because some things need more time to unfold.

I bring particular depth to work involving medical trauma, sexual trauma, betrayal, loss, and the experience of navigating multiple worlds. The Deepening is ultimately shaped by what’s most alive for you.

When The Deepening Makes Sense

For moments that demand more than weekly therapy can hold

The Deepening works best when there’s a specific focus — a particular event, rupture, or threshold that’s asking for more room. Here are some of the moments that bring people here.

01
Medical & Accident Trauma
Surgery, diagnosis, hospitalization, car accidents, workplace injury — moments when your body went through something terrifying. The nervous system’s survival response can complete. SE was made for exactly this.
02
Break-ups & Betrayal
The end of a relationship, infidelity discovered, trust shattered. The shock lives in the body long after the mind has processed the facts. You need more than words to move it.
03
Loss & Grief
Sudden loss, death, miscarriage, pregnancy loss. When there isn’t enough space in regular life — or in weekly sessions — to grieve at the pace you actually need.
04
Sexual Trauma & Assault
A violation, an assault, an experience that the body has been holding in silence. SE’s approach to completing threat cycles and restoring a sense of safety in the body is particularly well-suited to this work.
05
Life Transitions
Job loss, immigration, displacement, leaving a life behind. When your whole world is reorganizing and you need somewhere to be fully with it — not just to manage it.
06
Longstanding Trauma Ready to Move
The thing that’s been there for years — named, understood, even worked in therapy — but not yet metabolized. When the body is finally ready, the intensive gives it enough room.

Is This Right for You?

Finding your fit

This may be a good fit if:

  • You have something specific to work on — an event, a decision, a threshold that feels ready to move
  • You’ve been in therapy and feel ready for depth, not just understanding
  • Your body holds something that words alone haven’t been able to shift
  • You’re high-functioning and tired of insight without felt change
  • You’re a professional who can’t commit to weekly sessions — or traveling to NYC specifically for this work
  • You want to work with someone who can hold complexity: cultural, relational, somatic, with care
  • You’re not in active crisis, but you are ready

If you’re unsure, the free consultation is exactly the right place to explore that together.

How It Works

The journey, step by step

01

Free Consultation 20 min · no charge

A brief conversation to meet, orient, and see if this feels like the right direction. We’ll talk about what you’re working with, how many hours might suit you, and whether the timing feels right. No commitment, no pressure.

02

Commit & Prepare

If we both feel ready to move forward, you’ll complete a pre-session intake and paperwork. A 50% deposit holds your date; the remainder is due before the intensive. This is when the work quietly begins.

03

Preparation Session 60 min Existing clients: optional — can fold into regular sessions

A session to arrive fully, set intentions, and explore what’s most alive. This is meaningful work in its own right. If it becomes clear that the timing isn’t right, we’ll honor that together — no pressure to continue.

04

The Intensive 3 to 6 hours

We have time to follow a thread all the way through — activation, settling, discharge, and integration. Breaks are included. You and I together determine the right length when we book, based on what you’re working with. Three hours is the minimum; I work up to six hours in a single day.

05

Integration Session 60 min Existing clients: optional — can fold into regular sessions

A closing session to metabolize, make meaning, and tend to what emerged. We close with care and a sense of what comes next. The intensive opens something; what follows matters too.

Investment

Transparent, flexible pricing

One rate, applied consistently. You choose the hours based on what you’re working with and what feels right.

$350/hr The Deepening rate  ·  applies across all sessions
Existing & Returning Clients
Intensive Only
Prep and integration can fold into your regular sessions at no additional charge.
3 hours $1,050
4 hours $1,400
5 hours $1,750
6 hours $2,100

50% deposit holds your date. Remainder due before the intensive. Payment can be split upon request.

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Full Package
New Clients
Complete Package
60-min prep session + intensive + 60-min integration session
Prep and integration: $350 each, included in package total.
3-hour intensive $1,750
4-hour intensive $2,100
5-hour intensive $2,450
6-hour intensive $2,800

50% deposit holds your date. Remainder due before the intensive. Payment can be split upon request.

Inquire About The Deepening

The Deepening is a private pay offering. Insurance does not apply. A Good Faith Estimate will be provided before we begin.

Not sure how many hours you need? Three hours is a strong starting point for single-incident trauma and many relational events. We’ll talk it through in the consultation.

Cancellation Policy
2+ weeks notice Refund less 10% service fee
Less than 2 weeks Non-refundable

Questions

A few things people often ask

Do I need to be in individual therapy to do The Deepening? +
Not necessarily. New clients don’t need to be in ongoing therapy with me first — but it’s strongly advisable to have your own therapist or solid support system in place. The Deepening opens things; having somewhere to take what emerges between sessions and after the intensive closes matters. Existing clients already have that container with me. We’ll explore your support situation together during the consultation.
How much does a somatic therapy intensive cost in NYC? +
The Deepening is priced at $350/hour, applied consistently across all sessions. Existing clients book the intensive only: from $1,050 (3 hours) to $2,100 (6 hours). New clients book the full package — 60-minute prep, intensive, and 60-minute integration — from $1,750 (3-hour intensive) to $2,800 (6-hour intensive). This is a private pay offering; insurance does not apply. A Good Faith Estimate is provided before we begin.
How many hours do I need? +
Three hours is a strong starting point — it’s enough time to move through a complete arc for most single-incident traumas, relational events, and concentrated grief work. Four to six hours suits more complex or layered material, or when multiple threads are ready to move at once. We’ll talk it through in the consultation based on what you’re working with, and you’ll have a sense of the right container before you commit.
What if I’m not ready after the prep session? +
Then we don’t move forward — and that is not a failure. The prep session exists precisely to explore this. Sometimes the most important thing that emerges is clarity about timing. You’re always welcome to return when the time feels right.
What happens between the prep session and the intensive? +
You’ll have an intake questionnaire to complete before the prep session. After the prep, you may receive gentle reflection prompts to sit with — nothing demanding, just an invitation to notice what’s present. The space between sessions is part of the container.
Is this therapy or coaching? +
This is therapy. I am a licensed psychotherapist (LCSW, New York State), and The Deepening is a clinical offering held with full therapeutic care, ethical standards, and clinical accountability. It is not coaching, education, or a wellness program.
Can I do this if I’m in crisis? +
Not at this time. The Deepening requires a stable enough foundation to go deep — it is not designed for acute stabilization or crisis support. If you are currently feeling unsafe or overwhelmed, please reach out to a crisis resource or your current therapist. I’m happy to help you find the right support if needed.
How is this different from regular therapy? +
Weekly therapy moves in weekly increments — you arrive, open, begin, and stop. The intensive format removes that artificial interruption. We have enough time to move through a full arc — activation and settling, opening and integrating — without the clock cutting us off. Many people find they make more movement in a single intensive than in months of weekly sessions. Not because the intensive is better, but because some things need more time to unfold.
What do I need to prepare? +
Mostly: show up. Beyond completing the intake questionnaire, the most important preparation is giving yourself permission to arrive fully — without an agenda for how it should go. Wear comfortable clothing. Have water nearby. If we’re working virtually, find a private space where you won’t be interrupted. If in-person, we’ll discuss logistics together.
Can I work with you if I’m outside of New York or internationally? +
Because The Deepening is a licensed psychotherapy offering, where we can work together depends on your location. If you’re able to travel to NYC for an in-person intensive, you’re welcome regardless of where you’re based — the session takes place in New York. For virtual work, I’m currently licensed to see clients located in New York State. If you’re based outside of New York and in-person travel isn’t possible, the somatic and experiential offerings at Osmanthus Moon — including breathwork and community containers — are open to everyone, wherever you are.
Is The Deepening covered by insurance? +
No. The Deepening is a private pay offering — insurance does not apply. Because the intensive combines multiple session types into a single clinical container, it falls outside standard insurance billing codes. A Good Faith Estimate will be provided before we begin so you have a clear picture of costs upfront.
Do you offer EMDR intensives? +
I don’t practice EMDR. The Deepening draws from Somatic Experiencing (SE), AEDP, and Parts Work — body-based approaches that address trauma, emotional processing, and relational patterns at the same depth as EMDR, with a particular emphasis on the body’s role in healing. If you’ve been looking for an EMDR intensive and want to understand how this approach compares, I’m happy to talk through it in the consultation.
What happens after The Deepening — is follow-up support included? +
The integration session is the closing container — a 60-minute space to metabolize, make meaning, and tend to what emerged. After that, follow-up is available and encouraged. If you’re not currently in therapy, ongoing sessions can be arranged. The intensive opens something; what comes after matters too.
What is somatic therapy, and how is it different from talk therapy? +
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to healing that works with what lives in the nervous system, not just what can be put into words. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses primarily on cognitive understanding and narrative, somatic therapy attends to the physical sensations, impulses, and patterns that trauma and stress leave in the body. The premise is that healing isn’t only a mental process — the body holds its own intelligence, and lasting change often requires working at that level. In an intensive container like The Deepening, somatic work can go somewhere it rarely reaches in a 45-minute session. The body follows its own timing: activation needs room to peak, discharge needs space to complete, and integration needs quiet to settle. Three hours doesn’t interrupt that cycle. We have enough time to follow a thread all the way through.

Ready to Begin

Something in you knows it’s time.

You don’t need to have the right words or a clear plan. You just need a willingness to arrive. The first step is a free 20-minute conversation — no commitment, just a beginning.

Begin with a free consultation