Short-Term Therapy, Customized Intensives, and Other Nontraditional Reasons People Come to Therapy
When many people think about starting therapy, they imagine it’s only for moments of crisis or long-term work around big issues. And while those are valid reasons to seek support, they’re far from the only ones.
Therapy doesn’t have to be reactive — it can be proactive, creative, short-term, long-term, focused, exploratory, or simply a supportive pause in the midst of a busy life.
At Green Door Therapy, we’re passionate about expanding the narrative around why people come to therapy — and what therapy can look like.
Here are some nontraditional (but powerful) reasons people start therapy with us, and the creative ways we tailor each experience to your individual needs.
Therapy for Growth — Not Just Crisis
You don’t need to be in distress to benefit from therapy. Many clients come simply because they want to grow.
Therapy can be a space to:
Develop emotional intelligence
Improve communication and relationship skills
Deepen self-awareness and self-trust
Explore identity, values, and purpose
Find time to slow down and reconnect with yourself
Sometimes, therapy is the only hour in your week that’s truly just for you — and that’s reason enough.
Focused Therapy: Short-Term Support That Makes a Big Impact
Therapy doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment. Many clients work with us for brief, focused support around a specific issue or season of life. Examples include:
Preparing for the holidays, which may bring up stress or family conflict
Navigating a major life event like a move, birthday, or identity shift
Addressing an old pattern or behavior that’s resurfacing
Accountability and support for a specific goal — whether related to health, work, or social connection
Building mental health skills, such as emotion regulation or coping strategies
Working through decision-making or problem-solving when you’re feeling stuck.
Trying therapy for the first time and seeking a short term commitment.
Even just a few sessions can help create clarity, direction, and a sense of momentum.
Our intern therapist, Megan, is currently offering self-pay short-term counseling sessions tailored to your unique needs — with sliding scale rates ($25–$50 per session).
Relationships: More Than Just Couples Counseling
We support a wide range of relationship structures and needs — both traditional and nontraditional.
Some couples come to therapy saying, “We’re not sure if we want to stay together, but we want a space to explore that.” Others arrive knowing they’re moving toward divorce and want to separate with care and respect — especially when children are involved.
Other relationship-focused support includes:
Strengthening communication and connection
Building conflict resolution and relational repair skills
Exploring non-monogamy or relationship structure changes
Co-parenting through transitions
Pre-marital or pre-baby support
Briani Shorter is currently accepting new couples clients for in-person and virtual appointments.
Therapy Intensives: Deep Dives, Designed Just for You
If you want to go deeper, faster — or if weekly therapy doesn’t fit your schedule — you might consider a therapy intensive.
At Green Door Therapy, we offer customized intensive sessions designed around your personal goals. These may look like extended 2–3 hour sessions (in a retreat-style format) or a series of longer appointments across a shorter time frame. Your therapist will collaborate with you to create the best structure for your needs.
Some areas we offer therapy intensives in:
Parenting and parenthood coping
Pre-marital counseling
Preparing for a baby
Identity and values exploration
Anxiety management and self-compassion
Shame resilience and self-worth
Mindfulness and emotional regulation
Creative and Personalized Therapy Approaches
Therapy doesn’t have to look one specific way. Our clinicians bring a wide range of interests and specializations into the therapy space, including:
Mindfulness and grounding techniques
Spiritual and existential exploration
Emotion identification and regulation
Conflict resolution and communication skills
Self-compassion and shame resilience
Supporting someone else through a difficult season (partner, child, friend)
Therapy Is Also for You — Even If It’s About Someone Else
You don’t need to be the one in crisis to benefit from therapy. Many clients come in because someone they love is struggling — and they want to show up better for them.
Therapy can help you:
Learn how to support a loved one
Understand a diagnosis or identity impacting someone close to you
Cope with the emotional toll of caregiving
Model healthy growth for others in your life
Therapy can be a reflective, grounding space — even if you’re not the one directly impacted.
We’re Not Here to Keep You in Therapy Forever
Some clients work with us for a short season and feel complete. Others return when a new life chapter or challenge arises. That’s normal — and encouraged.
We believe therapy should fit into your life, not the other way around. We’re here to support you as long as it feels helpful — and we’ll celebrate with you when you feel ready to move forward outside of therapy.
Finding the Right Therapist for You
We know how important it is to find a therapist who really gets you. Our team includes clinicians with experience in:
Anxiety and Depression
Body Image and Eating Disorders
Parenting and family dynamics
LGBTQ+ identity and gender exploration
Cultural identity and intersectionality
Neurodivergence
Spirituality and meaning-making
Life Transitions
We’re happy to help you find the right fit.
We also currently have an intern therapist offering sliding scale therapy sessions, making therapy more accessible to those with financial constraints.
And remember: you don’t have to come to therapy with clearly defined goals. Sometimes part of the process is figuring out what you want to work on — and that’s okay. We all benefit from a safe space to reflect, grow, and reconnect with ourselves.
Start Where You Are
If you’ve been waiting for a "big enough" reason to start therapy — this is your sign that you don’t need one.
Therapy can be short or long-term, structured or open-ended, focused or exploratory. It can be what you need it to be.
At Green Door Therapy, we’re here to create a space that fits you — your life, your pace, your goals.
Reach out today to learn more, meet our team, or schedule a consultation.
