Intensive Trauma Therapy
for Combat Veterans & First Responders
in Colorado Springs, CO
and virtually in 42+ states
Accelerated Therapy
for Warriors Ready to Get After It
When traditional therapy feels like death by a thousand cuts, clinical intensives deliver the breakthrough you need
Intensives are for you if:
Weekly therapy feels like Groundhog Day.
You spend 10 minutes catching up, 30 minutes scratching the surface, and 10 minutes wrapping up—only to go through the rest of the week unhealed, tired, and angry. You and your family are getting impatient waiting for progress to happen.
The civilian world feels like you're operating with one hand tied behind your back.
You’ve survived life-or-death situations, but now you're supposed to care about Suzie’s cat’s headache and then Sam called off of work - again. Remember when you made decisions about things that mattered? And you got to beat down doors doing it? Nobody operates like a team here. Forget about the “your mom” jokes.
You can handle anything professionally, but relationships feel like a minefield.
You have led teams under fire, made huge split-second decisions, and you eat pressure for breakfast. But your spouse crying in front of you? Your kids needing emotional support about a school problem? You might feel annoyed, numb, or completely incompetent. You don’t know if you can, or event want to, connect like people are asking you to.
Your team bonds feel/felt more real than your family relationships.
The guys who had your back downrange understand you in ways your spouse never will. You'd trust them with your life, but that actually seems easier than trusting your feelings, or your spouse with your feelings. You miss this deeply.
You carry ghosts that 50-minute sessions don’t do justice.
Whether it's teammates you've lost, decisions you made, or things you've seen and done, there are memories that feel too big for time sensitive sessions. You need someone who can help you process the weight you carry without either of you watching the clock.
You can stay sharp and connected.
I'm Dr. Alisa Bartel, and I specialize in helping warriors integrate their professional excellence with emotional connectivity.
While I am a Clinical Psychologist specializing in PTSD and military trauma, I am also a spouse to a Purple Heart combat veteran, stepdaughter to a Green Beret, a mother, stepmother, and Type II fun sufferer. I know what it's like to love a Protector, whose identity was forged in life-or-death situations — and I know what it takes to help warriors maintain their edge while opening their hearts.
Warriors deserve a therapist who matches their intensity and commitment to excellence.
Using evidence-based trauma therapies specifically adapted for mortality-exposed populations, we can process the experiences that traditional therapy can't touch. You can get relief from emotional numbness, hypervigilance, relationship struggles, and the weight of carrying experiences that civilians struggle to understand.
My approach isn’t to make you "civilian-friendly" but to leverage your tremendous skillset into more fulfilling relationships, intuitive trust, and safety in contentedness. And keep you out of HR’s office, again.
Keep your edge sharp and your heart open.
Schedule a consult to learn how.
What is a Clinical Intensive?
This is an accelerated format of trauma therapy designed for people ready to dig in and see results. Instead of attending weekly sessions for months or years, you get focused, uninterrupted time to go deep and process what needs processing.
During a Clinical Intensive, you get my undivided attention for 3-6 hours per day over 1-5 days, allowing us to make exponentially more progress than traditional weekly therapy.
Clinical Intensives are perfect for veterans and first responders who:
Value efficiency, directness, and hate wasting time
Want to skip the small talk and get shit done
Want to minimize disruptions and maximize progress
Prefer immersive training over extended education
Are ready to embrace the suck and see results
Why Traditional Weekly Therapy Doesn’t Always Work for Warriors:
Too much time spent "warming up": By the time you get comfortable and focused, the session is over.
Little time for real processing: The deepest work happens when you can stay with difficult emotions and memories long enough to process them completely.
Designed by the medical model: Hour-long sessions were designed by insurance companies, not for people who've been trained to operate at maximum intensity and see missions through to completion, or those on nontraditional work schedules.
If you've felt like therapy hasn't worked for you, it's time to try an intensive.
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Step 1
Strategic Planning Session (Free 20-minute consultation)
We'll discuss your specific background, current challenges, and goals to determine if a Clinical Intensive is the right approach for your situation.
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Step 2
Mission Briefing (90-minute Intake Session)
We'll map out your objectives, identify target areas for processing, and develop a tactical plan for your intensive work. You'll receive a preparation workbook designed specifically for warriors.
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Step 3
Intensive Therapy Sessions
This is where the real work happens: 3-6 hours of focused, uninterrupted therapy time. We'll use evidence-based approaches to process themes including loss, killing, human depravity, violence, trust, intimacy, and more.
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Step 4
After Action Review (90-minute Follow-up)
We'll assess progress toward your objectives, consolidate gains, and develop a plan for maintaining and building on the work we've accomplished.
Clinical Intensives Can Help You:
Process combat trauma and moral injury without losing your edge
Develop tactical empathy skills that enhance both professional and personal relationships
Learn to honor brotherhood bonds while building family connections
Transform hypervigilance from a relationship liability into a family protection asset
Integrate your warrior identity with your role as husband and father
Process teammate losses and survivor guilt with someone who respects brotherhood
Develop emotional intelligence that enhances rather than undermines professional performance
Stop choosing between being professionally effective or emotionally connected
Custom Intensive Options
Mission Ready Eval
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Includes:
3-hour comprehensive assessment and consultation
Detailed analysis of your current challenges and adaptive patterns
Clear recommendations for next steps (therapy type, intensity level, specialist referrals)
Resource packet specific to your situation
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Starting at $900
Focused Strike
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Includes:
3-hour intensive session
90-minute intake session
90-minute follow-up session
Warrior-specific preparation workbook
Personalized resources and assessments
Best for: Addressing specific incidents, recent losses, or targeted relationship challenges
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Starting at $1,950
Deep Reconnaissance
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Includes:
6-hour intensive session (can be split over 2 days)
90-minute intake session
90-minute follow-up session
Warrior-specific preparation workbook
Personalized resources and assessments
Best for: Complex trauma processing, moral injury work, or comprehensive relationship integration
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Starting at $2,850
Deployment
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Includes:
3 intensive sessions (6 hours each)
90-minute intake session
90-minute follow-up session
Warrior-specific preparation workbook
Personalized resources and assessments
Between-session check-ins
Best for: Comprehensive trauma processing, major life transitions, or deep identity integration work
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Starting at $6,450
Full Spectrum Operations
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Includes:
4 intensive sessions (6 hours each)
90-minute intake session
90-minute follow-up session
Warrior-specific preparation workbook
Personalized resources and assessments
Between-session check-ins
30-day follow-up session
Best for: Complex combat trauma, multiple deployments, career transitions, or complete life integration
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Starting at $10,050
Relief from emotional numbness and relationship struggles is possible, and it doesn't require losing your professional edge.
You've carried this weight long enough. Now let’s reclaim the freedom you’ve earned.
FAQs
Will this interfere with my security clearance or career?
Absolutely not. All therapy is confidential and protected by law. Seeking mental health care demonstrates strength and self-awareness—qualities valued in professional environments. Your records remain private.
What if I don't have a PTSD diagnosis?
You don't need a diagnosis to benefit from intensive therapy. Many high-performing warriors experience what I call "Mortality-Exposed Adaptive Drift"—changes that may not meet PTSD criteria but still significantly affect relationships and civilian integration.
Can you handle what I've been through?
Yes. As someone who's lived the combat veteran and PTSD family life, and specializes in combat trauma, I understand the realities of your experiences. You won't shock me, and you won't have to educate me about military culture or operational demands.
Do you offer couples intensives?
Not at this time. However, it is a service that I hope to offer in the future.
Do you offer intensives virtually?
Yes! To see if you are located in a state where I am authorized to practice, you can view this map.
Intensives can also be offered in-person here in beautiful Colorado Springs, allowing for a more immersive and customized experience (e.g., walk-and-talk).
What if I'm not sure an intensive is right for me?
That's exactly what the Mission Readiness Evaluation is for. This comprehensive assessment helps determine what type of support would be most effective for your specific situation. Some people benefit more from traditional weekly therapy, others from coaching or support groups, and others are perfect candidates for intensive work. We'll figure out what's right for you.
What about payment and scheduling?
A 50% deposit reserves your dates, with the balance due on your first intensive day. I accept credit cards, HSA, and FSA. Unfortunately, insurance doesn't cover the full cost of intensives, but many clients find the investment worthwhile for the accelerated results.
Do you work with spouses too?
Yes. I offer individual intensives for veteran, SOF, and first responder spouses. Strong relationships require both partners to be operating at their best.
What's your cancellation policy?
Due to the intensive nature and time commitment, there's a 2-week cancellation policy. Cancellations within 2 weeks are responsible for the full fee.