the somatic intensive
a two-day ritual for crossing thresholds — in Boulder, Colorado
a two-day ritual for crossing thresholds — in Boulder, Colorado
Every significant transformation has a threshold.
The end of a relationship. The beginning of a new chapter. A healing that has been building quietly for years and is finally ready to be met. A version of yourself you are becoming — and a version you are ready to leave behind.
Our culture is largely ritual-less. We move through these crossings without ceremony, without witness, without dedicated time and space to honor what is actually happening. We grieve in the margins of ordinary life. We step into new identities without pausing to mark the passage. We cross thresholds without ever really crossing them — arriving on the other side still carrying what we meant to leave at the door.
The Somatic Intensive offers a different way.
what it is
The Somatic Intensive is a co-created two-day ritual — designed with you and for you — to mark, honor, and embody a significant threshold in your life or healing journey.
Facilitated by Emily Olsen Black, MA, LPC, the intensive weaves together somatic therapy, trauma-informed yoga and meditation, body-based inquiry, and deep integration work into a container that holds both the clinical and the sacred dimensions of genuine change.
It is not just a longer therapy session. It is a deliberate passage — with a beginning, a crossing, and an emergence.
the intensive is available in two forms:
the somatic & contemplative intensive
two days of pure intention, without any psychedelic component, drawing on somatic therapy, yoga, meditation and deep stillness, embodied inquiry, and integration. A complete and profound ritual container.
the cannabis-assisted somatic intensive
two days that includes up to two psychedelic cannabis-assisted journeys held within a carefully prepared somatic and clinical container, alongside yoga, meditation, somatic therapy, and integration. Cannabis as medicine — intentional, relational, and fully supported.
both options are available as individual 1:1 experiences with Emily, or as small group rituals for 2–4 people — partners, close friends, or others who feel called to cross this threshold together.
the arc of two days
The intensive is structured as a ritual arc — two distinct days that together hold the full movement of genuine threshold crossing.
day one — the opening
meeting what is underneath.
The first day is the descent — into the body, into what has been held, into what is ready to move.
We begin with arrival: a somatic and ceremonial opening that marks the beginning of this time as distinct from ordinary life. Not a warm-up, but a true beginning — a deliberate stepping across the threshold into the container we will hold together.
From there, the first day moves into deep somatic and body-based work — following what's present in your nervous system, working with what has been carried, and creating the conditions for what needs to surface to finally do so. This is the place of release, of meeting, of the necessary dissolution that precedes real transformation.
For the cannabis-assisted intensive, the journey session is woven into the arc of day one — typically in the afternoon, once the somatic container is fully established and the nervous system is resourced and ready. Cannabis here is an ally in the opening — softening the defenses that make deep processing difficult, creating deeper access to what the body has been holding, supporting the quality of present-moment awareness that this work asks for.
Day one closes slowly and intentionally — a somatic integration practice, reflective space, a brief ritual closing that honors what has moved and holds it gently through the night. What was opened in the day has space to settle, to dream, to continue its quiet work before the morning comes.The first day is the descent — into the body, into what has been held, into what is ready to move.
day two — the cultivation
receiving what emerged. becoming what is possible
Where day one was the opening, day two is the tending — the deliberate, embodied work of receiving what arose and beginning to cultivate what it makes possible.
We open day two in the body — a longer, slower trauma-informed yoga and meditation practice designed to resource the nervous system, integrate what moved the day before, and create space for whatever wants to deepen and consolidate.
The heart of day two is integration and meaning-making — the work of finding language for what was wordless, of understanding what the opening revealed, of beginning to inhabit the identity and the knowing that is emerging. Emily brings her full somatic, relational, and awakening-literate presence to this — helping you not just understand what happened but feel it landing in your body, your sense of self, your relationship to what comes next.
Day two closes with ceremony. A ritual acknowledgment of what has been crossed — what has been released, what has been received, what you are carrying forward. A somatic practice for the integration that will continue in the weeks ahead. And spacious, unhurried time to orient toward the life you are stepping into.
You will leave not just with insights, but with something felt — a shift in the body, a new relationship to yourself, a sense of having truly crossed rather than merely approached.
what makes this a ritual, not just an intensive
The word ritual is used carefully here, because it names something specific.
A ritual is a deliberate, witnessed act that marks a passage as real — that brings the full attention of the body, the psyche, and the spirit to a moment of change and says: this matters. I am crossing something. I will not pretend otherwise.
What Emily brings to the Somatic Intensive is the rare capacity to hold a container that is simultaneously clinically rigorous and genuinely ceremonial — where the somatic and the sacred are not in tension but in conversation, where the psychological and the spiritual dimensions of a threshold are held with equal care and skill.
Every intensive is co-created — shaped before it begins through a preparation process that clarifies your intention, identifies the threshold you are crossing, and designs the specific arc of your two days. No two intensives are identical, because no two people are crossing the same threshold.
thresholds this intensive has been designed for
The Somatic Intensive may be the right container if you are navigating:
Witnessing the birth or death of a loved one — your family, your life, your sense of self is forever changed — and yearning to be witnessed and honored
A spiritual threshold — an awakening that has been building, a commitment to a path, a deepening of practice — that wants to be honored in the body and in relationship
A significant birthday or life marker — a 30th, 40th, 50th, or any age that carries the weight of transition — held as a genuine rite of passage rather than just a celebration
Any moment where you sense that something is crossing and you do not want to cross it alone or without witness
The end of a significant relationship — divorce, loss, a friendship that has run its course — and want to honor the passage with more than grief
A major life transition — a career change, a move, a chapter closing — that deserves to be marked deliberately
A healing milestone — the completion of a significant phase of therapeutic work, a sobriety anniversary, a recovery from illness — that calls for ritual recognition
An identity shift — becoming a mother, stepping into leadership, leaving behind an old self — that needs ceremony as much as therapy
the cannabis-assisted option
Cannabis, approached with intention and clinical support, can be a deeply powerful psychedelic ally in threshold ritual work. It can soften the ordinary mind's insistence on control, create access to emotional and somatic material that is harder to reach in ordinary states, and support a quality of present-moment presence and body awareness that deepens both the opening and the integration.
Emily's approach to cannabis-assisted work is clinical, relational, transpersonal, and somatically grounded. Every cannabis-assisted intensive includes:
A thorough preparation process before the intensive — clarifying intention, assessing fit, preparing the nervous system
Full somatic and clinical support throughout the journey session itself
Dedicated integration time within the intensive and follow-up support afterward
Please note: participants source their own cannabis in accordance with Colorado law. Emily provides clinical facilitation and somatic support — she does not provide or supply any substances. Cannabis-assisted work is not appropriate for everyone; contraindications will be carefully assessed during the preparation process.
individual or small group
Individual 1:1 intensive — the most intimate and spacious container, held entirely around you and the specific threshold you are crossing.
Small group intensive (2–4 people) — for those who want to cross a threshold in the presence of others. Partners marking a transition together. Close friends honoring a shared passage. A small circle of women ready to witness and be witnessed in genuine change. The relational field of a small group adds its own dimension of healing and depth — and at a more accessible price point.
the investment
Individual 1:1
starts at $1,800 — Somatic & Contemplative | $2,200 — Cannabis-Assisted
Small Group (2–4 people)
starts at $1,200 per person — Somatic & Contemplative | $1,500 per person — Cannabis-Assisted
All intensives include a pre-intensive preparation session and follow-up integration support. Location is flexible and co-decided — Emily's Boulder office, a rented retreat space, or another setting that fits the container — this can impact price point, depending on your individual needs and desires. A small number of reduced-rate spots are available for those facing financial hardship. Please reach out directly.
how to begin
The first step is a conversation — a chance to share the threshold you're approaching, ask any questions, and sense whether this container feels right.
Or reach out directly: emily@integrateholistictherapy.com Subject line: Somatic Intensive Inquiry
The Somatic Intensive is a clinical and facilitation offering — not a substitute for ongoing psychiatric care or emergency mental health services. If you are currently in acute crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or go to your nearest emergency room.. Emily does not provide, sell, or facilitate access to any psychedelic substances outside of the licensed regulatory framework.
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