Weekend Couples Retreats

All intensive work begins here.

This is a strong option for couples who want to move quickly into meaningful work. What typically takes several weeks in traditional therapy is completed here in a more focused, efficient format. Unlike Days 2 & 3, the Assessment Day is offered as a stand alone option. Couples often choose to get the assessment wrapped up in one day, allowing them to jump directly into the work when beginning traditional weekly/bi-weekly sessions.

Why this phase matters
I don’t offer quick opinions or early advice in couples work. Not because I don’t have them—but because offering direction without a clear understanding of your dynamic is often inaccurate and, at times, counterproductive.

Day 1 is about getting precise. How do the two of you actually interact when things go wrong? What patterns are repeating? Where does each of you contribute to the breakdown? Until that’s clear, any intervention is just guesswork.

This can feel frustrating if you’re coming in wanting immediate answers. That makes sense. But my job is not to react quickly—it’s to be accurate and effective.

This Assessment Day is required before any additional intensive work (Day 2 and 3).

A 2 Day Intensive is suited for couples who are generally functioning well but are stuck in a specific, repeatable pattern that hasn’t resolved on its own.

Important to know
This is not a standalone service. The Assessment Day is required prior to this day. By the time we begin the 2-Day intensive, I already have a clear understanding of your dynamic—so we are not spending time gathering information. We are working.

What the work involves
While we do move into active intervention, we don’t skip over understanding why these patterns exist in the first place. Many of the ways you respond to each other were learned long before this relationship—and they tend to show up automatically, especially under stress.

Part of the work is slowing that down just enough to understand what’s driving those reactions, so that when we begin to shift them, the changes are meaningful and actually hold.

This can bring up some more difficult moments, but it’s purposeful. We don’t stay there—we use that understanding to actively change how you relate to each other.

Is this the right level of care?
This is not a “light” version of couples therapy—it’s a focused one. And it’s not the right fit for every situation.

A 2-Day Intensive works when:

The relationship is fundamentally stable

There is no significant breach of trust or ongoing crisis

Both partners can stay engaged, regulated enough to work, and take responsibility for their role in the dynamic

If that’s not the case, a 2-Day Intensive is usually not enough. Trying to compress more complex or entrenched issues into two days tends to be inefficient at best—and frustrating for everyone involved.

A 3-Day Intensive is designed for couples dealing with more complex or entrenched dynamics—situations where 2 days is not enough to create meaningful or lasting change.

When this level of care is needed
This format is typically appropriate when there has been a significant rupture in the relationship or when patterns have been in place for a long time and are more difficult to shift.

This may include:

A breach of trust (including, but not limited to, infidelity)

Longstanding disconnection or repeated breakdowns in communication

Situations where prior therapy has not led to meaningful change

Couples who feel at a “make it or break it” point in the relationship

Couples who struggle more to stay regulated during the work

In these cases, the work requires more time—not just to understand the problem, but to intervene at a deeper level and reinforce new patterns as they begin to take shape.

A note on fit
Intensives require the ability to stay engaged, present, and willing to take responsibility—even during difficult conversations. Some emotional reactivity is expected. However, when reactivity is so high that it consistently interferes with staying present or participating in the work, the intensive format tends to be ineffective.

Across three days, we move beyond initial insight and into repetition, course correction, and consolidation. The goal is not just to identify what’s not working, but to begin establishing a different way of relating that can hold outside of the room.

NEXT STEPS

If you’re unsure which phase or format is the best fit, we’ll sort that out together in a brief consultation. This way, I can help you decide which package would be best for your goals.

Sign up for a complimentary 15 minute phone consultation with me.

I often joke, “Please don’t wait until you despise each other to come see me!” Get your relationship off to a great start! Happy couples don’t just make themselves! There is a recipe—skills to learn. I will teach you.

This makes for a thoughtful engagement/wedding gift for the right couple.

Why Intensives Are Priced Differently

Intensive therapy is structured very differently from weekly sessions—and the fee reflects that difference.

When you schedule an intensive, you are not one of many clients that day. The entire day is reserved exclusively for your relationship. There are no sessions before or after yours, allowing me to be fully present, focused, and attuned to the work we are doing together.

In addition to the time we spend in session, each intensive involves meaningful preparation beforehand. I review your history, consider your dynamic, and think carefully about how to structure the work so that we can use our time as effectively as possible. The goal is not simply to spend more hours together, but to work with intention and precision.

Sustaining this level of work over several consecutive hours also requires a high degree of clinical experience. In longer sessions, important and often unexpected material emerges, and it is essential that the therapist can track, manage, and work with it in real time—while keeping both partners engaged and the process moving in a productive direction.

The fee reflects the level of focus, preparation, and sustained clinical engagement that this format requires.