In the right hands, change feels less daunting.
Private couples therapy intensives in Maryland.
Personal. Profound. Worth the step.
Why Couples Choose Our Approach
Since 2013
Most comprehensive available
Advanced Gottman-trained
Over 2.5 transformative days
Why Does Assessment Matter?
1. You Won’t Waste Your Expensive Intensive Repeating Your Story
Most couples spend their first intensive session explaining their history. Not here. Our 1,864-question assessment tells your story FOR you—so your therapist arrives knowing your patterns, your pain points, and what you’ve already tried.
2. Start Fixing From Minute One
The assessment reveals your communication cycles, conflict triggers, and hidden dynamics before you walk in the door. That means more time actually healing—not just explaining what’s broken. You paid for solutions, not storytelling.
3. Assessment Reveals What You CAN’T See
You know you’re stuck. But you can’t see WHY from inside the cycle. Our assessment reveals the invisible patterns: pursue-withdraw dynamics, the real needs underneath surface complaints, the bids for connection you’re both missing. When you can see the pattern, you can finally change it.
Ready to take the next step?
Begin your couples retreat inquiry today — we’ll walk you through every detail, with care.
“The intensive therapy centers around the BIG BIG Book. Put the time and effort into thoroughly completing this. It provides your therapist with the background so your time is spent discussing the core issues, not explaining your history.”
OUR RETREAT
When the Distance Feels Unbridgeable
Once, a glance was enough to warm the room.
You shared stories, laughter—even the quiet felt safe.
But something shifted.
Now, the silence feels like distance. Inches apart at the table, miles apart in meaning.
The connection that once felt effortless now feels out of reach.
Our Retreat
When You’re Doing All the Right Things—But Still Feel Disconnected.
You’ve read the books. You’ve tried the conversations. You may even have done couples therapy before.
But it’s still hard.
You still misread each other.
You still feel misunderstood—like the closeness you crave keeps slipping through your fingers.
That’s when a retreat makes all the difference.
Not more sessions.
More depth. Time. Privacy.
Our Maryland couples therapy intensives help you move past circular arguments into new territory—honest, structured, emotionally focused.
This is the work that creates not just better communication—but a different kind of relationship.
Why a Retreat?
Because one hour a week can’t always carry the weight.
Traditional therapy often moves too slowly for couples in pain.
You spend half the session recapping and the rest running out of time.
A retreat offers uninterrupted time with a highly trained therapist—
space to unravel, understand, and rebuild without pressure.
This isn’t just therapy with more hours.
It’s a reset for how you show up with each other.
Love is work.
So is healing.
More time = deeper work.
More focus = faster insight.
More privacy = fewer defenses.
Stop spiraling—and start rebuilding.
Meet Your Maryland Therapists
Angela Voegele, LCSW-C
Rockville, MD
Globally experienced and emotionally attuned, Angela Voegele helps couples navigate transition, trauma, and sexual health with clarity and compassion.
A board-certified sex therapist, Angela brings calm wisdom and rich perspective to her work, supporting diverse couples with warmth, structure, and wisdom.
Dr. Nancy Garcia-Ruffin, PsyD
Bethesda, MD
Direct, grounded, and full of heart, Dr. Nancy Garcia-Ruffin brings over 20 years of clinical experience and lived relational insight.
Also a board-certified sex therapist, she specializes in infertility, cross-cultural partnerships, and high-stress transitions, offering therapy that is evidence-based and emotionally brave. Whether you’re stuck, separating, or starting over—Dr. Garcia-Ruffin helps couples move forward with clarity and care.
Bethesda & Rockville, MD.
Ease of access.
Just outside Washington, D.C., our Maryland intensives combine professional skill with the calm of walkable, tree-lined neighborhoods. Whether you’re arriving from across the Potomac or across the country, these locations offer ease and intimacy.
Take a quiet walk through Glen Echo. Share a meal at a neighborhood bistro. Or simply let your session settle as you reconnect in a calm, grounded space.
Stay at The Bethesdan or a boutique Airbnb nearby—comfortably private, with everything you need to focus on what matters most.
In Rockville, stay at the Cambria Hotel Rockville—a collection of thoughtfully laid‑out suites offering space to decompress, reflect, and reconnect after your sessions. Located in the heart of Town Center and steps from the Red Line Metro, it strikes the perfect balance between privacy and ease.
The Unseen Cost of Relationship Distress
When connection breaks down, the impact isn’t just emotional.
It spills into your sleep, your health, your parenting, your performance at work.
Even joy starts to feel like effort.
And when you’ve already tried to fix it—when you’ve put in the effort and it still feels like you’re missing each other—the exhaustion runs deep.
You don’t need more effort.
You need guidance. Focus. A therapist who can help you hear what’s really being said.
“Couples don’t fail for lack of love. They fail from a lack of clarity. That’s what this retreat gives you—space to see clearly, speak honestly, and rebuild with purpose.”
— Dr. Kathy McMahon, Founder, Couples Therapy Inc.
Is an Intensive Retreat Right for You?
Our retreats are designed for couples who are:
If you’re coping with untreated mental illness, active addiction, or domestic violence, those concerns deserve specialized care—and we’re happy to refer you to professionals who can help.
We are not a fit for every couple.
Healing takes courage. We work best with couples ready to show up with heart, honesty, and effort.
Still angry?
That means you still care.
After the Retreat
Your retreat may be over, but the shift doesn’t stop there.
You’ll leave your intensive with clarity—and a plan. We offer structured follow-up options to help you maintain momentum:
This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s the beginning of something stronger.
How is all of this done?
You’re not expected to know. That’s our job.
That’s why we’ve designed a clear, guided process—human to human.
No guessing. No “pick from a list of strangers.”
Just a conversation that starts with listening—really listening—and leads to a therapist who truly fits.
We’ll walk you through what to expect, how we personalize the experience, and what it’s like to work with someone who actually gets it.
Whether you’re arriving with doubt, hope, or just a deep sense that something needs to change—this is your first real step.
Let’s Begin
What if this time you opened up instead of shutting down?