Black Couples Therapists & Black Psychologists
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.
Some stories carry history in their bones.
Some relationships are shaped by forces outside the home.
Some couples want help from someone who sees the full picture—without needing the whole backstory.
Find a science-trained couples therapist who sees the whole of you.
Step into a private, healing space where trust can deepen, friendship can rekindle, and intimacy can be renewed.
Our intensive format lets you slow down and focus on what matters—without the usual noise of daily life.
These retreats are led by fully licensed, doctoral-level Black psychologists and marriage and family therapists in four locations:
Southern California, the Washington DC area, Bethesda, Maryland, Atlanta, Georgia and Brooklyn, New York.
All of our therapists have advanced training from some of the top institutes in the country.
All have a wide range of experience with all types of couples.
We sit with the full story—even the parts you haven’t spoken yet.
Not just listening—witnessing.
Not just seeing—understanding.
Not just treating conflict—honoring complexity.
Dr. E. Nathaniel Chapman
Clinical Psychologist – Southern California
“I consider psychology to be the study of the soul. I use that knowledge to educate, encourage, and empower people to live their highest good.”
Explore Working With Dr. Chapman ->
Dr. Alexis Nelson Johnson
Fayetteville, Georgia
“Healthy, stable partnerships are the foundation of strong families and communities. Let’s do the work to build the relationship you deserve.”
Dr. Jessica Jones
Arlington, VA
“I enjoy working with people who are curious—about themselves and each other. Curiosity is the foundation for growth and transformation.”
Dr. Nancy Garcia-Ruffin
Clinical Psychologist –
Brooklyn, NY & Bethesda, MD
“Therapy should be a space where you don’t have to explain your context—only your experience. I help couples navigate change with honesty, compassion, and clarity.”
Why a Retreat?
Because insight without structure doesn’t stick.
In a standard therapy hour, you barely get started before the clock runs out.
A retreat gives you room to pause, reflect, speak fully—and be heard.
These aren’t drawn-out sessions. They’re intentional, intensive work with a skilled therapist who can help you cut through the noise and finally get to what matters.
Connection isn’t a mystery.
It’s a skill.
More time = deeper work.
More focus = faster insight.
More privacy = fewer defenses.
This isn’t therapy as usual. It’s a reset.
One designed for couples who are ready to stop spiraling—and start rebuilding.
The Relationship Inside the Life You Built
In the lives you’ve built—marked by achievement, resilience, and grace—there may still be unspoken stories and unmet needs.
Our therapists provide a space where your full experience is acknowledged and honored, allowing for deeper connection and healing.
Behind every successful life is a private world of choices, trade-offs, and longing.
We help you care for that world—the relationship inside the life you’ve built. Even strong relationships can fray in quiet places.
We help you find the thread again—not by unraveling what you’ve built, but by strengthening what still holds.
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.
What you avoid becomes what you carry.
Let’s stop carrying it alone.
After the Retreat
This isn’t a “one and done” solution. It’s the beginning of a new chapter.
We’ll support you beyond the intensive with:
How is all of this done?
We’ll walk with you.
We’ve mapped the path—step by step, human to human.
No guessing. No “choose from a list of strangers.”
Just a clear, guided process that starts with listening—really listening—and ends with a match that actually 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.
Let’s Begin
You’ve done hard things before.
This one, you don’t have to do alone.