Understanding the path forward when working in intensive couples therapy. Practical, compassionate insights into how couples therapy works in an intensive format — and how to make it work for you.
A couples therapy retreat is not a workshop, a seminar, or a weekend away with other couples. It is two and a half days of private clinical work — one couple, one master clinician, a schedule built around your marriage rather than a curriculum. Most couples arrive having already tried weekly therapy, sometimes with several therapists, and having found that an hour a week could not carry the weight of what they were dealing with.
The articles collected here explain how that format actually works, and why it reaches couples the weekly hour cannot. What happens before you arrive, when both partners complete our assessment. What the three days look like, hour by hour. What happens physiologically when one partner shuts down, and why an intensive can move through that when a fifty-minute session cannot. How couples prepare, what they find hard, and what they take home.
You’ll also find honest writing about the limits of this work — the situations where an intensive is the wrong instrument, and what we recommend instead. We turn couples away when the format won’t serve them, and we’d rather you understood why before you call.
Whether you’re deciding if an intensive marriage retreat is right for you, or preparing for one already booked, start here.
Some couples don’t need more empathy in the room. They need more honesty. You’ve tried being heard. You’ve tried the “I feel” statements. Maybe you’ve even tried therapy—and watched a kind professional nod while the…
Co-authored by Drs. Kathy McMahon and Doug Burford Most couples enter therapy hoping that better communication will solve their problems. And often it does. Learning to listen without defending, to express needs without attacking, to…
Individual problems in marriage counseling In relationships, sometimes the way a couple relates is the problem, and the therapist’s job is to help the couple modify their interactional styles (i.e., teaching them how to “communicate…
When couples are overwhelmed by conflict, reactivity, or day-to-day disconnection, they often long for tools—concrete ways to stop the fighting, improve communication, and feel like teammates again. That’s where Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for couples enters…
Some couples come to therapy wanting quick tips. Others come because something deeper is stirring—something harder to name. If you’re not just fighting about what’s on the surface, but starting to wonder what’s under it……
At some point, every couple hits a wall. You’re arguing about the dishes… again. Or maybe you’re not arguing at all anymore—just coexisting like two ships passing in the night. You love each other, but…
Relationships are a beautiful yet complex aspect of life, and even the strongest couples face challenges. When communication breaks down, trust is broken, or external stressors take their toll, couples therapy can be a powerful…
Are You Ready to Transform Your Relationship? Learn How to Prepare Let’s be honest – knowing how to prepare for marriage counseling can make all the difference between wasting time and money or actually creating…
If you’re here, you’re likely looking for real change in your relationship. Maybe you’ve considered weekly therapy or even tried it, but it didn’t feel like it was working. I get it—this is a big…
You did it. You and your partner decided to spend an entire weekend focused on improving your relationship. Here are some tips to enhance the outcomes of your investment: 1. Make sure your surroundings are…
“I was afraid he wouldn’t open up,” Ginny told me. We’d been there for a full day and a half, and she now knew how to talk directly. “It sounds like you want to tell…
As a licensed couples and sex therapist specializing in weekend intensive therapy, I’ve witnessed firsthand how intertwined relationship dynamics and sexual wellness truly are. Today, I want to explore why the integration of couples therapy…
When your partner refuses to attend couples therapy, it can feel like hitting a wall in your relationship. Let’s explore why someone might resist therapy and provide practical solutions to address their concerns. Whether your…
Are you and your partner looking to revitalize your relationship? A Gottman Couples Retreat might be the transformative experience you need. Dr. John Gottman’s groundbreaking research forms the basis for this Gottman intensive couples therapy….
What makes a relationship last? To know the difference between folklore and science is necessary for a science-based couples therapist. According to Drs. John and Julie Gottman, who have studied couples for over 40 years,…
Couples Therapy Inc. is proud to unveil its newly redesigned website, which reflects its decade-long journey as an innovator in couples counseling. What began in 2013 as a dream to “change the face of couples…
Many couples are looking for a nonreligious marriage retreat that isn’t sponsored by a Christian organization or a nondenominational one for personalized work with a therapist. Some couples don’t care if the retreat’s facilitator is, themselves, a…
On April 23, 2024, the world of psychology lost a trailblazer and innovator with the passing of Dr. Sue Johnson, the co-creator of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Dr. Johnson’s groundbreaking work revolutionized the field of…
Of course, we know that infants and children experience developmental tasks and challenges emotionally, cognitively, and physically. But theorists Drs. Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson argue that a couple’s relationship also experiences developmental stages as…
Intensive couples therapy can be a powerful tool for helping struggling relationships get back on track. However, not all couples who seek therapy end up with a happily ever after ending. What makes the difference…
I was recently asked what the hardest part of being a couples therapist was. The hardest part of being a couples therapist is to face two people who want to divorce, but to believe sincerely…
Your Relationship Is in the ER. We’re the Critical Care Team. That sick feeling in your stomach? The panicked thoughts? The tears that won’t stop? This isn’t “just a rough patch.” It’s a full-blown relationship…
The Developmental Model, created by Drs. Ellyn Bader and Pete Pearson, in the 1980s, is a unique approach to understanding and resolving marital conflicts. Central to this model is the concept of differentiation, which family…
Conflicts are inevitable in any relationship, but how couples handle the aftermath determines whether the relationship grows stronger or deteriorates. According to the Gottman Institute, a leading authority on marriage and relationships, the period following…
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