Are you considering a Couples Retreat in Texas?

We were looking to improve on conflict resolution and to improve our communication skills on subjects where there is disagreement.

Marisa was very professional, very approachable and disarming. We immediately felt at ease and comfortable talking to her. I really can't think of a criticism of her.

What changes resulted in your marriage from the work you did?

It was a powerful weekend - that we both enjoyed. We both came away with a fresh perspective on each other. We have a deeper understanding of why each of us reacts the way we do on certain issues. I believe we will have a stronger relationship due to the weekend and be better at resolving conflicts without anger. We were very pleased.

We left with: 1) better perspective on each other's positions and why we are like we are on certain topics 2) better communication techniques on areas of disagreement. 3) we learned how damaging anger can be and how to avoid it.

For us - it was exactly what we needed. it was an intense, weekend, but very very helpful. I thought the time allowed was great - the one on one sessions were very good and beneficial. Marisa was really good - we identified with her. She is very affirming, warm and sincere. the whole weekend exceeded our expectations.

Absolutely would recommend.

We had tried other couples therapy many years ago for several sessions but did not have any success. In contrast, I would recommend Marisa and CTI because I feel she helped put us on the right track. We were troubled and needed to improve communication, trust, and boundaries and we learned better ways to communicate, we learned to focus on improving the future more than worrying about the past, and we now have hope for our future.

Marisa is wonderful and is able to make everyone feel comfortable and listened to.

Now we have better communication and a better understanding of each other’s feelings. The things I liked the most is that Marisa had a genuine interest in our lives and that she did not rush us and made sure we were satisfied before ending any sessions

We were on the brink of divorce and had trust, infidelity, communication, partnership issues. My husband thought we couldn't possibly benefit from just three days. Marisa was down to earth, genuine, kind, nonjudgmental, a good listener, creative, funny, sincere, caring, compassionate. I feel like she was truly partnering with us to save our relationship. She showed that she cared about us early on and seemed to have a vested interest in seeing us succeed together and to learn to love each other better than we ever thought was possible.

You completely saved my marriage. What you people do truly matters.

Marriage counseling and therapy is so TABOO --- and it should not be. It horrified me to know that no one talks openly about this with friends and family --- like you must be some freak of nature if you have marriage problems you can't work through on your own. I have zero shame in saying that we needed help badly --- and because of being willing to get help before it was too late we are both going to be able to have personal satisfaction and happiness, joy, love, and a spirit that this is my life --- I only have one life --- I am not going to sit back and waste it!!

We were tense before we came. We briefly tried couples therapy before. Before we even started the counseling, I was slightly concerned about the quality...It's a lot of money to be spending, so I wanted every assurance that it was a polished, professional program!

Jennifer Elkins left us with a better understanding of what caused the problems, we're better able to work through them. I loved it that she could relate to my ADHD issues and had a clear understanding of the stress it causes. She was warm and empathetic, and we BOTH felt an immediate and sustained connection. She was easy to trust on every level. We left understanding the causes, tools to get out of the immediate conflict, and renewed commitment. Obviously my experience was a good one in the end, but I was uncertain in the beginning.