Relationship Intensives
Are you ready to connect more deeply with your partner, without waiting between sessions?
Weekly therapy is effective and impactful, but it is not always the ideal format for every relationship. Some relationships need more time, more depth, and more space to make changes. If you’re looking for solutions and skills now, a relationship intensive might be what you need to finally shift. Relationship Intensives give couples dedicated, uninterrupted time to explore communication, intimacy, and shared goals. Over the course of one, two, or three days, you’ll engage in focused, transformative sessions that allow for breakthroughs and deep connection that weekly therapy sessions often can’t provide. Whether you’re looking to resolve long-standing conflicts or strengthen an already solid foundation, an intensive offers a concentrated path to growth.
What is a Relationship Intensive?
A Relationship Intensive is a focused, high-impact therapy experience for couples. Unlike weekly therapy, which spreads work across multiple sessions, an intensive allows for continuous, in-depth exploration of your relationship. It’s structured to provide space for meaningful breakthroughs, immediate application of strategies, and deep reflection together. Intensives are ideal for couples who want to make significant progress in a shorter period of time, with guidance from an experienced therapist every step of the way.
Clients choose intensives when they feel:
Limited by weekday availability
Stagnant in long-term weekly therapy
Prepared for a breakthrough or major shift
Too busy to dedicate to weekly scheduling
Motivated for immediate change now, not later
No need to start over every session! Take the time you need to make the change you want.
What Makes This Different from Weekly Couples Therapy
Relationship Intensives offer a level of depth, continuity, and immersion that isn’t always possible in a traditional 50-minute weekly session. Instead of stopping mid-conversation or waiting until the following week to continue, an intensive gives you and your partner the space to stay fully present with what’s emerging. This uninterrupted time allows patterns, conflicts, and emotions to surface and be processed in real time, without the constant “catch-up” that weekly therapy requires.
The work can unfold at a pace that matches your relationship’s needs rather than the clock, and therefore couples can explore deeper communication issues, long-standing conflicts, and entrenched patterns with clarity and focus. You’ll have dedicated time to practice new ways of relating, strengthen connection, and experiment with strategies immediately, rather than trying to recall and apply them between sessions.
Many couples find that a single intensive creates the kind of shift that might take weeks or months to access in standard therapy. Intensives aren’t about working harder! They’re about creating the right conditions for insight, connection, and relational growth to take center stage. Weekend availability means that you can move your relationship forward without disrupting your weekday schedules.
Relationship Intensives: What to Expect
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Every relationship intensive begins with a free 20 consultation via secure HIPAA compliant video platform. This is a relaxed, no-pressure space for us to connect, explore what’s bringing you in as a couple, and discuss whether a relationship intensive is the right fit.
During this consultation, we’ll talk about your relationship history, recurring patterns, communication challenges, and the areas where you’d like to see change.
Even if you decide an intensive isn’t right for you right now, this conversation will leave you feeling heard and informed. If it does feel like the right next step, I’ll guide you through scheduling, consent paperwork, and everything you need to prepare for a focused, transformative experience.
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Before the main intensive, we’ll meet for a 90-minute pre-intensive session. You’ll gain access to a secure client portal to complete intake forms, and complete the Gottman Relationship Checkup to identify strengths and areas to grow. I review all of this before our session so that when we meet, we can immediately focus on the areas that matter most.
This session is where we begin to establish safety, clarity, and a shared understanding of your goals as a couple. We’ll explore your communication patterns, recurring conflicts, and where disconnection or tension shows up. Using Gottman’s framework, we may start building your “love maps” (understanding each other’s inner world and emotional landscape) and identify strengths and resources that you can draw on during the intensive.
We’ll also discuss practical strategies to stay regulated and emotionally present during the intensive. This ensures that both partners feel supported, grounded, and ready to engage fully in the work ahead.
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The Relationship Intensive
This is the heart of the experience. Whichever package you choose, each session is tailored to meet your couple’s unique goals with care and focus.
We begin by strengthening connection and regulation: grounding exercises, resourcing, and creating a safe, supportive environment for both partners. Then, we dive into intensive work guided by Gottman’s Relationship House, focusing on:
Building Love Maps: Understanding your partner’s inner world, preferences, and experiences.
Creating Fondness and Admiration: Highlighting strengths and positive qualities to reinforce connection.
Turning Toward Each Other: Practicing bids for connection and responsive communication.
Managing Conflict: Learning tools to navigate disagreements safely, repair ruptures, and resolve issues without escalation.
Making Life Dreams Come True & Shared Meaning: Exploring individual and shared goals, values, and rituals that deepen your bond.
Throughout the intensive, you and your partner are supported to practice new communication patterns, address long-standing conflicts, and reinforce positive interactions. The immersive nature of the intensive allows you to experience breakthroughs that might take months in weekly sessions, with space to practice and internalize changes immediately.
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About one to two weeks after your intensive, we meet again for a 90-minute integration session. This is your opportunity to reflect on what shifted, discuss what’s still unfolding, and solidify the tools and insights gained during the intensive.
You’ll leave with:
Practical strategies for maintaining progress in your daily life
Insights on ongoing patterns and strengths to build upon
Recommendations for next steps, whether that’s continued therapy, check-ins, or independent practice
This session ensures that the breakthroughs achieved during the intensive are not limited to the session itself. This becomes lasting changes in how you connect, communicate, and grow together.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Couples therapy is a form of counseling designed to help partners improve communication, resolve conflicts, and deepen their emotional connection. It provides a safe space to explore challenges and build healthier relationship patterns.
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Not at all. Seeking couples therapy is a proactive and courageous step toward strengthening your relationship. It shows a commitment to growth, better understanding, and connection, not failure. Every relationship faces challenges, and therapy provides support to navigate them in a healthy way.
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If you want to improve your communication, resolve ongoing conflicts, or rebuild connection, couples therapy can offer effective tools and guidance. Discuss your needs and see if therapy feels like a good fit by scheduling a free consultation.
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The Seven Principles of Making a Marriage Work by Judy and John Gottman
Hold Me Tight by Dr. Sue Johnson
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg
NOT "Just Friends": Rebuilding Trust and Recovering Your Sanity After Infidelity by Shirley Glass
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