Couples therapy intensives
Imagine having 6 months of relationship growth in 3 days!
I offer 1- and 3-day couple’s intensives. Also known as Marathon Couple’s Therapy, these intensives are a condensed and focused approach to couple’s therapy that provide you with dedicated time to dive deep, address specific issues, and get your relationship back on track.
Prior to the intensives you will complete a comprehensive relationship assessment and go over your therapy goals. The assessments will obtain a full family and relationship history and identify any further issues that need attention.
During the intensives, you will have time to talk in depth about the relationship in a way that cannot happen in traditional couple’s therapy. You will have the chance to process any past hurts and wounds, understand their impact upon the relationship, and rebuild.
There will be also opportunity to learn and practice new communication, conflict management and repair skills as well as develop resources to navigate each other’s attachment styles and stay co-regulated.
During these sessions I draw upon my extensive training in the Psychobiological Approach to Couple’s Therapy (PACT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman Method and Family and Systemic Therapy to help create a safe space and find the tools and resources to support you.
Relationship intensives are good for couples who need immediate help and support in a sustained way or for couples who are starting out in therapy and want to get some runs on the board quickly. They are also suitable for couples living in remote or regional areas that would struggle to attend regular therapy sessions or for couples whose schedules do not allow for them to attend regular therapy.
Frequently asked questions
What will happen during the intensives?
Some of the things that you should expect during the intensives include:
- A full of assessment of your relationship dynamic as well as presenting issues, areas for growth and areas of strength, as well as an understanding of your individual attachment strategies and how they affect your relationship
- An assessment of how family of origin and previous relationships affect your relationship, particularly in relation to attachment strategies
- An opportunity to speak at length and in-depth about your relationship as well as space for any concerns you have regarding it
- The opportunity to go over your relationship aspirations
- Exercises to help create mutual understanding of each other’s ‘relationship wiring’ and to build capacity for self- as well as co-regulation
- Deconstruction of each partner’s non-verbal interaction and communication cues, so as to understand and read each other more effectively
- Assessment and interpretation of each partner’s individual communication style to manage or avoid miscommunication or conflict
- Learn how to mutually compromise in order to overcome the big relationship blocks
- Obtain tools for creating better sex and intimacy
- A deeper sense of relationship meaning and purpose
- Techniques to strengthen your ‘couple bubble’ and create a safer, more secure relationship
Who are intensives recommended for?
The 1-day intensives are suggested for couples who do not have significant issues affecting their relationship, who are not in crisis, but wish to work on their relationship. It is also suitable for couples who are beginning therapy and wish to make inroads quickly. Research on couples therapy suggests that “stacking” sessions at the beginning leads to quicker and longer-lasting change. The 3-day intensives are recommended for couples facing significant issues or who are in crisis.
Intensives are also recommended for couples living in remote or regional areas who would find it hard to attend regular couple’s therapy.
When are couples therapy intensives NOT recommended?
Intensives are not recommended under the following situations:
- Where there is active alcohol and/or drug addiction on the part of either or both partners, from either partner’s perspective
- Where there is serious and ongoing family violence in your relationship, including threats by one or both partners that violence might occur, or fear of violence occurring on the part of one or both partners. (Family violence includes the use of physical, emotional, verbal, sexual and financial violence)
- If one or both partners has a diagnosed and untreated mental illness (i.e. schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, bipolar or recurrent major depressive disorder or psychotic disorders). This does not include previous, successfully treated psychotic episodes
- If there is an undisclosed, current affair that you are not willing to disclose (such secrets indicate relationship therapy failure) or an ongoing affair that the partner having the affair is not willing to end
- If one or both partners are currently experiencing suicidal or homicidal thoughts, or has a history of serious harm inflicted on themself or others
If you have any questions regarding suitability, please contact me for clarification about whether Intensive Couple’s Therapy is suitable for you.
What are your booking and cancellation policies?
For 1-day intensives, I require a $400 deposit to be paid within 3 days of receiving booking confirmation. If you need to cancel your booking, I request 48 hours notice. The booking deposit is non-refundable should you cancel your appointment within 48 hours.
For 3-day intensives, I require a $1000 deposit to be paid within 3 days of receiving booking confirmation. If you need to cancel your booking, I request 7 days notice. The booking deposit is non-refundable should you cancel your appointment within 7 days.
Intensive fees
1-day intensive: $1250 ($1400 weekends). Includes 30-minute introductory call, initial assessment and 6 hours of therapy.
3-day intensive: $3600 ($4000 weekends). Includes 30-minute introductory call, initial assessment, 18 hours of therapy spread across 3 days and one follow up session.