We have recently introduced Marriage Intensives as an option for couples in our therapy practice. Marriage Intensives have some similarities to weekly couples counseling, but they are somewhat different in how they function and impact a relationship.
Marriage Intensives are a concentrated, focused therapy experience structured to identify and heal challenges in a relationship over a short period of time. Couples counseling also identifies and heals challenges but often over a few months if not a year or more of appointments. Intensives can be a great fit for couples who are consumed with the busyness of daily life and the idea of committing to a few months or a year of therapy is not conducive to their lifestyle. Intensives help provide the support and work that would happen over a year in a shorter time frame.
Our marriage intensives are offered over two days (or one day if you are seeking a premarital intensive). These two days are customized to support the challenges and needs your relationship is encountering intending to provide the tools and skills you can implement immediately and for a lifetime. We often recommend marriage intensives for couples who feel stuck, disconnected, or overwhelmed by unresolved conflicts and want to dive deep intentionally to find movement and growth more quickly.
What to Expect from a Marriage Intensive
Our process starts with an in-depth assessment of your relationship. You will both complete a relationship questionnaire and the therapist will explore your relationship story as well as an individual interview with each of you to understand your personal needs and perspectives on the relationship. This thorough assessment helps identify the core issues and needs to personalize your intensive process.
From the assessment, the therapist will guide you through exercises, discussions, and interventions focused on providing healing, understanding, and connection. Intensives are emotionally intense and yet can be rewarding. The majority of couples leave feeling a renewed sense of hope, having a deeper understanding of one another and the relationship, and a path forward to promote growth and change together.
Depending on what each couple needs, the therapist can schedule follow-up sessions to check in on the growth process you are engaged with and provide additional tools that may be needed or a refresher of the tools learned during the intensive process.
What types of couples are a good fit for Marriage Intensives?
Couples in Crisis: This can include infidelity, separation threats, or unresolved conflicts that may be threatening the relationship. While not every crisis is a good fit for marriage intensives, the therapists on our team will help assess if an intensive is a good support route for creating healing and change or if weekly therapy would be a better fit.
Couples Feeling Stuck: Couples who have tried traditional counseling and feel they have not made progress may benefit from an intensive to provide a concentrated, deep-dive focus to break through the persistent issues.
Couples with Limited Time: Scheduling therapy weekly can be a challenge for some couples. Intensives can be a great fit for those who struggle to carve out a recurring appointment time and yet want to work on their relationship. An intensive helps you invest focused time in your relationship without needing weekly appointments. Our therapists help set up this time to be impactful and a worthy investment.
Couples Wanting to Reconnect: Marriage Intensives offers a safe, immersive space to rediscover and reconnect while building communication and connection.
Motivated Couples: You are a couple who is ready, willing, and prepared to take the steps, efforts, and actions needed to create the relationship vision you have.
Marriage Intensives are not a fit for couples who are:
Facing Domestic Violence or Abuse
One Partner is Unwilling or Disengaged
Couples with Severe Mental Health Issues
Couples Seeking a Quick Fix
Couples where one partner is considering Divorce
While couples counseling and marriage intensives are both powerful ways of reviving your relationship, it is up to each couple to decide what structure and process is best for their relationship. At Connected Couples Counseling, our mission is to help couples grow old and grey together sustainably and realistically. Marriage Intensives can be a great option for couples ready to revive their relationship over a weekend and prepared to take consistent action once the intensive ends.
Interested in seeing if a marriage intensive is right for you? Reach out to our admin team to learn more: admin@connectedcouplescounseling.com
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