At some point in every long-term relationship, passion can fade. Life gets busy. Stress piles up. Desire becomes confusing—or worse, a source of tension. You still love your partner, but you’re not sure how to bridge the growing gap in your sexual connection. You may be wondering:
- Why do we feel like roommates instead of lovers?
- Why does one of us always seem to want more… or less?
- Can we ever get back to that playful, passionate place?
- Do you say you need to talk to want sex, and your partner says they need sex to want to talk?
The truth is: these questions are resolvable—and we’re here to help.
Laurie Watson, world-renowned sex therapist, author, and host of the Foreplay (soon to be renamed Brave Love) podcast, specializes in helping couples rebuild emotionally secure and erotically intimate relationships. Our Couples Sexual Intensive Therapy uses Emotionally Focused Therapy for a concentrated, private experience designed for partners who want to reignite desire, heal sexual disconnection, and restore emotional closeness—all in a safe and structured therapeutic setting. No touching/ No nudity.
What Is a Couples Sexual Intensive?
Unlike weekly sessions that unfold over months, a couples intensive is an immersive, focused therapy process that happens over one or two days. It’s built for couples who want to make meaningful progress—fast.
In Couples Sexual Intensive Therapy, you and your partner work closely with an experienced sex and couples therapist to:
- Understand the emotional and sexual cycles that drive disconnection
- Identify your brakes and gas pedals—and what blocks or fosters desire
- Talk honestly and safely about sexual needs, anxieties, and fantasies
- Co-create a new, mutually satisfying erotic rhythm
- Learn tools for communication, comfort, and pleasure—together
Whether you’re dealing with avoidance, mismatched desire, performance anxiety, or the slow drift of emotional distance, this couples intensive offers a powerful reset.
How a Couple’s Sexual Intensive – Untangles the Tug-of-War
One of the most common blocks to intimacy is the pursue–withdraw cycle, what I often describe as a tug-of-war. When one partner feels emotionally or sexually disconnected, they may push—pursuing conversation, closeness, or sex. But if the other partner feels overwhelmed or anxious, they often pull away to get some breathing room. Ironically, withdrawing creates even more frustration in the partner, adding to a growing cycle of pressure. Here’s an episode from our podcast about the negative cycle.
And the harder one pushes, the more the other retreats. Over time, both partners can feel stuck: the pursuer feels rejected and alone, while the withdrawer feels pressured and inadequate. When this happens in the sexual realm, desire can feel forced, performance-driven, or completely shut down.
In our couples intensive, we slow this cycle down and help you see it clearly—together. Then, we help you shift from a tug-of-war into a rhythm of vulnerable reaching and responding. From there, true sexual healing becomes possible.
Why Does This Work?
Because real intimacy—emotional and sexual—isn’t about performance. It’s about connection. When partners feel safe, seen, and emotionally attuned, the body relaxes, trust deepens, and pleasure becomes possible again.
Couples sexual intensive therapy creates the space for this shift. With your therapist’s guidance, you’ll learn how to move from protection to connection, and from disconnection to desire.
Is a Couples Sexual Intensive Right for You?
A couples sexual intensive may be a great fit if:
- You’re ready to prioritize your relationship and want focused help
- You feel stuck, sexually or emotionally, and weekly therapy isn’t moving fast enough
- Sex has become confusing, pressured, or disconnected
- One or both of you want more turn-on—but also more trust
- You’re looking for a safe space to talk about sex, rekindle passion, and build new intimacy
- You’re navigating changes in sexual desire, arousal, or function related to aging, perimenopause, or hormonal shifts, and want support in staying connected
Let’s Begin
Whether you’re rekindling a spark or building a new kind of connection from the ground up, Couples Sexual Intensive Therapy at Awakenings Center can help you reclaim what’s possible.
Contact me today to learn more or schedule a free consultation: 919-845-5400
Because your relationship deserves more than maintenance—it deserves hot sex!
—Laurie Watson, MA, LMFT, Certified Sex Therapist
Director, Awakenings Center for Intimacy & Sexuality
