Couple Counseling Intensives
What is an Intensive Couple Retreat?
Privately-scheduled couple counseling intensives or a “private couple’s retreat” are the most effective form of couples work proven to help couples who really want to make progress fast and are able to take advantage of a short power boost to their relationship!
One partner withdraws and distances, thinking their partner is controlling and selfish. The other partner pursues, chases and criticizes – fearing that their partner will never meet their needs and that they might even be abandoned. An intensive couple’s workshop will help you break out of this toxic cycle in usually one weekend.
For potential clients who are out of town but wish to work with Awakenings’ clinician, we offer flexible length intensives. These couple counseling intensives last between one and three days, and are often scheduled over the weekend.
Who are Couple Counseling Intensives/Retreats For?
- You want to dramatically improve intimacy in a short amount of time.
- You like to see results fast and are willing to put in intensive work for long term gains.
- Your sex life needs a jolt from sex therapy intervention.
- Your emotional connection is suffering and you need intensive coaching to hear what your partner is saying (or of course – for your partner to hear you!)
- One partner always feels the need for “more” but that ironically pushes their partner away. The other person thinks keeping the relationship calm (minimizes, stays positive, shuts down conflict, etc.) is the way to help but ironically this inflames their partner – wash, rinse, repeat.
- You or your partner had an affair and you can’t get past it.
Couple Intensive Topics
Couples often use the couples retreat weekend to advance their sexual relationship and devote time to being away together and learning to safely talk about their needs, fantasies, desire and learn new sexual techniques. Other times, couples use the time during a couple counseling intensive to work through a stuck place or conflictual issue in their relationship.
What to expect
Expect a fast paced, gentle but direct therapy that quickly helps you get to the bottom of your problems. We want you to be able to see your cycle, name your part, see how your protective move triggers your partner – learn a new more vulnerable way of relating. Our therapists who offer intensives are expert and experienced at triage. Most of our couple counseling intensive clients report a turn-around equivalent to a year of therapy. We work from a scientifically- research theory – see how it looks in real life here!
- Hour long pre-assessment telephone or online teletherapy. This is charged at the same rate if you book the intensive. If you or we decide that an intensive is not appropriate at this time there is no charge for the consultation.
- Extensive forms that must be filled out before the weekend
- Non-refundable prepayment of total of 13 hours at booking. If we cancel for any reason, we will refund your prepayment in full. (12 hours over weekend +1 hour consult.)
The three-day couple counseling intensive will comprise twelve to sixteen hours of therapy including the hour-long first interview. Please call 919-845-5400 today!
We prefer to see the couple on a private couples retreat in-person but will consider zoom during pandemic circumstances.
Typical 3 Day Itinerary
Consultation:
- Set our goals
- Review current functioning
- Identify your cycle both emotionally and sexually
Day 1:
- Deep dive into the couples dynamics – discover the pattern of the negative cycle
- Review family of origin blueprint
- Possible separate session with each individual partner
- Discussion of sexual gridlock/emotional blocks
Day 2: 1:30 PM — 5 PM
- Identify your own protective strategies that contribute to problems
- Learn new moves to ask for needs to be met in ways that don’t trigger your partner
- Practice risking vulnerable communication with the therapist’s keeping the conversation safe
- Sexual communication, education, homework assignment
Day 3: 9:00 AM — 1:00 PM
- Review yesterday’s assignments
- Identify secondary stressors in relationship and family
- Process sexual issues in depth
- Process 1 trauma or past relational hurt
To ensure comfort for guests, hotel and restaurant (not included in price) recommendations for your stay in Raleigh can be found here.
For any questions, please call our main office line at (919) 845-5400 and ask about weekend intensives.
* We offer Decision Intensives for those couples on the brink of divorce.
