What to do when you have a feeling that your marriage counseling isn’t getting you anywhere? Maybe you are seeing a couples therapist close to where you live in Wake Forest, NC or maybe you have committed to a drive that is even further away in Raleigh or Durham, NC? Despite your commitment, time and money you invested in your sessions, you and your partner feel that you are not making enough progress.

While there are many reasons why marriage therapy is not working for you, you should not give up couples counseling altogether.

You may wonder what other options do you have.

Well, for starters, step out of the box and into healing. Discover benefits of a different kind of marriage counseling: couples intensives.

What are Couples Intensives?

A couples intensive is a private couples counseling program tailored to your and your partner’s needs. Couples intensives can last for about five to six weeks during which you meet with your therapist 2-4 times a week. Or it can be an 8 hour day or 2 6 hours days in a raw if you want to go deeper faster.

Couples intensives can be organized in a private couple retreat format, where you get to work on your relationship while spending a unique romantic getaway with your partner without the distractions of your daily life.

Or you may opt for intensive crisis couples counseling program to work on your problems here and now and to reach a resolution and heal faster.

Whether you choose to indulge in couples retreat or decide to try crisis couples counseling, couples intensive will help you to truly begin the process of profoundly understanding one another and your relationship challenges.

How Much Help Can You Get From Couples Intensives?

During your private and personalized couples intensive, you and your partner will gain more in-depth knowledge about one another’s needs, emotions, and expectations. You will learn to apply this new knowledge to change unhealthy patterns and dynamics in your relationship and develop the better ones.

Whether your relationship is in crisis or you simply want to give it a boost, a personalized marriage intensive offers the opportunity for a better understanding and more meaningful relationship. 

Marriage Intensives Help Gain Insight into Your Relationship Challenges

Couple intensives help couples focus on dynamics and patterns in their relationship, encouraging both partners to become available, responsive, and emotionally engaged. Couples intensives based on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) teach you researched-based strategies for effective communication and lasting connection.

EFT couples intensive focuses on patterns in your relationship, helping you plan strategies to develop trust and create a more secure bond between you and your partner. You will learn how to accept the differences and understand one another’s feelings.

Also, EFT-based couples intensive may help you learn how to understand the genesis of your problems and to recognize and address the issues in your relationship without blame. You will be encouraged to explore healthy solutions to your challenges instead.

Marriage Intensives Teach You Useful Tools

Intensive couples counseling program is an excellent opportunity to learn tools you need to rekindle connection and heal. Couples intensives teach your practical skill sets that can help you work on your issues and move forward. You will work on improving your communication skills and overcoming your fear of conflicts and learn constructive ways to sort out conflicts instead.

Learning not to be afraid of conflicts will help you openly express your emotions, thoughts, and needs and approach arguments,  assertively.

Couples Intensives Help Rekindle Connection

During your couples intensive sessions, you’ll address your needs, expectations, doubts, worries, and other essential feelings.

A marriage intensive may help you and your partner learn how to be more vulnerable with one another. Despite the common belief, there’s nothing wrong with vulnerability in a relationship. Opening up to your partner and relying on them for meeting your emotional needs is a sign of a healthy relationship. Attachment research has proven that we are hard-wired for connection.

Couples intensives may help you to dig deep, actively listen, and validate each other’s feelings. You will learn how to be receptive and accepting, even when you disagree or feel upset. Once you start building this kind of connection with your partner, your relationship may start improving.

Couples Intensives Help Address Intimacy Issues

Couples intensives may address your emotional and sexual intimacy issues. Sometimes people have different intimacy expectations and needs and never discuss them with their partner. Not being open about your most intimate thoughts, feelings, and desires may profoundly affect your relationship.

Marriage intensives are a safe place to address these issues, understand the reasons for your intimacy problems and work on the ways to recover it.

Summary

If you feel that your marriage is in crisis, that you are emotionally disconnected from your partner, couples intensive may help you reconnect with your partner, understand and address your problems and feel heard and understood again. You and your partner can learn practical communication skills, rekindle or strengthen the connection and develop new perspectives about your relationship.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call at (703)-347-3200 for your free of charge 15-min consultation and to schedule an appointment in my Wake Forest office or online here.