online In Seattle and throughout Washington

Intensive Couples Therapy in Seattle

A personalized, online intensive couples therapy experience.
3-hour, 2-day, and 3-day online formats available.
Find connection, intimacy, and experience change…fast.

What is intensive couples therapy?

Intensive couples therapy in Seattle, sometimes referred to as couples retreats or marriage intensives, are a concentrated alternative to traditional weekly couples therapy.

A couples intensive is a several-hour block of time set aside to focus on the work your relationship needs. without the interruption of wrapping it up after 50-60 minutes and moving on with your week.

Intensive couples therapy is a concentrated “dose” of therapy that accelerates your progress. You could experience months of couples therapy in only a handful of days.

Due to the condensed nature of intensive therapy, many couples find that they are able to get into deeper issues faster with this model. Because of that, change and relief are experienced sooner, and traction in the therapy process is experienced more quickly.

When traditional weekly couples therapy just isn’t cutting it anymore.

⟶

Scheduling and logistics interfere with weekly therapy sessions.

⟶

Many couples looking for intensive couples therapy in Seattle have scheduling constraints that make weekly 50-minute sessions extremely difficult to maintain. Whether it’s due to their work schedules or their kids’ school and after-school schedules, fewer, more condensed blocks of time set aside to focus on their marriage makes more sense.

You’re seeking deeper, more concentrated healing that weekly therapy simply cannot provide.

⟶

You know the frustration of bringing up an important topic during your 50-minute therapy session only to have the session end 15 or 20 minutes later. You can rest assured that when you bring something vulnerable up during intensive therapy, we’ll have enough time to unpack it so that you don’t have to carry it for a week until our next session.

You simply enjoy the focused nature of intensives and find them more valuable than weekly sessions.

Many partners have discovered that intensive couples therapy is actually more valuable and effective in the long run than weekly sessions, and they prefer to work this way with their therapist.

Intensive couples therapy in Seattle can be helpful for…

  • Laser focus and clarity that sometimes gets lost in weekly sessions

  • Recovering from infidelity or another form of betrayal

  • Accelerated conflict resolution and compromise

  • Improvement in communication

  • Processing trauma that has occurred in the relationship

  • Emotional reconnection and restored intimacy

  • Practical skill acquisition

You’re in the right place.

Marriage intensives can help you accomplish in one session what may take months in traditional weekly therapy.

Your marriage could change over the weekend.

1

Pre-Intensive Assessment

We will meet for three 90-minute sessions to complete the assessment phase of your treatment.

This includes two joint sessions as well as two 45-minute individual sessions.

The purpose is to get clarity on what needs to be worked on in your intensive couples therapy container so that you get the most out of the experience.

2

Intensive
Session(s)

We meet for your intensive session(s)! This is where the magic happens.

You’re encouraged to get comfortable: wear comfortable clothing, bring drinks and snacks, and leave the children with their grandparents. It’s your time to focus on your relationship.

Couples meet with me from the comfort of their own home, or they make this into a getaway/retreat and stay the weekend somewhere special.

3

Post-Intensive Follow-Up

We will meet for a 60-minute follow up session to explore what is working, as well as what still needs to be worked on.

During this time, we’ll discuss your next steps for continued growth and healing, whether that be weekly therapy or more intensive work.

The feedback I have received from couples who have done intensive work is that their progress was accelerated and big momentum was built. This makes future weekly therapy experiences much more productive.

intensive-couples-therapy-washington

What you get

Evidence-based treatment using the Gottman Method.

Thorough assessment prior to the intensive, along with a visual roadmap of what we’ll work on during intensive therapy.

Join from the comfort of your own home or an environment of your choosing (see below for ideas!).

A partner on your journey to healing your relationship.

Your Options

Choose the right format for you.

I offer intensives in a few formats depending on your budget, needs, and goals. Individualization is possible; please contact me to learn more.

The following options do not include the assessment sessions.

    • A great fit for couples who have one specific issue they would like to address in an intensive format.

    • A great fit for couples who prefer to work intensively once or twice per month.


    Investment: $1197

    • 4 hours of therapy each day for a total of 8 therapy hours, plus two hour-long breaks

    • An excellent fit for couples looking to work on communication, conflict resolution, underlying friendship, and emotional intimacy.


    Investment: $3197

    • 3 hours of therapy each day for a total of 9 therapy hours, plus three hour-long breaks

    • Perfect for couples looking to work on affair recovery or recovery from another form of trauma or betrayal.


    Investment: $4797

Imagine finally getting to…

Resolve deep wounds in your marriage.

✓

Experience accelerated emotional connection.

✓

Overcome the obstacles to intimacy and trust.

✓

Make your intensive couples therapy into a retreat-style getaway with luxury accommodations in and near Seattle

Driving Directions to Seattle, WA

From the North (around Everett, WA area): Start by heading south on I-5 S toward Seattle. Continue on I-5 S for about 30 miles. Use the left lanes to take exit 167 for Mercer St or exit 165B for Denny Way to enter downtown Seattle.

From the South (around Federal Way, WA area): Begin by heading north on I-5 N toward Seattle. Drive for approximately 30 miles, following I-5 N directly into downtown Seattle.

From the East (around Issaquah, WA area): Take I-90 W toward Seattle. Continue on I-90 W for about 30 miles. Use the exit for I-5 N toward Vancouver BC, then merge onto I-5 N and follow signs for downtown Seattle.

From the West (around Kitsap Peninsula): Take the WA-16 E across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, then follow signs to merge onto I-5 N toward Seattle.

Find the healing you’ve been seeking.

faqs

Other intensive questions? I’ve got answers.

  • The Gottman Method is a form of couples therapy based on the research of psychologists John and Julie Gottman. It aims to help couples build stronger relationships by understanding their patterns of interaction and learning to navigate conflict in a more positive way.

    The core idea behind the method is using a metaphor of a house to represent a secure marriage or relationship. It identifies seven "floors" — or principles — that couples can work on to improve their relationship.

    Some key techniques used in Gottman therapy include:

    - Teaching partners to increase positive interactions and build an "emotional bank account."

    - Helping couples learn to manage conflicts using the Antidotes to the Four Horsemen and "Dreams within Conflict" techniques.

    - Promoting acceptance, compromise and enhancing intimacy.

    The goal is to help couples replace negative conflict patterns with positive interactions and equip them with skills to maintain a long-lasting, healthy relationship.

  • Duration and intensity: Intensive couples therapy involves longer, multi-day sessions over a condensed period, while weekly therapy is shorter sessions spread out over months. As one source notes, "On average, people report a 3-day marriage intensive is equal to about 6 months of therapy."

    Immersive experience: Marriage intensives provide an "immersive" experience where couples can devote complete focus to their relationship without daily distractions. Weekly therapy sessions are shorter and couples resume normal life between appointments.

    Depth of work: The extended time in intensive therapy allows couples "to dive deep into their issues and work through them more thoroughly than they would in weekly ones."

    Quicker results: By concentrating the work, intensive retreats can produce faster results compared to the slower pace of weekly sessions spread over time.

    Teaching vs. practice: Weekly counseling focuses more on building skills gradually and practicing between sessions, while intensives prioritize concentrated teaching and therapeutic work.

  • There are a few elements to consider when thinking about intensive couples therapy:

    Commitment Level — Intensive programs require a significant time commitment away from work, family, and daily life to fully dedicate yourselves to the process. You need to both be highly committed to doing this intense work.

    Ability to Take a Break — Since intensives can last several consecutive days, you'll need the flexibility to step away from other obligations for an extended period. This can be difficult for some couples.

    Crisis Situation — If your relationship is in crisis or you're on the brink of divorce, an intensive program may be ideal to promptly address severe issues and get your marriage stabilized quickly.

    Scheduling — Couples who have inconsistent schedules can benefit from the condensed format instead of weekly sessions.

    Financial Resources — Intensive marriage retreats tend to be more expensive upfront than weekly counseling due to the extended therapist time. However, intensive therapy tends to be a better value in the long-run due to the results obtained.

  • Almost anything a couple comes to traditional weekly sessions for can also be addressed in intensive couples therapy, and much more quickly.

    Intensives are especially helpful for couples who are experiencing a crisis in their marriage, such as infidelity or another trauma or betrayal.

    They are also a great fit for couples who have completed Discernment Counseling and have decided to move forward in couples therapy, but the situation remains volatile and their marriage needs help immediately.

  • The only prep work I will ask of you is to come prepared to the session to do some real work on your marriage. This requires you to be in a focused and present state of mind. The details of this will differ based on your circumstances, but I trust that you’re empowered enough to know what to do to get yourself in this headspace!

  • Please contact me to discuss scheduling, deposit, and payment. I am so looking forward to our time together!