Intensive Marriage Counseling
3 Day Marriage Intensive Retreat
Intensive marriage counseling is condensed, private counseling spread out over three days; you will receive individually targeted, relationship expertise, from two of Pacific Northwest’s best marriage and family therapists. This professional guidance will allow you and your spouse to focus on building a thriving, healthy, satisfying relationship.
The Intensive program will be able to address your needs around a variety of topics including: communication, infidelity, intimacy and sexual issues, financial strains, blended families, children, and career conflicts.
“We were able to repair our marriage in 3 days with the marriage intensive offered by Compass.”
Intensives are designed for couples who:
- Desire results quickly.
- Are experiencing significant distress in their relationships.
- Are unable to attend traditional therapy each week due to scheduling conflicts or work commitments.
- Are prominent members of a community, or who live in a small town, and want more privacy while they work on their relationship.
- Have high conflict relationships in which communication is non existent.
- Couples who are trying to determine whether or not they should stick it out, or call it quits.
- Have tried traditional, weekly marriage counseling and found the results less than desirable.
What You Can Expect
During your three-day intensive, You will be able to go through a process that usually takes five to six months for couples in traditional marriage counseling to achieve.
Our relationship experts will help you to enhance your marriage through conflict resolution, effective communication, building a friendship between your partner and yourself, and opening the doors to a better understanding of you and your partner’s needs.
Intensive Format
Intensive counseling is often held at our private practice located in Vancouver, WA. We can also hold marriage intensives for your convenience at a location of your choice such as Tacoma, Olympia, Seattle areas. You can expect to receive 12 hours of focused relationship work to be completed over the course of 3 days.
Some couples prefer to stay at hotels nearby to allow for greater flexibility and to maintain complete focus on the work they are doing in sessions. We can make these accommodations for you so you don’t have to stress about any of the details. We understand that life can be busy and it may feel more convenient for you to stay at home and participate in marriage intensive counseling however, we suggest investing in your marriage by providing your complete undivided attention to your relationship. For this reason we strongly encourage that accommodations are made so it will allow you to fully invest in your relationship.
We suggest that you prepare for your sessions, take time off work, find childcare, and arrange for all daily responsibilities to be met during your intensive counseling timeframe.
Your session will be scheduled throughout the 3 day period with breaks. The breaks between sessions are a strategic and an integral part of the intensive format.
The time between sessions should be spent with each other reviewing the material, talking, going for walks, relaxing, or going out to eat. We will provide specific activities for you to complete during this time.
Marriage Intensive Overview Example
Day 1
Morning
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel or at an exclusive restaurant we have partnered with. Allow yourselves plenty of time so you do not feel rushed. We encourage you to do some sort of physical activity in the morning – a brisk walk, easy jog, yoga, or Pilates – as well as to take a few minutes to ground yourself in whatever quiet, mindful way works for you – e.g. spiritual devotion, meditation, or journal writing.
Couple Session
During this time we will meet together and discuss the history and current state of your relationship focusing on the strengths and goals of your marriage.
Individual Session with Therapist #1
During this session we will focus on identifying areas of high conflict within your relationship, marital stresses and individual triggers. Allowing you to be heard and understood without judgement.
Individual Session with Therapist #2
During this session we will focus on identifying areas of past hurts, and resentments you will learn ways to connect with your partner to increase wholehearted relationship satisfaction. This session will allow for a more in-depth focus on how you can enjoy a satisfying life with your spouse moving towards a positive future.
Lunch and Afternoon Break
Use this time to get something to eat, take a walk together, discuss the morning, or afternoon rest. You will be tired! Use this time to rest. We will provide you with a list of restaurants and activities you and your partner may wish to take part in while on this break. We suggest something relaxing, going for a walk, getting a facial, joining a yoga class, or enjoying a couples massage.
Afternoon Couples Session
We will explain the process for the rest of our sessions and answer any questions you may have. We will work collaboratively to establish a mutual plan of action, taking your marriage from barely surviving to thriving.
Evening
We have made plans for you to have a nice dinner together. Spend the evening doing something relaxing that you enjoy. You will have much to talk about. Focus on getting a good night’s sleep.
Day 2
Morning
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel or at another local eatery. Again, allow yourself enough time that you won’t feel rushed. Spend some time preparing yourself for our work together by engaging in at least 15 minutes of physical activity and some mindfulness practice.
Morning Couples Session
We will begin to discuss the hidden narrative that underlie your conflict and what visions you each have for friendship and intimacy.
Lunch and Afternoon Break
Use this time to get something to eat, take a walk together, discuss the morning and get some rest.
Late Afternoon Couples Session
We will meet back together to learn how to manage conflict constructively while working to create a deeper friendship, more intimacy, and positive affect within your relationship.
Evening
Enjoy a nice evening together. We will have already made dinner reservations for you. Explore the area surrounding the Historic Fort Vancouver or nearby Portland, OR, you will have much to talk about. Enjoy your time with one another, but be sure to get a good night’s rest.
Day 3
Morning
Please remember to have a good breakfast, and if possible spend some time exercising and preparing yourself prior to our appointment. During this final time together, we will solidify the gains we have made over the past two days and prepare a plan of action for you to use as you move forward together.
Couples Session
This session will focus on deepening you and your spouse’s awareness of what gives your lives meaning and purpose.
Get In Touch
Call
(360)-558-7730
Address
5115 NE 94th Ave, Suite D, Vancouver, WA 98662
Office Hours
Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm
Therapist Hours: By Appointment