Intensive Couples Therapy

Why Intensives Are a Better Investment Than Weekly or biweekly Therapy

When Weekly Therapy Isn’t Cutting It

Weekly therapy can be helpful, but for a lot of people, it’s not enough. You start to touch something meaningful, and then the session ends. By the next week, life has filled back in, and the insight is gone—or you’re back in the same loop. Progress is possible, but it’s slow, fragmented, and easy to lose momentum. That’s where intensives come in. Instead of starting and stopping, we stay in it. We go deeper, faster—and not in a rushed way, but in a way that finally gives your process the attention and space it actually needs.

Who Intensives Are For

Intensives are especially valuable if you’re at an inflection point—when something in your relationship, your inner world, or your past won’t stay quiet anymore. Maybe you’ve tried therapy before and didn’t get what you needed. Maybe you’re in a cycle that keeps repeating itself, or a relationship that’s on the edge and you want clarity. Intensives are also ideal for people with busy lives who can’t afford to spend a year in therapy waiting for movement. And they’re powerful for clients who feel stalled—who know the pattern but can’t seem to break it. Whether you’re coming in solo or with a partner, this format is built for depth, not delay.

Spacious Enough for the Real Work

Despite the name, intensives often feel less intense than weekly therapy. There’s no rush to squeeze something in before the clock runs out. We have the time to name what’s happening, stay with it, challenge it, and then begin to shift it. As a therapist trained in Relational Life Therapy (RLT), I bring a direct, emotionally honest approach that helps you get beneath surface symptoms and into the core material: the protective strategies, relational injuries, and internal narratives that are running the show. I also integrate inner child and parts work to help you safely reconnect with the younger or split-off parts of yourself that often carry the original wound. In this format, we can actually work through the hard stuff—not just talk around it.

Proven to Be More Effective

This isn’t just personal preference—it’s backed by research. A 1984 study by Boegner & Zielenbach-Coenen compared couples who did weekly therapy, couples who did the same number of sessions over 2–3 days, and couples who had no therapy. The intensive group had the highest improvement and the lowest relapse rate over time—even better than those who did traditional weekly work. More recent research by Babcock, Gottman, Ryan & Gottman (2013) echoed this: couples not only preferred the immersive experience, they also experienced more lasting results. Intensives don’t just feel more impactful—they are.

A Faster Path to Clarity and Change

Yes, intensives are a bigger upfront investment—of time, money, and energy. But what they offer in return is concentrated progress. Instead of waiting months for something to budge, we can often accomplish that in a matter of days. That doesn’t mean we skip steps—it means we stop losing them. People walk away from intensives clearer, lighter, and more grounded in themselves. For many, it’s the moment something finally breaks open and starts to shift. If you’re ready to stop circling and start moving, this might be the right place to begin.