I hear a version of this from most if not all the couples I work with: "We tried couples counseling and it didn't work for us. In fact, we would leave sessions worse off than when we started, which ultimately left us feeling hopeless and stuck." There's research that backs this up as well. Namely, that by the time a Coupleship is looking for therapeutic help, it needs much more than traditional weekly counseling. In fact, this kind of traditional counseling works best as maintenance, after the deeper experience.
Couples Intensives are by far my most requested service. And, they're also the intervention that generates the most questions. What are Couples Intensives? Who are they for, and what exactly could they do for you and your relationships? In this months newsletter I'm going to give you all the info on this revolutionary approach to relationship repair and - hopefully - answer all of these questions and more.
After all, if anything else in our lives is broken, faulty, stuck (even just a little creaky) we're excellent at finding the expert we need to get it up and running again. No one would question that our relationships are way more important than our cars or appliances, so why don't we call for help when they need fixing? Why are we so easily convinced, even in staggeringly difficult situations, that everything will get better on its own?
A Couples Intensive is a highly specialized, 2-4 day therapy session, that is designed to transform the dynamics of a relationship. Each program is planned around the needs of each partner plus the needs of the coupleship. Through a thorough understanding and implementation of emotional safety, we will open up opportunities to work deeply within topics such as unresolved conflict, unhealed trauma, damaging behavior patterns and any other issues that impact the couple. I love the approach of Couples Intensives because the duration and exclusivity of the sessions mean that we can explore topics without time limits or distractions - exactly what couples need to heal and move on.
Throughout the sessions couples grow to understand each other on a deeper level, seeing new sides to their partner and experiencing the satisfaction of being seen and understood themselves. When an intensive ends, couples leave with all the tools they need to
stay on the path of emotional safety
nurture trust and intimacy
manage conflict
build resilient connections
understand one another's actions
respect one another's needs
continue to thrive despite life's inevitable pressures
You might choose to participate in a Couples Intensive because the traditional (one hour, once a week) just isn't working. Or you might want to avoid spending weeks or even months on issues that we can identify and understand much sooner. Whatever your reason, if your relationship is suffering in the aftermath of a crisis, the need to make overwhelming decisions, or simply a long term neglect that has destroyed your sense of connection to one another, then a Couples Intensive could provide the relief and restoration that you've been looking for. So, if you've tried traditional counseling and it wasn't right for you, you seem to keep failing at communication, or just recycling the same old wounds. then I'd love to show you a better way.
As you can see when it comes to Couples Intensives, I'm a big fan! And you can click here to find out more about how I offer this service.
But hey, relationships are rarely 100% perfect or 100% in need of saving, they usually fall somewhere in the middle. Maybe your relationship doesn't need the depth of an intensive but you still feel that it could use a booster. If that sounds like you just click here to read about my Italian Retreat.
Jody
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