Intensive Couples Counselling

Intensive Couples Counselling in Beautiful Nanaimo

Looking to make improvements in your relationship in a big way, sooner rather than later? I can help you and your partner transform your relationship with a specialized weekend of intensive couples counselling. Using a flexible structure of proven skills and tools, I can help you get your relationship onto solid footing again over a 3 day program of intensive therapy: A private retreat just for you and your partner, in a world-class setting.

If your relationship is in crisis, my intensive program can help you move through distress and find the foundation of your relationship again. Research shows that intensive relationship work is especially effective at making significant changes; big change can happen in a short amount of time. Couples benefit more from 15 hours over 3 days than 15 weeks of 1-hour therapy. The possibility of significant change is high in intensive counseling–positive momentum can be created as I help you move through barriers, heal past hurts, and integrate positive relationship skills. A 3-day intensive is equivalent to about a year’s worth of weekly therapy.

Find hope, connection, renewed intimacy, and gain practical tools. Benefits of an Intensive Counselling Weekend include:

• In-depth analysis of your current issues and relationship dynamics
• Focused discussion of goals and clear outline of what you need to work on
• Face-to-face change-oriented experiences using new skills
• An experienced relationship counsellor to guide you through conflict & difficult issues
• Intensive practice and integration of skills
• Time to debrief with your counsellor and gain insight into patterns
• A focus on moving forward together, creating positive interactions & deeper intimacy

Strengthen Trust, Affection, Communication, and Connection

Using specialized tools, refined through more than 20 years of experience with couples, I will create a program just for you to maximize change over the 3-day intensive. Your relationship therapy program begins with a thorough assessment of relationship strengths and areas needing attention. I then help you implement specific skills (such as improving communication, dealing with conflict, repairing interactions, gridlock, recovering from infidelity, restoring intimacy, resolving sexual issues, and more). This part of the work involves setting you up for success—using the issues and emotions present in your daily life, rewinding interactions and using new skills so that you can process things smoothly.

Change, Possibility, Hope

The third part of the intensive weekend involves laying the groundwork for your relationship’s future: A plan for how to keep connected, deal with issues and conflict, and have fun. This includes specific plans for how to continue the work started in the intensive counselling program. At the end of your weekend, you will receive a detailed report of progress made, a map of areas to work on, and a summary of skills learned. This will serve as a guide for continued progress in your relationship. You will leave the weekend with practical tools, created and tested in session. I will also outline follow-up care, including check-in sessions using Video or telephone, or services in your area.

My Approach

With advanced certification in relationship counselling and over 20 years of direct experience, I can get you the help you need now. I first began offering couples intensive therapy after I had served as an assistant for a weekend couples retreat with well a known couples therapist and saw how effective intensives can be. My resume includes post Graduate training with over 12 months of supervised couples therapy (trained at the Gottman institute, among other modalities), an accumulation of good tools, and my intuition as an active therapist. This experience translates into the help you need to get your relationship on track. I have the training, skills, and counselling effectiveness to guide you through difficult issues like infidelity, conflict, communication & personality differences, loss of passion, addictions, grief, complex trauma, attachment issues, and more. Let me help you rediscover the joy that a happy relationship brings. 

Intensive Couples Therapy Options

• Weekend Intensive: 15 hours of therapy over 3 days. This is the most common format for intensive therapy. (Plus 3-5 hours of Skype or phone work and a written assessment before meeting.)
• Daylong Intensive: Meeting for 4-6 hours for one day. Many local couples choose this option.
• Half -Day Refresher: Couples who have participated in a past intensive can attend a half day or full day refresher. This is a good opportunity to reaffirm your skills, especially if dealing with a new issue that has come up.
• Intensive Couples Therapy at “Home”: An option for busy professional couples around the world–have me meet you in your home community.
• Customized Relationship Therapy Package: I can craft an intensive therapy package that best fits you and your world.
• New: Zoom Intensive Therapy–For couples with busy careers, kids, and for whom travelling to Nanaimo would be a problem, it is possible to do couples intensives via zoom. I have had good results doing this over 3 non-consecutive days, over two or three weeks. This allows time in-between intensive days for practice and progress, and can be very effective. It is also possible to do shorter intensives (half day) via Video therapy.

Fees

Intensive Relationship Counselling can be more cost effective in the long-term, as each hour can be used more efficiently. As well, overall travel time is less than for weekly visits. Prices include taxes, materials, and preparation. Contact me for a fee quote. *Inquire about costs of conducting Intensive Couples Therapy in your home town.

Why Choose Nanaimo for Intensive Couples Counselling?

Nanaimo is a great place for intensive couples counselling. The beautiful scenery and climate of Nanaimo lend an atmosphere of change, possibility, and hope. My office is close to some of Nanaimo’s best hotels and dining, and is quick jaunt from the emerald-blue Salish Sea. Nanaimo is a great place to refresh and add some romance to your therapy package.

 “The ultimate test of a relationship is to disagree but to hold hands.” –Alexandra Penney