The Benefits of a Couples Intensive: Why Focused Time Can Change Things Faster
Most couples who come to counseling meet for about an hour a week. That works well for many people. But some couples find that by the time they settle in and start getting somewhere, the hour is over, and by next week the same argument has pulled them back to where they started. If that sounds familiar, a couples intensive may be worth considering.
A couples intensive packs several hours of counseling into one to three days. Instead of spreading the work out over months, you set aside focused time to look at what’s going wrong, understand why it keeps happening, and practice doing it differently while a counselor is right there with you.
1. You build momentum instead of starting over each week
In weekly counseling, a lot of each session can go to catching up on the week and calming down the latest conflict. In an intensive, the conversation keeps going. Insights from the morning shape the afternoon, and there’s time to get past the surface issue to the pattern underneath it.
2. You can work on the hard conversations, not just around them
Some topics are too big for a 50-minute session. Couples often avoid starting them because there won’t be time to finish. With several hours together, you can open a painful subject, work through it with support, and leave the room in a better place rather than mid-argument.
3. You practice new skills on the spot
Understanding a problem isn’t the same as changing it. During an intensive, you learn new ways to talk, listen and repair after conflict, then practice them with your counselor’s guidance. Trying a new skill several times in one day helps it stick far better than reading about it at home.
4. It can help at a turning point
Intensives are often a good fit for couples who are:
Stuck in the same argument over and over.
Recovering from a breach of trust, such as an affair or a hidden financial problem.
Feeling distant or close to giving up, and wanting to give the relationship a real chance.
Engaged or newly married and wanting a strong start.
Unable to keep up with weekly appointments because of work, travel or childcare.
5. It fits a busy schedule
For some couples, arranging a sitter or leaving work every week for months is the hardest part of counseling. An intensive asks for a few planned days instead. Many couples find it easier to commit to a set block of time than to an open-ended weekly schedule.
6. You leave with a plan
A good intensive doesn’t end when the last session does. You’ll leave with clear next steps for keeping your progress going at home, and you can continue with weekly counseling afterward if that would help.
Is an intensive right for us?
Intensives work best when both partners are willing to take part, even if one of you is more hopeful than the other. They aren’t the right fit when there is ongoing abuse, violence or a safety concern in the relationship. In that case, we’ll talk with you about safer options, such as individual counseling.
Couples intensives at Encourage-ment
David Simons, LPC, leads our couples intensives. We offer three options:
Ready for “I Do” Premarital Intensive: 4 hours in one day, $800.
Marriage Reset 2-Day Intensive: 8 hours over two weekdays, $1,600.
Deep Reset Intensive: 12 hours over three weekdays, $2,400.
Intensives are scheduled Monday through Friday, in person at our New Brighton office or by secure video anywhere in Pennsylvania. They’re private pay and aren’t billed to insurance, and you’ll receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected costs before scheduling. If you’d rather start with weekly sessions, our couples counseling is covered by most major Pennsylvania insurance plans.
Take the next step
Request a session or call 412-438-3005 and let us know you’re interested in a couples intensive. We’ll help you choose the option that fits and answer any questions.
If you’re in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, don’t wait for an appointment. Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or call 911 in an emergency.
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