Providing Gottman Couples intensives to couples in-person in Chicago & Aurora, IL and virtually throughout Illinois and South Carolina.
Couples Therapy Intensives for Deep Connection & Understanding
What Would It Be Like to Finally Be Seen, Heard, and Understood in Your Relationship…. and Stop Feeling So Alone?
What Is A Couples Intensive?
A Couples Therapy Intensive is a focused, extended therapy session designed to help couples work through challenges more efficiently than traditional weekly therapy.
Instead of spreading sessions out over months, an intensive allows you to dive deep into your relationship dynamics, gain clarity, and start making meaningful shifts—all in a single, structured session, over 1-3 days.
My intensives are four-hour, marathon-style sessions that provide the time and space needed to address complex relationship struggles, recurring conflicts, and emotional disconnection.
Whether you’re facing communication breakdowns, navigating neurodivergent relationship dynamics, or simply feeling stuck, an intensive gives you dedicated, uninterrupted time to explore your relationship patterns and develop practical strategies for growth.
Unlike traditional weekly therapy, where you spend weeks (or months) barely scratching the surface, a couples therapy intensive is designed for deep, accelerated progress in a focused setting.
This Immersive Approach Allows You To:
✔️ Achieve Breakthroughs Faster—Unpack core relationship patterns and conflicts in hours, not months, and finally feel heard (even if you don’t agree!).
✔️ Eliminate the Start-and-Stop Frustration —With extended, uninterrupted sessions, you won’t lose valuable time and momentum resetting week to week, which can be especially challenging if one (or both) of you is highly sensitive, an empath, or has sensory processing differences.
✔️ Experience Immediate Relief & Clarity—Learn how to co-regulate during the intensive session—so you can STOP emotional flooding, shutdowns, or avoidance patterns, and gain practical tools and strategies that you can begin using right away.
✔️ Strengthen Connection in a Supportive Space— With dedicated time for deep work, you can process emotions, repair trust, and rebuild intimacy in a way that feels safe and intentional.—No more walking on eggshells or feeling dismissed.
A Couples Therapy Intensive isn’t just about problem-solving—it’s about creating a transformative experience.
One that builds lasting intimacy and trust and reshapes how you communicate, connect, and move forward together—so you can finally feel like you’re on the same team.
Ready to break free from old patterns and build the relationship you both deserve?
Schedule your free consultation today and take the first step toward lasting change.
Still Unsure If Couples Intensives Are For You?
Continue reading to see if you would benefit from these accelerated sessions
Does Any of This Sound Like Your Relationship With Your Partner?
Your marriage is more like a roommate situation, where interactions are mostly “transactional”?
You feel like you and your partner “speak different languages”—one of you needs deep emotional connection, while the other shuts down.
You’re tired of miscommunication leading to hurt feelings, resentment, or emotional exhaustion.
Conflict feels physically overwhelming—raised voices, tension, or disconnection send your nervous system into overdrive.
You’ve been told you’re “too sensitive” or “too much”
Deep down, you are drowning trying to just feel safe, seen, and understood.
You do most of the emotional work in the relationship, and it’s exhausting.
You long for true intimacy and emotional connection, but no matter how much you try, something still feels “off.”
If any of this resonates, you’re not alone—and there’s a better way forward.
While you consider moving forward with Couples’ Intensives, feel free to sign-up for our emailing list and receive access to my Couples Relationship Reflection Toolkit.
Couples Intensives Can Help You Move Forward Faster
Why Choose a Couples Therapy Intensive Format Over Weekly Hour-Long Sessions?
Traditional weekly couples therapy can be helpful, but the one-hour format often isn’t enough time to dive deep into complex issues. Couples frequently just start to open up before the session ends, leaving difficult conversations unfinished and progress feeling slow.
A Couples Therapy Intensive offers a faster, deeper, and more transformative approach by providing a four-hour deep dive into your relationship.
Here Are Even More Advantages To Doing Couples Therapy Intensives-
Experience Faster Growth & Healing
Couples therapy intensives allow for deeper emotional processing using research-backed approaches like the Gottman Method, Brainspotting, and Polyvagal Theory. These techniques help couples process emotions, regulate nervous system responses, and strengthen connection much faster than traditional therapy
Get Practical Tools You Can Use Right Away
Rather than spreading strategies out over months, an intensive gives you actionable tools in a single session that you can start using immediately to improve communication, resolve conflict, and build a stronger bond.
Are Couples Therapy Intensives Right for You?
If you and your partner are ready to transform your relationship dynamics and achieve meaningful change, an intensive can provide rapid insight and real change—In just a few sessions!
While traditional hourly, weekly therapy can be helpful for ongoing support, an intensive is ideal if you want fast, effective results without months of slow progress.
Take the first step toward a healthier, more connected partnership. Schedule your free consultation today to explore how a Couples Therapy Intensive can meet your unique needs.
Who Benefits Most From My Couples Intensives?
These Are The Right Choice for Couples Who…
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Want To Rebuild Trust, Connection & Intimacy
AFTER MAJOR LIFE TRANSITIONS SUCH AS PREGNANCY, POSTPARTUM OR JOB CHANGES, OR PARENTING KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
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Are Navigating Shifts In Their Relationship Due To Kids Growing Up or Peri/Menopause
AND NEED SUPPORT ADJUSTING TO THESE NEW PHASES OF LIFE
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Are In a Relationship Where One or Both Partners Are Autistic and/or ADHD
AND NEED SUPPORT AROUND EMOTIONS, COMMUNICATION, SENSORY NEEDS AND CONNECTING
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Have One or Both Partners Who Have Experienced Traumas
THAT AFFECTS THEIR RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS, INTIMACY, TRUST AND COMMUNICATION PATTERNS
When You Invest In Your Relationship By Doing a Couple’s Therapy Intensive, You Will Receive:
Pre-Intensive Interview
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The Pre-Intensive Interview: Laying the Foundation for Transformational Change
After your free 20-minute consultation, the next step is a 90-minute virtual Pre-Intensive Interview to:
clarify your goals,
shape the intensive format, and
lay the groundwork for deep healing.
Customized Program Treatment Plan & Agenda
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Customized Treatment Plan & Agenda: A Roadmap for Your Relationship
Your relationship is unique, and your Couples Intensive should be too. After your Pre-Intensive Interview, we’ll create a customized treatment plan and agenda tailored to your specific challenges, strengths, and goals. This ensures that every moment of your intensive is intentional, focused, and designed for deep transformation.
Your personalized plan includes:
• A Clear Agenda – A structured yet flexible schedule that maximizes breakthroughs while honoring your needs.
• Targeted Interventions – Evidence-based strategies, including Gottman Method techniques, Brainspotting, Parts Work and nervous system-focused work, to help you move past roadblocks.
• Exploration of Key Relationship Patterns – A deep dive into past experiences, emotions, and communication habits shaping your dynamic.
• Tools for Connection & Repair – Practical exercises to help you rebuild trust, improve communication, and create a stronger foundation moving forward.
Each Couples Intensive is tailored to your specific relationship needs. Some couples may find that a single 4-hour session is enough to gain clarity and make meaningful progress, while others may benefit from a more immersive experience, such as three consecutive days of 4-hour sessions. For those navigating more complex dynamics—such as deep relational wounds, neurodivergent differences, complex trauma or long-standing conflict—ongoing intensives may be recommended to allow the time and space needed for deeper healing. Your customized plan ensures that you receive the right level of support to create lasting change in your relationship.
This tailored approach ensures that your intensive isn’t just about resolving conflict—it’s about understanding each other on a deeper level and creating meaningful, lasting change.
Personalized Therapeutic Workbook
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The Personalized Therapeutic Workbook: Your Roadmap to Growth
Your personalized therapeutic workbook is designed to guide you through every stage of your Couples Intensive—before, during, and after your sessions. This interactive resource provides structure, helping you track your progress and stay connected to your relationship goals.
Inside, you’ll find:
• Assessments & Activities – Thought-provoking exercises to help you reflect and prepare for deep work.
• Goal Tracking Tools – A space to outline your treatment goals and measure growth over time.
• Session Insights – Areas to capture key takeaways from your intensive sessions.
• Ongoing Resources – Practical tools you can use long after the intensive to strengthen your relationship.
This workbook becomes a personalized guide to help you integrate your intensive experience into everyday life, creating lasting change.
Post-Intensive Interview
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Post-Intensive Reflection: Strengthening Your Next Steps
Following your Couples Intensive, we’ll reconnect for a 60-minute follow-up session to reflect on your progress and solidify the changes you’ve made. This session provides a space to:
• Process key insights and shifts that emerged during the intensive.
• Identify areas for continued growth and any challenges that still need attention.
• Create a personalized wellness plan to help you integrate new patterns, tools, and strategies into your daily life.
This follow-up ensures that the work you’ve done doesn’t end with the intensive—it becomes part of a lasting, sustainable transformation for your relationship.
What You’ll Walk Away With After Your Intensives:
✔️ A clear understanding of your partner’s emotional and sensory needs (and how to meet them).
✔️ Practical tools to STOP emotional flooding and shutdowns.
✔️ Communication techniques that honor both of you—without feeling like a battle.
✔️ Deeper emotional and physical intimacy (without pressure or guilt).
This is NOT a One-Size-Fits-All therapy approach
It’s a deep, structured, yet flexible space for couples who are ready to do the work and make the changes.
This is where you come to both feel truly heard, and leave with a renewed sense of connection.
Here Your Relationship Investment Options:
1-Day Intensive
Investment of $1620
90 min Pre-Intensive Session
Personalized Workbook
1 Intensive Session (total of 3 hours)
Offered Thursdays
Start making the changes today that will alter the longevity of your relationship tomorrow!
2-Day Intensive Package
Investment of $3300
90 min Pre-Intensive Session
Personalized Workbook
2 Days of Intensive Sessions (total of 6 hours)
60 min Post-Intensive Session
Offered Thursdays-Fridays
3-Day Intensive Package
Investment of $4980
90 min Pre-Intensive Session
Personalized Workbook
3 Days of Intensive Sessions (total of 9 hours)
60 min Post-Intensive Session
Offered Thursdays-Saturdays
Extended Weekend Retreat Intensive Package
Investment Starts at $5987.50
90 min Pre-Intensive Session
Personalized Workbook
2 Days of Intensive Sessions (total of 12 hours)
60 min Post-Intensive Session
Offered Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday
Ready To Get Started? Here’s What Happens Next…
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Schedule Your Free Consultation Call
Choose a time for you and your partner to meet with me by visiting my calendar.
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Complete Your Pre-Intensive Interview
You and your partner will meet with me during a virtual 90-minute meeting to create a customized plan for your couples intensives.
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Receive Your Customized Treatment Plan and Recommended Agenda
After your pre-intensive interview, I will create a customized agenda and recommended schedule for your couples intensive and will send this to you and your partner to review.
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Schedule Your Couples Intensives
Once you have reviewed the agenda and recommendations I provided to you and your partner, you can sign your documents electronically and then schedule and pay for sessions directly through the link I provide.
FAQs
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A Couples Therapy Intensive is a structured, extended therapy session designed to help couples address challenges in their relationship more efficiently than traditional weekly therapy. These 3-hour sessions provide deep, focused work to help couples gain clarity, improve communication, and foster connection.
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Unlike traditional weekly sessions, which focus on gradual progress over time, intensives allow for deeper exploration and resolution of issues in a condensed format. This approach helps couples break patterns, gain insights, and develop actionable strategies without waiting weeks between sessions.
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Research supports intensives as an effective format for couples therapy. Studies have found that:
• Intensive therapy can produce more significant improvements in communication and relationship satisfaction compared to traditional weekly sessions.
• Extended sessions help couples stay engaged in the therapeutic process without the disruption of weekly time constraints.
• Modalities like the Gottman Method and Brainspotting—both of which I incorporate—have been shown to foster lasting change in couples who engage in deeper, immersive work.
For many couples, the intensive format helps create breakthrough moments that might otherwise take months to achieve in weekly sessions.
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Couples Therapy Intensives are ideal for partners who:
• Feel stuck in repetitive conflicts and want immediate progress.
• Struggle with communication and want guided, structured support.
• Are navigating neurodivergence in their relationship (e.g., one or both partners are autistic or ADHD).
• Prefer a deep-dive approach over traditional weekly therapy.
It is not a fit for couples experiencing active domestic violence or needing crisis intervention.
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Each intensive is personalized to your unique relationship dynamics and goals. While every session is tailored to your needs, a typical intensive includes:
• A structured assessment to explore relationship patterns, emotional dynamics, and areas of strength and struggle.
• In-depth exploration of underlying challenges, attachment styles, and individual experiences that shape the relationship.
• Psychoeducation on communication patterns, conflict styles, and emotional needs to foster greater awareness and understanding.
• Guided exercises based on the Gottman Method and neurodivergent-affirming approaches to help deepen emotional connection.
• Practical strategies to improve communication, rebuild trust, and create a more fulfilling partnership.
This immersive approach allows for deep reflection, meaningful dialogue, and actionable insights that can create lasting change.
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Yes, intensives can help couples gain clarity on whether to repair or separate with mutual understanding. If separation is the focus, the session can help navigate it with care and respect.
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To get the most out of your Couples Therapy Intensive, consider the following:
• Bring an open mind – Be ready for deep, meaningful conversations and new perspectives.
• Reflect on your goals – Think about what you hope to gain and any specific challenges you want to address.
• Take personal notes – Jot down thoughts, concerns, or patterns in your relationship that you’d like to discuss.
• Minimize distractions – Set aside this time fully for your relationship by reducing outside interruptions.
• Prioritize rest and self-care – Intensives involve deep emotional work, so ensure you’re well-rested and in a good mental space.
I will provide all necessary materials, so just come ready to participate and focus on your relationship.
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Insurance companies do not cover intensives. Intensives are a cutting-edge therapy format that breaks the mold of traditional therapy, offering a level of depth and focus that standard insurance models don’t accommodate.
However, I can provide a Super Bill for you to submit to your insurance company for potential out-of-pocket reimbursement for a portion of the Brainspotting-intensive portion of your session. Please note:
• A mental health diagnosis is required to issue a Super Bill.
• This diagnosis may impact future insurance coverage for mental health services.
If insurance reimbursement is a priority for you, I encourage you to consult with your provider before scheduling.
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A 3-hour intensive session is $XXX.
I offer a limited number of premium-rate intensives ($350 per session) and standard-rate intensives. Please reach out to discuss availability.
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• A non-refundable deposit of 50% is required to secure your session.
• The remaining balance is due 48 hours before your intensive.
Payment methods accepted include: Credit Card, Venmo or Zelle
Payment plans may be available upon request.
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Absolutely—especially for couples who:
• Want faster, more focused progress than traditional therapy.
• Struggle with ongoing issues but can’t commit to weekly sessions.
• Feel stuck in negative patterns and need immediate intervention.
• Prefer a solution-focused, neuroscience-informed approach.
Intensives can be a cost-effective investment in your relationship, helping you achieve breakthroughs that may take months (or years) in weekly therapy.
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Yes, I offer both virtual and in-person Couples Therapy Intensives.
• Virtual Intensives – Available for couples located in Illinois and South Carolina, providing the same depth of support from the comfort of your home.
• In-Person Intensives – Held in Aurora, IL, offering a private, focused space for deep relationship work.
I am also developing premium retreat-style intensive weekends at beautiful locations in Illinois and South Carolina for couples who want to combine therapy with a restorative getaway.
These immersive weekends will offer extended therapy sessions in peaceful, scenic settings, helping couples reconnect while stepping away from daily stressors. Potential locations include:
• South Carolina: Hilton Head, Fripp Island, Columbia
• Illinois: Starved Rock State Park, Matthiessen State Park, Giant City State Park
These retreat-style intensives will provide couples with personalized coaching, guided exercises, and relaxation opportunities to deepen connection and create lasting change.
Whether virtual, in-person, or part of a retreat-style weekend, each intensive is designed to support your unique relationship needs.
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I offer Couples Therapy Intensives on a flexible schedule to accommodate your needs.
• One-day intensives – Thursdays
• Two-day intensives – Thursdays and Fridays
• Three-day intensives – Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
• Weekend retreats – Friday & Saturday or Saturday & Sunday
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The number of intensives needed depends on your relationship goals, current challenges, and how much support you want. Some couples experience significant breakthroughs in just one session, while others benefit from multiple intensives to work through deeper issues.
Here’s a general guideline:
• 1 Intensive – Ideal for couples looking to gain clarity, improve communication, or address a specific issue.
• 2-3 Intensives – Recommended for couples experiencing ongoing challenges and wanting to build long-term strategies.
• Ongoing Intensives – Some couples choose quarterly or biannual intensives to maintain relationship health and prevent recurring issues.
In addition to single-session intensives, I am developing premium retreat-style intensive weekends at beautiful locations in Illinois and South Carolina, allowing couples to fully immerse themselves in the healing process while surrounded by nature. Potential locations include:
• South Carolina: Hilton Head, Fripp Island, Columbia
• Illinois: Starved Rock State Park, Matthiessen State Park, Giant City State Park
These exclusive weekend intensives will provide extended therapy sessions combined with restorative experiences, personalized coaching, and relaxation opportunities in scenic environments, helping couples reconnect in a meaningful way.
During your first session, we’ll discuss your needs and create a personalized plan that works best for your relationship.
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Every Couples Therapy Intensive is fully customized to meet your relationship’s unique needs. Some couples benefit from a single intensive, while others may need multiple sessions across several days. Here’s how the process works:
1. Schedule a 20-Minute Consultation – We’ll start with a call to discuss your relationship dynamics, challenges, and goals. This helps determine the best approach and whether a single or multi-day intensive is right for you.
2. Complete a Pre-Intake Packet – After scheduling, you’ll fill out a detailed intake packet where you can share background information, current struggles, and what you hope to achieve through the intensive.
3. Attend an In-Depth Intake Session – We’ll meet for a 60-minute intake session to go deeper into your relationship history, clarify goals, and set outcome measures so we can track progress effectively.
4. Receive a Personalized Intensive Plan – I’ll create a customized plan incorporating talk therapy, the Gottman Couples Method, Brainspotting, and Internal Parts Work, designed to help you both achieve meaningful change.
5. Participate in Your Intensive – We’ll meet for your selected number of 3-hour intensive sessions, which can take place:
• In-person at my Aurora, IL office.
• On-site at a vacation rental or retreat-style venue in Illinois or South Carolina (such as Hilton Head, Fripp Island, or Starved Rock).
• Online for couples located in Illinois or South Carolina who prefer a virtual setting.
6. Post-Intensive Follow-Up Session (For Multi-Day Plans) – For longer intensive plans, we can schedule a 50-minute post-intensive session to reflect on progress, debrief key takeaways, and ensure you feel equipped to integrate the work into your daily life.
If you’re ready to start, schedule your consultation today to take the first step toward a stronger, more connected relationship.
