Couples Therapy Intensives & Marriage Retreats: Transform Your Relationship
Are you feeling disconnected from your partner? Do conversations often turn into arguments that leave both of you feeling misunderstood? Perhaps you're dealing with a specific challenge that's creating distance in your relationship, or maybe you simply want to deepen your emotional connection. At Audrey Schoen, LMFT, I understand these relationship struggles and offer specialized retreats designed to help you create a more fulfilling partnership.
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Roseville, California, I offer specialized couples therapy intensives and marriage retreats designed to create meaningful change in a condensed timeframe. These focused therapeutic experiences provide couples with the opportunity to break through longstanding patterns and reconnect in profound ways.
What Are Couples Therapy Intensives and Marriage Retreats?
Couples therapy intensives and marriage retreats are transformative, immersive therapy experiences where you and your partner step away from everyday life to focus exclusively on healing your relationship. Unlike the traditional therapy model of weekly 50-minute sessions that can stretch over months or even years, these intensive experiences provide concentrated, uninterrupted time to work through issues with expert guidance.
Marriage intensives compress what might take 6-12 months of conventional therapy into just a few distraction-free days. Research published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy confirms that intensive therapy formats can produce remarkable relationship improvements in a significantly shorter timeframe than traditional approaches.
What makes couples therapy retreats truly special is the sanctuary they create away from life's constant interruptions. When you're not racing back to work after a session, responding to urgent emails, or managing household responsibilities, you and your partner can fully engage with the therapy process – and with each other.
How Couples Therapy Intensives Accelerate Change
The immersive nature of marriage retreats creates a unique opportunity for rapid transformation. Here's why they're so remarkably effective:
Neural Plasticity Activation: Your brain's natural plasticity – its ability to form new neural pathways – is activated more powerfully during extended, focused therapeutic work. Without the week-long gaps between sessions, insights and breakthroughs build upon each other rapidly, creating powerful momentum for change.
Safe Emotional Container: The intensive environment establishes a safe space where couples feel secure enough to take emotional risks they might otherwise avoid. This safety, combined with the goal-focused intensity of the format, creates both the urgency and commitment needed for meaningful change.
Continuous Therapeutic Momentum: Many couples describe the experience as getting "a year of therapy in one weekend." These intensives can effectively address underlying relationship issues in a short period, often providing the equivalent of 25-30 therapy hours in just a few days.
In my practice, I've found that couples intensives often break through impasses that have frustrated couples for years. The concentrated format allows us to go deeper, move past surface issues, and address root causes in ways that simply aren't possible in conventional therapy settings.
Evidence-Based Benefits of Intensive Couples Work
When couples invest in marriage retreats, they're often amazed by the depth and speed of change that's possible. I've witnessed relationships on the brink of divorce completely turn around in just a few days—something that might have taken months or even years in traditional weekly therapy.
The research supports what I've seen in my practice. Studies consistently show that intensive couples programs produce meaningful, lasting results for the vast majority of participants. There's something powerful about stepping away from daily distractions and focusing exclusively on your relationship.
Here's how couples therapy intensives compare to traditional weekly therapy:
Traditional Weekly Therapy Couples Therapy Retreat 50-minute sessions 6-8 hour days 6-12 months timeline 3-5 days timeline Progress interrupted by daily life Continuous momentum 12-24 total therapy hours 25-30 total therapy hours Regular distractions between sessions Immersive, distraction-free environment Gradual implementation of tools Immediate practice and feedback
Measurable Success of Marriage Retreats
What makes marriage retreats particularly effective is the therapeutic density—accomplishing in days what might otherwise take a year. In my intensive couples work, I typically provide over 25 hours of focused therapy in just three days. That's equivalent to about six months of weekly sessions, but without the starts and stops that can slow progress.
This concentrated format creates a unique opportunity for couples to:
Break through entrenched patterns that have resisted change for years
Experience real-time coaching during difficult conversations
Feel emotions more deeply without the protective barriers often maintained in shorter sessions
Practice new skills repeatedly with immediate feedback
The follow-up component is crucial for lasting change. My couples retreats include structured support after the experience, with a personalized treatment plan created based on a thorough assessment of your relationship dynamics and challenges. This aftercare helps you integrate insights and new skills into everyday life when the inevitable challenges arise.
One couple I worked with described their couples intensive as "pressing the reset button on our marriage." They had been stuck in the same arguments for years, but the immersive experience helped them see patterns they'd been blind to and develop new ways of connecting that felt sustainable.
Another important benefit is the neutral territory effect. Being away from home—away from the dishes in the sink, the unfinished projects, the physical reminders of conflict—creates a psychological space where new possibilities can emerge. Most couples tell me they feel like they can breathe again and see each other with fresh eyes.
Types of Intensive Therapy Experiences I Offer
As a solo practitioner based in Roseville, California, I provide several formats for couples therapy retreats, each designed to meet your unique needs and circumstances.
1. Private Couples Retreats
For couples craving complete privacy and undivided attention, private intensive retreats offer a truly personalized healing experience. These one-couple-one-therapist experiences create a sacred space where you can address your unique relationship dynamics in complete confidentiality.
Key features:
Duration: 2-5 days of focused, in-depth therapy
Setting: Intimate setting in Roseville, CA
Format: Extended daily sessions (typically 6-8 hours) with mindful breaks
Benefits: Complete confidentiality, custom approach, deeper emotional work
In my practice, I offer private couples retreats that utilize powerful evidence-based approaches including Brainspotting and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). As a Certified Master ART Practitioner, I've seen how these specialized modalities help couples access and heal underlying trauma and emotional blocks that may be silently eroding your connection.
Private couples retreats are particularly beneficial for married couples navigating delicate circumstances. If you're healing from an affair or broken trust, processing relationship trauma, standing at a crossroads about your future together, or simply value complete privacy in your therapeutic journey, this option provides the space you need.
The beauty of these intensive retreats lies in their flexibility and depth. I can follow the natural flow of your relationship's healing process, spending more time on areas where you're experiencing the most difficulty and creating breakthroughs that might take months in traditional weekly therapy.
Each private retreat is thoughtfully designed to balance deep therapeutic work with restoration time, ensuring you have space to process insights and reconnect with each other outside of formal sessions.
2. Virtual Couples Intensives
When travel isn't possible or you prefer the comfort of your own space, virtual couples intensives offer a powerful alternative that doesn't sacrifice therapeutic depth. These innovative programs bring the intensive experience right to your living room while still creating that essential "retreat" mindset.
Virtual marriage intensives have evolved significantly in recent years, moving far beyond simple video calls to create truly immersive experiences.
Key features of virtual intensives include:
Flexible scheduling that works around your life commitments
The comfort of your own carefully prepared space
A blend of live video sessions with self-guided exercises and reflection activities
Immediate application of new skills in your actual living environment
For virtual couples intensives to succeed, you'll need:
A reliable internet connection with enough bandwidth for video
A private space where you won't be interrupted or overheard
Devices with good video and audio capabilities
A shared commitment to being fully present (phones off!)
I offer virtual couples intensives for couples throughout California and Texas who cannot travel to Roseville. These sessions maintain the depth and personalized approach of in-person work while eliminating travel logistics and expenses.
3. Intensive Couples Retreats
For couples seeking both intensive therapeutic work and a change of scenery, I offer specialized intensive couples retreats that combine relationship healing with relaxation in a carefully selected environment.
These marriage retreats provide:
A distraction-free setting away from your daily environment
A thoughtful balance of therapeutic sessions and connection time
Opportunities to practice new skills in real-time
A physical separation from the environments where difficult patterns have formed
My approach to couples retreats emphasizes quality over quantity—focusing on one couple at a time rather than group work. This ensures you receive my full attention and a completely personalized experience.
My Therapeutic Approach to Couples Work
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I bring specialized training and experience to help couples create lasting positive change. My approach is grounded in several evidence-based modalities:
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART): As a Certified Master ART Practitioner, I utilize this innovative approach to help resolve traumatic memories and emotional triggers that may be affecting your relationship. ART allows for rapid processing of difficult experiences without requiring detailed verbal recounting, making it gentle yet powerful.
Brainspotting: This brain-body approach helps identify and process deeply held emotional experiences that may be outside your awareness but significantly impacting your relationship. As a certified Brainspotting therapist, I've seen how this method can create breakthroughs when traditional therapy reaches its limits.
Relational Life Therapy (RLT): This approach helps couples move from disconnection to deep intimacy by addressing harmful relationship patterns with clarity and compassion. RLT provides practical tools for creating equitable, authentic partnerships.
In addition to these specialized modalities, I incorporate elements of:
The Feedback Wheel for conflict resolution and communication
Financial therapy for couples experiencing money-related stress
Detailed measurement tools to track your progress
My work is informed by attachment theory, neuroscience, and trauma-informed approaches, ensuring we address both the emotional and physiological aspects of relationship dynamics.
Who Can Benefit from Marriage Retreats and Couples Therapy
Marriage retreats and couples therapy intensives can be transformative for a wide range of relationship situations:
For couples in crisis: If you're considering divorce or separation, an intensive can help you gain clarity about your relationship's future. Many couples find that the focused format helps them break through impasses that have seemed insurmountable.
For couples seeking deeper connection: Even if you're not experiencing major problems, couples retreats can help you strengthen your bond and create greater intimacy and understanding.
For specific relationship challenges: Intensives are particularly helpful for addressing:
Trust rebuilding after an affair
Communication breakdowns
Emotional disconnection
Recurring conflicts
Trauma impact on your relationship
Financial conflicts and money anxiety
Sexual intimacy concerns
Historical emotional wounds
I specialize in working with various relationship configurations:
Married couples at any stage of relationship
Entrepreneurs and their partners dealing with work-life balance
Law enforcement officer (LEO) spouses navigating the unique stresses of that profession
Individuals seeking to understand their relationship patterns
Issues I Specifically Address in Couples Work
My specialized training allows me to effectively help couples dealing with:
Trauma & Painful Experiences: Unresolved trauma often creates relationship difficulties. Through ART and Brainspotting, I help couples process these experiences to prevent them from continuing to damage your connection.
Perfectionism & Self-Criticism: These patterns often lead to relationship strain as one or both partners struggle with impossible standards. I help identify and transform these tendencies into healthier approaches.
Anxiety: Relationship anxiety can manifest as constant worry, control attempts, or avoidance. I provide tools to strengthen your emotional connection and manage anxiety that interferes with intimacy.
People-Pleasing: This pattern often leads to resentment and inauthenticity in relationships. I help people-pleasers find their voice and create more balanced partnerships.
Unhelpful Relationship Patterns: Many couples find themselves stuck in cycles of criticism, defensiveness, or withdrawal. I help identify these patterns and create healthier alternatives.
Reactivity: When emotional responses are disproportionate to the situation, past wounds are often being triggered. I help couples understand and regulate these reactions.
Money Anxiety & Avoidance: Financial disagreements are among the most common relationship stressors. Through financial therapy, I help couples create healthier relationships with money.
Imposter Syndrome: Feeling unworthy or fraudulent can impact how you show up in your relationship. I help address these underlying beliefs to create more authentic connection.
How to Prepare for a Couples Retreat
Proper preparation can significantly enhance your retreat experience. Here's how to ready yourselves:
Before the Retreat:
Complete any pre-work assignments I provide, which help me understand your relationship dynamics
Set clear intentions about what you each hope to gain
Arrange logistics (childcare, work absence, etc.) to minimize distractions
Plan for a digital detox during the retreat
Cultivate an open mindset of curiosity rather than fixed expectations
Taking a deep breath and approaching this process with patience can help alleviate any anxiety you might feel about the intensive experience.
What to Bring:
Comfortable clothing for therapy sessions
Journal and writing implements
An open heart and willing spirit
Courage to be vulnerable
Patience with the process and your partner
What to Leave Behind:
Work responsibilities and devices
Distractions (excessive reading material, projects, etc.)
Rigid expectations about outcomes
Defensiveness and blame
The need to "be right"
What to Expect During Your Marriage Retreat
While each couples retreat is customized to your needs, there's a thoughtful rhythm to how these transformative days unfold:
Day 1: Assessment and Foundation The first day typically focuses on understanding where you are and where you want to go. We'll explore your relationship history with compassion, identify those patterns that keep tripping you up, and establish clear goals for our time together.
You'll learn essential communication tools that you can start practicing right away. Many couples experience their first "aha" moments during this foundation day when they see their patterns from a new perspective.
Day 2: Deepening Work By the second day, we're ready to go deeper. This is when we explore the underlying emotions and unmet needs driving those surface conflicts. Many couples find this day both challenging and profoundly rewarding.
During this phase, I might schedule some individual therapy sessions to address personal contributions to relationship dynamics. These one-on-one moments often create breakthrough insights that benefit the partnership.
Day 3: Integration and Future Planning The final day focuses on consolidating what you've learned and creating a concrete plan for maintaining your progress. We'll develop specific action steps, craft meaningful relationship rituals, and make commitments to continued growth.
Throughout your retreat, each day blends different therapeutic elements:
Focused joint sessions where you work directly with your partner
Private individual time for personal processing and insight
Educational components about relationship principles
Hands-on exercises to practice your new skills
Quiet reflection periods to integrate insights
Structured conversations to address specific issues
I provide breaks for meals, brief walks, and moments to catch your breath. These pauses are intentionally designed to let insights settle and give you energy for the next session.
It's completely normal to experience an emotional rollercoaster during your couples retreat. You might move from profound connection to uncomfortable conflict within the same day. These emotional fluctuations are actually signs of growth and movement—the old patterns breaking down to make room for healthier ones.
After the Retreat: Integration & Aftercare
The days and weeks following your marriage retreat are crucial for cementing your progress. This transition period is when new patterns either take root or fade away.
I've found that structured follow-up support dramatically improves long-term outcomes. That's why I include specific aftercare elements with every retreat:
Scheduled follow-up sessions to check in on your progress and troubleshoot any challenges
Custom homework assignments that reinforce your new skills in real-life situations
Accessible support if unexpected difficulties arise
Curated resources for continued learning and practice
The most successful couples view their retreat not as a one-time fix but as the launchpad for a renewed relationship journey. They commit to regularly practicing their new communication tools and checking in with each other about their progress.
Successful couples who fully engage with the aftercare process report the most significant and lasting improvements. They understand that real change requires consistent practice—and they're willing to put in that effort because they've experienced the powerful difference it makes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marriage Retreats
How effective are couples therapy retreats compared to weekly therapy?
Marriage retreats deliver 25-30 hours of therapy in just a few days—what would normally take 6-12 months of weekly appointments to accomplish. This immersive approach creates powerful momentum without the usual week-long gaps between sessions.
The distraction-free environment makes a significant difference too. When you're not rushing between work, childcare, and therapy appointments, you can focus exclusively on your relationship. This focused attention helps create new neural pathways more efficiently—essentially rewiring relationship patterns that may have been stuck for years.
Research backs up these benefits, with studies showing that 85-95% of intensive retreat participants report significant relationship improvement. This compares favorably to traditional weekly therapy, which tends to show more variable outcomes.
What issues can be addressed in a couples therapy retreat?
The concentrated format of couples retreats creates an ideal environment for addressing a wide range of relationship challenges. In my practice, I regularly help couples work through:
Communication breakdowns and chronic conflict
Emotional disconnection and intimacy loss
Trust rebuilding after an affair
Decision-making about your future
Parenting conflicts
Life transitions
Sexual intimacy concerns
Historical emotional wounds
Using specialized approaches like Brainspotting and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), I help couples address the underlying trauma and emotional patterns that often fuel relationship difficulties. These powerful techniques can create breakthrough moments that might take months to achieve in traditional therapy.
Are marriage retreats suitable if only one partner is motivated?
While the ideal scenario involves both partners being equally committed to the process, marriage retreats can still be beneficial when motivation levels differ. In fact, the intensive environment itself often helps engage the less motivated partner.
I frequently hear from couples where one person was initially reluctant but experienced a significant shift during the retreat. Something about stepping away from everyday life and into a dedicated healing space can open doorways that seemed firmly closed before.
In my practice, I work with couples to address motivation discrepancies before the marriage retreat begins. This might involve a brief individual consultation with the hesitant partner to understand their concerns and help them see how the process might benefit them personally, not just the relationship.
How do I know if a couples therapy retreat is right for us?
Consider an intensive retreat approach if:
You've been stuck in the same patterns despite previous attempts to change
You're facing a significant decision or crossroads in your relationship
You want to accelerate your healing process
Your schedules make weekly couples counseling difficult to maintain
You're navigating a specific issue that requires focused attention
You prefer a more immersive and private therapeutic experience
The best way to determine if this approach is right for your specific situation is through a consultation with a couples therapist. I'm happy to discuss your relationship goals and challenges to help you decide if a marriage retreat would be beneficial.
Is Couples Counseling Covered by Insurance?
My practice operates on an out-of-network basis. This means that while I don't accept insurance directly, you may be able to receive reimbursement through your out-of-network benefits, depending on your insurance plan.
Many couples find that the investment in intensive therapy—while significant—offers tremendous value when compared to the emotional and financial costs of relationship distress or divorce. I'm happy to provide documentation that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement.
For specific pricing information and scheduling options, please reach out directly.
Getting Started: Your Next Steps
If you're interested in exploring whether a couples therapy retreat might be right for your relationship, here's how to proceed:
Schedule a consultation: This initial conversation allows us to discuss your specific situation and determine if an intensive approach would be beneficial for your relationship goals.
Complete assessment materials: If we decide to move forward, I'll provide questionnaires that help me understand your relationship dynamics before we meet.
Choose your format: Together, we'll determine whether an in-person intensive in Roseville, CA or a virtual intensive would best serve your needs.
Schedule your dates: We'll find a time that works for both your schedule and mine, typically 2-5 days depending on your specific situation.
Prepare for your experience: I'll provide guidance on how to ready yourselves mentally and logistically for this transformative experience.
About Audrey Schoen, LMFT
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Roseville, California, I specialize in helping couples transform their relationships through intensive therapy experiences. I bring extensive training in several powerful modalities:
Certified Master Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) Practitioner
Certified Brainspotting Therapist
Trained in Relational Life Therapy
Specialized in Financial Therapy
I work with couples throughout California and Texas, offering both in-person intensives in Roseville and virtual options for those unable to travel.
My approach combines compassionate understanding with practical, evidence-based techniques that create lasting change. I believe in measuring progress and providing couples with concrete tools they can continue using long after our work together concludes.
In addition to my couples work, I also offer therapist business coaching for mental health professionals looking to build sustainable, fulfilling practices.
Transform Your Relationship with a Marriage Retreat
Your relationship deserves this focused investment of time and attention. The insights and tools gained during a couples therapy retreat can create a life-changing experience, helping you build a solid foundation for the connected, fulfilling partnership you desire.
Many couples describe their retreat as the experience that saved their marriage. In just one weekend, you can build the skills needed to create lasting positive change in your relationship.
To learn more about my intensive couples retreat options or to schedule a consultation, please reach out directly. Together, we'll determine if a marriage retreat is the right next step for your relationship journey.
Remember, meaningful change is possible—even in relationships that have struggled for years. Your transformation could be just an intensive away.