What Is a Couples Retreat and How can they help?

Couples retreats, also known as couples intensives are facilitated wellness experiences with couples counseling that are often offered by trained coaches or therapists.

I offer different types of couples intensives and retreats throughout the Oregon and Washington area. Most of my retreats and intensives have a nature immersion component, with the belief that we benefit from disconnecting from our busy often screen intense lives. Disconnecting and learning to be present and attentive is supported best by the natural world,

Marriage counseling retreats are a great opportunity to learn about yourself and your partner on a much deeper and vulnerable level than what you may have experiences in traditional weekly sessions. They can help improve your relationship and an overall sense of emotional connection with each other, and repair past ruptures.

Couples therapy retreats are a great fit for any couple, whether you have been together a long time, whether you are married or not, have kids or not - you can benefit from the experience.

How Couples Retreats Work

Couples retreats are a great opportunity to repair your relationship with the support of trained therapists, the distraction free setting, and getting to connect with other couples. Couples counseling retreats are usually 1-7 days in length and the most intimate ones are small groups with no more than 3-8 couples. My couples retreats are typically no more than 5 couples.

My retreats include optional yoga and meditation (catered towards beginners and with the intention of practicing noticing how you hold stress in your body), group discussions and education, exercises that help you to have fun learning new ways to listen and share. Couples often leave with a renews sense of compassion and intimacy. They also are set up to continue expanding on the foundational work cultivated in the retreat.

Before the retreat even begins, I set up a call to get to know each couple individually (review love story and goals) and then we also have one shared zoom call where you meet each other briefly before doing so in person.

For all of my retreats, there is a private chef onsite, providing farm to table gourmet meals, as well as, a cooking class for everyone to participate in the final night of the retreat. This is offered with the believe that health is about your Whole self, including body health and food is an important way to nurture physical health and wellbeing. Gathering for shared meals and conversation is also healing by way of connection and group intimacy. Our meals are often relaxing and filled with laughter and sharing stories.

During your couples retreat, you will also learn skills that will help you deepen and strengthen your ability to communicate with your partner in healthier ways - often learning how to notice activation before the conflict is in full swing. And learning how to repair. Repair is one of the most essential skills in couples work because we will all have conflict no matter how strong the love - knowing how to repair can mean the difference between divorce or a thriving marriage.

Is Couples Retreat a Good Option for You?

Some of the reasons couples seek intensive retreats include sex and intimacy issues, empty nest and life transition challenges, communication problems, recurrent conflicts, and even contemplating divorce. Couples retreats can help repair and strengthen your connection, deepen your bond and sexual desire, and help you feel like you have a path forward.

You can consider this retreat format as a great addition to your regular weekly couples counseling or as a great start to foundational work. .