MARATHON COUPLES THERAPY
DEEP, FOCUSED COUPLES THERAPY FOR MEANINGFUL CHANGE
WHEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP CANNOT WAIT MONTHS FOR CHANGE
Marathon Couples Sessions
Weekly couples therapy can be helpful, but for many couples it may feel slow, fragmented, and hard to build momentum. When a relationship is carrying deeper pain, recurring conflict, or a greater sense of urgency, a marathon format can provide the time and continuity needed for more meaningful progress.
Weekly sessions often end just as something important is starting to emerge. Marathon sessions give us the time to slow down recurring conflict, understand what is happening beneath it, and begin working toward repair and change while the conversation is still alive and unfolding.
Many couples find that what might take months in weekly therapy can be accomplished in a few focused days. These intensives take place over 2–4 days, with extended daily sessions (4 hours each).
Marathon couples therapy is a distinct, immersive format designed for couples who need more time, continuity, and momentum than weekly sessions typically allow.
Because my weekly couples caseload is often full, this format may also offer a more immediate way to begin working together.
MARATHON COUPLES THERAPY MAY BE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL WHEN
Couples may find this format especially helpful when they feel stuck in the same painful cycle, are trying to recover from a major rupture, or need a more focused approach than weekly sessions can provide. It can also be a good fit when time, distance, or a greater sense of urgency make weekly therapy feel too slow or impractical.
WHY COUPLES CHOOSE MARATHON SESSIONS:
More time to get beneath the same recurring argument
Less stopping just as something important is opening up
More opportunity to repair in real time
Greater momentum than weekly sessions often allow
HOW IT WORKS
What Marathon Couples Therapy Includes
Pre-Intensive Assessment
Begin with a 90-minute initial couples therapy session, followed by the Enhanced Gottman Relationship Assessment and 50-minute individual sessions with each partner. Together, we’ll explore your relationship’s current dynamics, clarify goals for therapy, and lay the groundwork for meaningful progress. Throughout this process, we’ll identify your unique perspectives on key issues, challenges, and areas of conflict to create a clear, collaborative path forward.
Customized Treatment
Based on the results of your assessment, a 2, 3, or 4-day intensive session will be recommended. These intensives may be scheduled over consecutive days or spaced a week apart, with four hours each day dedicated to focused therapeutic work. Each session is customized to your relationship and is designed to deepen emotional connection, strengthen communication, and foster lasting growth in a way that feels meaningful and supportive.
Post-Intensive Assessment
At the end of your intensive experience, we’ll assess whether continued support is best provided through additional intensives, weekly sessions, or monthly sessions. Together, we’ll debrief your experience—reflecting on the insights, relief, and transformation you’ve gained—and create a clear plan for your next steps. The goal is to ensure your continued growth and healing long after the sessions conclude.
**This approach is not suitable for couples who have already chosen to separate or who are unable to engage fully in the therapeutic process.
FAQs:
What others have wondered about Marathon Couples Therapy sessions
-
Intensives are concentrated treatment sessions, typically lasting part of a day over several days. Unlike weekly therapy, which is limited to a 50- or 75-minute sessions, they allow for deeper exploration and usually more efficient resolution of the root cause of issues.
-
Marathon couples therapy sessions may seem long, but most couples find the time passes quickly because the process is so engaging and focused. The first half can feel emotionally intense as you dive deeply into your relationship patterns, but that intensity typically eases as the session unfolds. Many couples leave feeling lighter and more connected—sometimes a bit tired, but encouraged by the meaningful breakthroughs and real progress made in just one day.
-
It is recommended that clients pause other individual or couples therapy while engaging in an intensive. The intensive format is a focused and comprehensive intervention, and concurrent therapy may introduce overlapping or conflicting treatment goals. Temporarily pausing other services allows you to fully engage in the intensive process and ensures clinical consistency. Following the intensive, ongoing therapy can be resumed with clear recommendations and integrated treatment goals.
-
The results of a marathon couples therapy intensive depend on the nature and complexity of your relationship challenges. The intensive is designed to provide a highly focused, immersive experience that equips you and your partner with tools and insights to create meaningful change. While it cannot guarantee that your issues will be resolved, most couples experience accelerated progress, deeper connection, and lasting improvements in communication, understanding, and relational patterns.
-
Marathon couples therapy is a premium, highly focused approach. While the cost of an intensive may seem significant, it is often more time- and cost-effective than traditional weekly therapy. Weekly sessions are limited in time and frequently divided between check-ins and skill-building, whereas marathon sessions dedicate several hours solely to addressing your relationship. This concentrated focus allows couples to make meaningful progress more quickly, often achieving in a few days what might take months of weekly therapy.
-
You just need to be in the province of BC or the Yukon in order for me to work with you. If you're out of province, you can travel to BC for the Intensive, and many people enjoy the experience as a getaway focused on healing and growth.
-
Your process begins with a thorough assessment (see “Pre-Intensive Assessment” above) to understand your unique challenges and aspirations as a couple. Reach out to book your initial couple and individual session.
LATEST INSIGHTS FROM THE BLOG: