Why Therapy Intensives will Save Your Marriage
Are you ready for therapy? Maybe you're at a place in life where if therapy doesn't happen soon, your marriage or family won't survive? But, are you too busy for weekly therapy? Your life is probably high-paced and full of obligations. I bet much of your available space is already accounted for. Finding time for one hour a week is not easy, nor always doable.
Imagine this: you are carving out two hours for therapy, one hour for your session, and don’t forget about the driving time. Many of us don’t have 2 hours a day. Additionally, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find therapists who work late evenings, accommodating your work schedule and providing childcare while you attend.
What are therapy intensives in Texas?
Therapy intensives consist of short term therapy that takes place over several hours up to two days. Sessions focus on specific concerns and allow you to dive deep into the process, versus starting and stopping weekly. They are also emotionally intensive in nature, due to the weight of the work and what you are releasing and learning at the same time.
Why are therapy intensives favored over traditional therapy?
There are several reasons why incentives are favored over traditional therapy. Read on to learn the benefits of marriage intensives in Fort Worth and Southlake, TX, and whether it may be a fit for you.
Immersive Experience.
Your breakthrough happens quicker with this immersive experience. Additionally, in traditional therapy settings, catching up happens at the start of therapy, which takes time from in-session interventions. For example, 5-20 minutes is spent on catching up from the previous session-depending on the time in between both sessions. 25-40 minutes is spent processing, skill building, and the last few minutes wrapping up. Working with couples, both sides need to be heard, and the therapist also needs time to teach and process with the couple. Many couples leave feeling they did not have enough time.
Reduced Time.
At Lavender Healing Center, we have 2 options for marriage intensives: 4 and 8-hour sessions. Either option spans 4+ months of traditional therapy. Many couples, on the brink of divorce or needing family restoration, don’t have months. According to research, couples carry their problems for close to 3 years before attempting therapy. These same couples report that those problems have caused significant challenges in their relationship.
What type of marriage retreats do you offer?
At Lavender Healing Center, in our Fort Worth office, we offer the following intensives.
What type of concerns are addressed during marriage workshops?
We tailor intensives based on the couple or family’s needs. However, some common reasons for intensives:
Communication breakdowns & Conflict management
Emotional disconnection or loss of intimacy
Infidelity (emotional, physical, financial) and to repair trust
Blended family dynamics
Family dynamics (generational trauma, roles/responsibilities, life stressors)
Who should attend a couples workshop?
Anyone can benefit from a marriage intensive, as the goal is to have a transformational experience faster, but efficiently. However, if you fall into the following categories, you can benefit from starting today:
People who have reached an impasse and the next action is divorce.
Couples or families in crisis have felt they reached a breaking point.
People seeking a deeper premarital experience.
Couples and families who are busy and a concentrated approach.
What to expect during your marriage intensive in Texas?
Prework: Within 2 business days after completion of paperwork, your prework begins. If you are on the Marriage Intensive track, you will complete a couple of assessments and prepare an enrichment assessment. These assessments will assist in setting our goals for sessions, since they will further highlight where your breakdowns lie.
Guided Conversations and interventions from a therapeutic framework. During our intensives, depending on the track (couple of families) we will utilize one or more of the following theories:
Emotional Focus Therapy
Narrative Therapy
Structural Family Therapy
The therapist will also include her own framework to guide/teach new skills.
What you’re investing in
You are expected to show up ready to dive deep into work and rebuild your relationship. Due to the nature of intensives, small breaks will be given. Weeks after the intensives, a follow-up session will occur. This brief follow-up will assess for change and address any questions or concerns you may have.
Q&A:
Does insurance cover intensives? Intensives are an immersive experience and navigate outside the scope of 53-minute therapy. Therefore, insurance will not cover your intensives. In addition, most intensives are not diagnosable, which is how insurance reimburses your claims.
Can I use my HSA? No, for the same reason above. Your sessions must meet a medical necessity to utilize the benefit.
Sessions are covered at our Fort Worth office. The address is 1237 Southridge Court, Suite 103, Hurst, Texas 76053.
Can sessions be conducted virtually? Yes, intensives can be conducted virtually. However, the challenges longer intensives present, such as:
Distractions. Longer sessions, from places like home, will prompt you to check on children, walk off when sessions are intense, grab food, your cellphone, and other events that may take away from the immersive experience and cause a reduction in time.
Vision challenges due to extreme screen time,
Lack of awareness of nonverbal cues. Many moments may be missed during a long intensive, as part of the process is to focus on non-verbal communication as much as verbal.
Do I pay the full intensive upfront? No, at the completion of paperwork, a 50% deposit is due and the rest 48 hours before the session. You can learn more about that here.
Ready to invest in your relationship? Marriage intensives and couples workshops can help!
At Lavender Healing Center, we offer 4 and 8-hour weekend marriage intensives tailored to your unique needs. As a Prepare/Enrich facilitator, I guide couples through meaningful assessments, targeted exercises, and a proven framework for lasting change. If you are seeking to work through deep family wounds and other challenges, we can offer extended intensives, if needed.
Join us for your next intensive and take the first step toward creating the marriage you’ve always envisioned. Click the couch below to get started.
Steps to Get Started:
Contact Lavender Healing Center to schedule your initial consultation.
Meet with a compassionate couples therapist who will tailor your intensive to your unique needs.
Begin your journey toward a stronger, healthier marriage by gaining new tools to communicate, resolve conflict, and restore connection.
Other Counseling Services at Lavender Healing Center
Marriage intensives are just one way we support you and your loved ones. Our Hurst, TX counseling office also offers couples counseling, marriage intensives and couples workshops, premarital counseling, sex therapy, supervision and consultation, family therapy, Reiki, Brainspotting, and Therapy for Therapists, to help you thrive in all areas of life.
Resources:
Doherty, W. J., Harris, S. M., Hall, E. L., & Hubbard, A. K. (2021). How long do people wait before seeking couples therapy? A research note. Journal of marital and family therapy, 47(4), 882–890. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12479
Schofield, M. J., Mumford, N., Jurkovic, D., Jurkovic, I., & Bickerdike, A. (2012). Short and long-term effectiveness of couple counselling: a study protocol. BMC public health, 12, 735. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-735
