Couples Intensive FAQ
Consultation call
Feeling comfortable with your provider is one of the best predictors of treatment outcomes.
There may be concerns that are better addressed in a different treatment format.
You will likely want to know more and we will have a chance to address anything you are curious or concerned about.
If we decide an intensive will be a good fit for you we will be excited to get started!
Questionnaires to get started and focus the experience
It is helpful to spend some time ahead of meeting in person to reflect on and narrow down what you want to focus on in our two days together.
Past relationships teach you how to interact with others, and reflecting on these can help you define how you show up with your current partner.
The only person you can change is yourself, so identifying what you currently bring to the table and how you wish you could show up for your partner makes all the difference.
Completing the questionnaires is the first step in showing how important it is to you to improve your relationship because it does take some time and serious thought.
Customized experience
Each individual and couple is different, so I will review both of your answers to help narrow down what might be most beneficial to focus on in our two days.
You have lives! Often there are obstacles to finding a consistent weekly time that works for three people. This way we can identify just two days (preferably consecutive but not required) that works for all of us.
Couples often appreciate the time spent getting away from their normal activities to focus on improving their relationship. It allows for dedicated time to prioritize one another and reconnect.
Two full days of undivided attention
The intensive format allows me to devote my attention specifically to your needs because your relationship deserves it!
We will have pleanty of time to dive deeper into topics rather than feeling pressured or rushed to finish up a conversation.
Often new conflicts arise and old patterns reemerge in-between sessions, but we will be able to focus on practicing new skills and interrupting those old patterns so that your brain can retain the new way of interacting more easily.
By the end of the two days you will understand a lot more about yourself, your partner, how the brain impacts relationship, how to change your brain's patterns, and I will help you to practice your new skills.
Psychoeducation about the brain and relationship patterns
We often feel more comfortable when we understand how/why something happens.
Criticizing yourself or partner for undesirable (yet understandable) behavior can worsen the conflict.
Real time coaching on coping and communication skills
No one can think straight, let alone speak calmly and rationally, when they are upset. Learn and practice taking the time you need to regulate/calm your body in order to resume the conversation.
Your partner can also learn to help support you through difficult emotions and interact in new ways that are less likely to activate them.
Emotions are a normal and necessary part of the human experience and there is no stopping them. I can help you to recognize what they are and how they impact your interactions while adjusting your reactions and how you communicate when they emerge.
Kickstart new healthy habits
The intensive is designed for your brain to get many chances to practice new skills so that it can more easily access these when you return home.
You will have much more time to develop the skills and practice them than in a traditional couple's therapy setting.
Dive deep to navigate identified challenges
Understanding why things are a big deal to you, how you learned to react in certain ways, what you do to cope with big feelings, and how these impact your partner can take some time to unpack. We will have this time!
Everyone wants to feel heard but we often never learn to truely listen. I can teach you how to stay grounded rather than reactive while listening to your partner.
A binder of resources to take home to support growth over time
Relationships don't typically come with a handbook.
Two hour follow up call to assess progress
You may have follow up questions and I will want to know how things are going!
The skills you will take home are wonderful and can be used for different topics forever! However, sometimes couples still want more support and that is completely fine!
Save time and money otherwise spent on months or years of therapy
Since traditional therapy is broken up into 1-2 hour sessions meeting once a week or less, and life happens in between, it can understandably take a long time to learn and practice new skills.
The intensive is designed to help you adjust the way you interact with your partner. These skills can also be applied to other relationships (e.g. with kids, friends, family members, coworkers).
Dr. Julie Griffin offers free phone consultations to help you determine if therapy with her might be a good fit for you.
Contact Dr. Julie GriffinAbout Dr. Julie Griffin
Dr. Griffin uses an integrative psychodynamic approach to psychotherapy in order to help clients better understand themselves within their life context. She specializes in healing relationships, both through couples counseling and individual therapy.
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