INTENSIVE COUPLES THERAPY WEEKENDS IN MINNESOTA

For relationships that want help now in Minnesota & Wisconsin.

You need help quickly and that’s ok.

You don’t have to figure this out on your own.

You don’t have the time to devote to weekly couples therapy sessions.

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You are busy and have an extended time to do the work as a couple. Weekly 50-minute sessions barely scratch the surface, and it would feel good to feel like you are progressing in therapy.

An intensive session offers dedicated time to dive deeply into your relationship and discuss challenges and struggles that cannot happen within a traditional hour-long session.

Your relationship is in crisis, and you need help now with the time it takes to process.

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Feeling on the edge of separation or divorce or the discovery of an affair has brought significant distress in your relationship, and you need help now. You need immediate therapeutic support to de-escalate the crisis in your relationship, intervene quickly, and help your relationship immediately.

An intensive weekend can allow you to process the unhealed hurts and understand how potential attachment injuries impact your relationship

You’re seeking more profound, more concentrated healing for your relationship.

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Effective interventions for change now include therapeutic support by practicing new opportunities for connection, learning to communicate through understanding and empathy, and working through conflict in ways that you can both hear each other in a calming environment.

Imagine a weekend couples retreat with time in an extended session to begin rebuilding the relationship you both desire.

You’re in the right place— Evidence Based Couples Therapy results you need now.

Couples Intensive Therapy in MN can help you accomplish in one weekend what may take months in weekly traditional couples counseling.

How effective are intensives?

Intensive couples counseling can get to the root of the issue with the extended time you need to explore your relationship needs.

Evidenced-based couples therapy requires strategies that take more time, and more can get done in one weekend. With intensive couples therapy, there is time to dive deeply into issues, challenges, and struggles in the relationship that cannot happen within a traditional hour-long weekly session.

While weekly sessions are highly effective, some couples don’t have time to wait for weekly hours or biweekly therapy sessions to get the desired change they need in therapy.

Intensive Couples Therapy at Luminate Therapy

Intensive Couples Therapy or “Gottman Method Marathon Couples Therapy” often reduces distress in the relationship, resolves a specific problem, and strengthens the relationship with more connection. 

Intensive Couples Counseling at Luminate Therapy has often moved a couple from thinking about ending the relationship to recommitting in new ways.

An intensive couples therapy weekend is a transformative experience based on your unique relationship needs.

1

Pre-Intensive Assessment

The Gottman Relationship Checkup Assessment is a breakthrough in couple’s therapy and is completed before you attend your intensive. Upon completion, it provides valuable information of the couples strengths and challenges. (Read more about the assessment in the faqs below.)

2

Intensive
Couples Session

We start with an introduction and the story of your relationship. You will receive feedback on the Gottman Pre-Intensive Assessment on your strengths and challenges, including therapy recommendations with collaboration on your goals. Then, we will dive into the work together to transform your relationship.

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Post-Intensive Follow-Up

Depending on your needs, therapy can continue after an intensive therapy weekend is complete. Some couples add on other intensive hours or enter follow-up care (maintenance) for relapse prevention.

What you get

Evidence-based Gottman Method Couples Therapy

Intensive prep guide, Personalized treatment plan, Take Home Package of Tools and Supplemental Materials

Comfortable, inviting Therapy space so you can focus on your relationship healing and connection

A collaborative therapy experience that creates change

Therapist office with couch in Golden Valley Minnesota

Choose the right format for your relationship.

I offer intensives in a few formats, needs, & goals as a couple. Online intensive couples counseling available in MN & WI. In person intensive couples located at the Golden Valley, MN office.

  • This assessment package is ideal for couples who want to quickly get through the assessment phase of Gottman Method Couples Therapy so they can move into couples therapy.

    • 4 total hours of the Gottman Couples Therapy Assessment Phase

    • Gottman Connect Online Relationship Assessment

    • 80-Minute relationship history with the couple

    • Two 45-minute individual interviews (each partner)

    • 80 minute couples feedback session including recommendations for therapy (treatment plan) including couple goals for therapy

    • Weekday, Saturday or Sunday availability.

    • From here, couples can move into therapy at 80 minutes, 2 hour sessions, half day (4 hour) or the full day intensive options.

      Relationship Investment: $975

    • Luminate Therapy accepts HSA/FSA cards or credit cards (American Express, Discover, Mastercard, Visa).

    • Please note because of the time commitment involved, a 50% deposit is required at the time of booking for all intensive packages.

  • Intended for couples who want faster results. This weekend intensive is like getting several months of therapy in one weekend! This package includes the entire Gottman assessment phase and a weekend of couples therapy and skills building. Positive interventions are aimed at reconnection, couples participate in skills-building, and therapy exercises that are selected to help them make significant progress through their issues in a short amount of time.

    Included In This Package:

    • Gottman Connect Online Relationship Assessment with therapist analysis and feedback for the best evidence based outcome for therapy

    • Couples goal setting for therapy and personalized treatment planning specific to your needs as a couple

    • Access to the Gottman Relationship Builder for at home modules and continued learning. (Valued at $599)

    • A take home package of tools and supplemental materials

      Weekend offering:

    • Saturday & Sunday: 12 hours of couples therapy with a 1 hour lunch break each day

    • Based on availability: Friday & Saturday option

    Relationship investment: $3699

    • Luminate Therapy accepts HSA/FSA cards or credit cards (American Express, Discover, Mastercard, Visa).

    • Please note because of the time commitment involved, a 50% deposit is required at the time of booking for all intensive packages.

  • This one-day intensive is for couples who have completed the full Gottman assessment process and are ready for a full day of couples therapy.

    • 6 hours of couples therapy and 1 hour lunch break

    • Science backed couples therapy interventions and relationship skill-building combined into one weekend

    • A take home package of tools and supplemental materials

    • Offered Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. Some Fridays availability based on schedule


      Relationship investment: $1799

    • Luminate Therapy accepts HSA/FSA cards or credit cards (American Express, Discover, Mastercard, Visa).

    • Please note because of the time commitment involved, a 50% deposit is required at the time of booking for all intensive packages.

Imagine finally getting to…

Resolve deep hurts and relieve distress

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Couples intensives can help you spend time in therapy working through the emotional injuries in your relationship. Imagine not waiting for weeks to get relief from your relational distress by getting the time you need to move through challenging issues and get the relief.

Experience accelerated change and connection

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Experience working through the issues you bring into a therapy intensive and begin to feel the change in your relationship and feel closer as a couple. Often, couples come out of an intensive feeling closer, connected, and stronger together.

Overcome the obstacles in one weekend

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Most couples leave the marathon weekend feeling less intensity in their relationship and accomplishing their goals for therapy. For some relationships, a weekend is a kick-start to the work ahead. For others, 2-3 days of intensive work is just what they need, and they move into the maintenance phase of Gottman therapy.

Find the relational healing you’ve been seeking.

faqs

Other intensive questions? I’ve got answers.

    • Active alcohol or drug addiction of either one or both partners, from either partner’s perspective. Including failure to comply with an addiction recovery plan.

    • If there is serious domestic violence in your relationship, threats by one or both partners that violence might occur, or fear of violence from one or both partners.

    • Untreated major mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar, recurrent psychotic symptoms, etc).

    • If there is a current, ongoing affair and the partner is not willing to end it.

    • If there is an undisclosed current affair that you are not willing to disclose.

    • If there is an undisclosed current affair that you are not willing to disclose.

    • Either partner is currently experiencing suicidal or homicidal thoughts, or has history of serious harm to themselves or someone else.

  • The Gottman Relationship Checkup is a comprehensive relationship assessment will pinpoint the areas in which you can achieve the greatest growth so you can move forward to a place of strength, reconnection, and hope.

    It consists of 337 questions about friendship, intimacy, how well you know your partner, how you manage emotions and conflict, how you share your values and goals, and what gives meaning to your lives. There are additional questions about parenting, housework, finances, trust, and individual areas of concern. The questionnaire is completely confidential, fully HIPAA compliant, and your therapist will be the only person to see your responses.

    Upon completion, it automatically provides valuable clinical information by pinpointing specific strengths and challenges inyour relationship, while also suggesting actionable, research-based recommendations for therapy.

    You can feel confident in your results. Drs. John and Julie Gottman created this research-based assessment in collaboration with The Gottman Institute to help couples build a personalized treatment in therapy.

  • Frequent conflict and arguments

    Poor communication

    Emotionally distanced couples on the verge of separation

    Specific problems such as affairs, betrayals, infidelity, money, and parenting

    Couples wanting to jump start relationship therapy

    Relationship is in crisis or feeling significant distress

    Couples who have trouble with scheduling weekly sessions

  • I am licensed to practice with clients anywhere in Minnesota or Wisconsin. Ethical and licensure statutes require clients to be located in the state where the therapist is licensed.

    If you do not have a licensed therapist who practice the Gottman Method and desire to have an intensive session with me, you can do so, if you are able to meet with me at my office location.

    My office is approximately 15 minutes from the MSP airport and there are several hotels, Airbnb, and restaurants within minutes of my office.

    Feel free to contact me to discuss your options and a Minneapolis local guide to hotels, restaurants, etc.

  • Intensive couples therapy are private pay only. I do not bill insurance for relationship therapy. Insurance requires a diagnostic assessment of a mental health diagnosis of one identified patient of the couple. Couples or relationship therapy is meant to change the cycle of the couple with two people in order to improve the relationship rather than label one partner as the problem through a diagnosis.

    A superbill will not be given for intensive sessions due to the CPT coding system designed for insurance billing. Unfortunately there are no longer extended session codes for therapy after 2023.

  • Use the contact form to get started and set up a free 15 minute consultation phone call.

On The Luminate Relationship Blog: “The Effectiveness of Intensive Couples Counseling.”

“Marathon sessions get so much momentum, couples are so focused on their relationship that they really move through interventions and process attachment injuries much quicker"

— Dr Julie Gottman, Co-Founder of the Gottman Institute