Couples Intensive Weekend

Are you and your partner in a high level of distress and have an urgent need to generate solid ground?
Are you and your partner finally coming up for air since having children only to find you’ve drifted apart and want to rebuild that connection?
Is your relationship with your partner strong in many ways, but you’re looking for a way to enhance your bond through deepening the intimacy you share?

For many couples, the knowledge that couple therapy may be helpful doesn’t negate the reality that either their lives are not set up to easily participate in weekly therapy or they are seeking intense guidance and healing to propel their relationship forward in a positive direction.

If this is you, you are stuck in more ways than one – not just with the painful reality of your current relationship, but also with uncertainty about what to do next.

What is a Couple Intensive Weekend?

HeartLink Counseling is excited to offer the Couple Intensive Weekend for couples who need a powerful boost of guidance and healing or who cannot make time commitments for more traditional weekly therapy. During an Intensive Weekend, Amanda will work with you as a fully Certified Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Therapist to get your relationship back to a place of love, respect, and connection.

The Couple Intensive Weekend provides tailored assistance with dispelling the confusion about how you ended up in such a painful or lonely place as well as how to find a path to re-connection. It’s different from a typical retreat in that each session during your time with Amanda is focused entirely on you and your relationship.

How long does it last?

The Couple Therapy Intensive Weekend allows you and your partner ample time over the course of 2-3 days to:

Share your perspective of the problem with Amanda and help her get to know you on a personal level
Roll up your sleeves together in understanding the patterns or painful “dance” of conflict and disconnection that has you stuck
Generate safety in the therapy room for sharing about your deeper emotional experiences
Create plans for continued connection and/or treatment upon leaving

Should you chose this option for regenerating the love you seek, Amanda will provide details about how to best prepare to get the most out of your weekend.

What is the schedule like? How does it work?

Day 1 (typically Friday afternoon/evening):

Session 1: Couple Therapy Session, 1 hour
Session 2: Individual Session with Partner A, 1 hour
Session 3: Individual Session with Partner B, 1 hour
Break for the Evening

Day 2 (typically Saturday):

Session 4: Couple Therapy Session, 2 hours
Break for Lunch, 1.5 hours
Session 5: Couple Therapy Session, 2 hours
Break, 1 hour
Session 6: Couple Therapy Session, 2 hours
Break for the Evening

Day 3 (typically Sunday morning):

Session 7: Couple Therapy Session, 1.5 hours
Break, 15 mins
Session 8: Couple Therapy Session + Plans for Moving Forward, 1.5 hours

This format provides 12 hours of intensive couple therapy over the course of 8 sessions to assist you and your partner with breaking down the negative patterns that have you stuck and rebuilding the love and connection that initially brought you together.

How much does it cost?

Amanda’s fee for offering this transformative 3-day guidance is $3,000. If you have a health savings account or your insurance covers couple therapy, you may be eligible for partial reimbursement. Amanda can provide you with with the necessary paperwork to submit the claims to your insurance provider. Please contact your insurance provider for information on marriage counseling coverage and out-of-network benefits.

Do we have to live in Georgia to attend?

Couples from out of town are welcome! Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport offers ease of travel, and Amanda can assist you with recommendations for transport, lodging & meals to make your weekend comfortable. You are welcome to attend at her office in Athens, GA. Or for an additional fee, she can meet you in Atlanta or another city of your choice.

What are the reasons this may not be the right fit for us?

If one or both partners is struggling with an active addiction to substances (those in recovery, even recent recovery, welcome on case by case basis)
If an affair has not yet ended
If there is ongoing domestic violence (isolated incidents or recent history considered on case by case basis)
If you already know your plan is to use the weekend to tell your partner you want to separate or divorce

If any of the above apply to you, please contact Amanda for information about different resources that may be helpful to you and your situation.