Therapy Intensives*
In an intensive, you and your partner set aside a whole day or days to invest in your relationship.
Intensives ARE recommended if:
- weekly therapy doesn’t work for your schedule, or you feel like you’re just getting somewhere in traditional weekly therapy as the session ends
- you want to stay together but you keep getting stuck in that “here we go again” argument
- there are pasts hurts you can’t just “get over”
Intensives are NOT recommended if:
- either of you wants out of the relationship but circumstances prevent you from leaving
- either of you is having an affair
- either of you has untreated out of control behavior (e.g. substance abuse, gambling, viewing sexually explicit material)
- either of you feels physically unsafe with the other
Elements of an Intensive*
Prior to first in-person day:
- paperwork and an on-line assessment
- Zoom calls as a couple and individually
In-person sessions include:
- Learning to recognize and interrupt the negative cycle that pulls you apart
- Identifying the emotions and thoughts that underlie the cycle
- Owning your contribution to the negative cycle. It’s likely a strategy you learned a long time ago that no longer works for you.
- Learning more effective strategies for when you get triggered
- Shifting from “me vs you” to “us vs the negative cycle”
- With therapist guidance, have conversations that help you know and trust each other more, conversations you’ll learn to do on your own.
*Every couple works through the elements of an intensive at their own pace. We can’t predict how long it will take to get through the elements nor can we guarantee results. Intensives are not covered by insurance.
A 2-day intensive is approximately equivalent to 15 weekly sessions!
Details
Are Intensives covered by insurance? How much do they cost?
Intensives are not covered by insurance. The cost of the initial assessment plus first day is $2,500. Additional days cost $1,500.
What is the typical schedule for an intensive?
Gretchen Harro holds Intensives on Fridays only. We met from 9 a.m. to 3:30p.m., with a lunch break and other breaks as needed. Intensives are typically two days, but one day and three day intensives are options.
What happens after the Intensive?
Ideally you have another couples therapist who can help you continue to integrate the changes in your relationship that resulted from the Intensive.
What happens if there is an emergency and an in-person session is cancelled?
If the client cancels the appointment, the appointment will be rescheduled. If no future time can be agreed upon, the client will forfeit the pre-payment. If the therapist cancels the appointment, the appointment will be rescheduled. If no future time can be agreed upon, the client will receive a full refund.