I've been working in private practice in counseling for well over twenty-five years.
During this time, I’ve seen some of the more frustrating times in couples counseling. Research has revealed that the average couple waits approximately four years to start counseling, despite experiencing the need earlier. Many times, by the time the couple appears in the counselor’s office, one or both of the partners have already reached a level of indifference. Or lack of desire to work on their relationship. This is the most challenging and scary place for couples to find themselves. By this point, their primary motive in attending counseling sometimes is checking this off their list. Thus indicating that they tried everything, before heading to a divorce attorney.
Other times, couples come into counseling in the heat of a crisis, despite the lukewarm or cold temperature of their relationship before this point.
Now, the couples are bleeding and hurting badly. The actual issues of the marriage have to be triaged. This means attending to the crisis first, before even addressing more layered complications of the relationship. For a couple, waiting to get the first available session, the first 1 to 2 sessions of information gathering, and then sitting through assessment and treatment planning can be grueling. Traditional outpatient settings of 50-90 minute sessions once a week can sometimes postpone any relief to months after the crisis begins.
Research has revealed that in many scenarios, traditional outpatient counseling is not providing the most successful and effective treatment outcomes.
Marriage intensives offer a very good solution.
Research shows that these settings, like inpatient settings, have a higher rate of long-term, sustained improvement for marital counseling. A marriage intensive is where one couple works with one therapist for 2-3 days in a row. The couple can get six months of outpatient counseling in only a few days. Couples often find marriage intensives refreshing. It gets results quickly. The couple doesn’t have to worry about incorporating or prioritizing the counseling into their already strained calendar.
Marriage intensives allow the focus to avoid distractions of everyday living demands.
Many couples like the idea of “getting away” to a different location. Here, they can work with a therapist where they can focus on their marriage intensives. Picking a venue/city of interest can also allow the couple to tack on a couple of days of rest, relaxation, or a well-needed vacation afterward. Thus, capitalizing on the work that they have done. Men, in particular, enjoy this option.
Couples have the choice to tackle relationship issues in 2-3 days or 6 months with only a few days of taking off work with vacation time. The dramatic results of relief and change in a few days can bring immediate encouragement and water to a relational desert. It has brought new efficacy in the arena of couples counseling and success and honor to God’s call on marriages.
Our marriage intensives program, begins with understanding your marriage’s true value. This includes where your power really comes from. And how to meet the ultimate relationship connection that you have always dreamed of.
Our marriage intensives program of 10 steps offers you:
1. Creating a safe and secure definition for your unique marriage relationship that is also in line with God’s design.
2. Re-creating the relationship love story.
3. Discovering each individual’s areas of vulnerabilities and sensitivities from previous significant and other romantic relationships that have been brought into the marriage.
4. Understanding the brain’s emotional memory center and how these play into the relationship’s current rigid and, sometimes, negative interaction patterns.
5. Identifying individual attachment patterns and how they interact with your spouse.
6. Bringing hope into the healing pathways that the challenges of these attachment patterns bring into the relationship.
7. Mapping the current cycle of communication that brings disconnection in the relationship.
8. Creating a cycle of communication that brings emotional connection, empathy, and understanding.
9. Insertion of the relationship wounds into the new connect cycle of communication resulting in curative experiences.
10. Creating safe and secure emotional bonds that overflow into physical passion opportunities.
The result of our work together is an approach to shifting the negative interaction cycle that has been present in your marriage relationship.
We will replace it with a relationship where there is a felt sense of safety resulting in a close emotional bond. You become each other’s safe place to fall. You can expect big breakthroughs and ah-ha moments. An, gaining the ability to be vulnerable and honest in your communication. By doing so, you can open your heart again to your original “I do” partner.
Here is what others are saying. See which ones you feel drawn to, either because the person has gotten the results you want to get, or maybe because that person is in a similar situation. You can find those testimonials here.
After your intensive experience, you will have continued follow-up, support, and accountability.
Begin Marriage Intensives in North Tampa, FL
Your relationship deserves support in overcoming the issues that affect your bond most. Marriage intensives can offer a great deal of support in a small amount of time. Our team of caring therapists can offer support from our North Tampa, FL-based practice. To start improving your relationship, follow these simple steps:
Meet with a caring therapist
Start creating a healthier relationship
Other Services Offered with Christian Counseling of Tampa
Marriage intensives aren't the only service offered by our Tampa, FL-based therapy practice. We understand the many ways your mental health may be affected. As a result, our team is happy to also offer child therapy, premarital counseling, Christian counseling, therapy for anxiety, trauma, and therapy for depression. We use a variety of treatment modalities including CBT, EFT, grief therapy, and more! Feel free to learn more about us by visiting our FAQ or blog today.