Empty Nest, New Adventures: How Marriage Retreats Help Couples Build Their Next Chapter
The kids are out of the house, the last lunchbox is packed, and the final college drop-off is done. Suddenly, the house is quieter and the calendar a little emptier. And your relationship? It might just feel a little unfamiliar. The transition into the empty nest phase is one of the most significant and emotional […]
How Disconnecting from Daily Stress Boosts Your Relationship Healing
When was the last time you and your partner sat down (without interruptions) to really talk? Not about who’s picking up the kids, what’s for dinner or what bill is due next week. But about you two. For most couples, it’s been a while. Modern life is full of constant demands. Between work, parenting, financial […]
7 Best Marriage Intensives in 2025 (Expert Guide + Proven Model)
When your marriage feels strained, the usual hour-a-week therapy model may not deliver fast or lasting change. That’s why many couples are turning to marriage intensives in 2025 — highly focused, private retreats that compress months of therapy into just a few days. A well-designed intensive can help you: Leave with a clear roadmap for […]
Does Insurance Cover Infidelity Counseling? (What’s Typically Covered, What Isn’t, and Your Options)
The short answer Most health plans don’t cover “marriage” or “infidelity” counseling as a stand-alone relationship service. Coverage is usually available only when therapy is treating a diagnosable mental health condition (for example, PTSD, major depression, anxiety), and the sessions are medically necessary for that treatment.¹² ⁶ When coverage exists, it’s typically for: Why “marriage […]
How to Talk Your Partner Into Going on a Marriage Retreat (Without Starting a Fight)
Bringing up the idea of attending a marriage retreat can feel intimidating. Maybe you’ve been thinking about it for a while, hoping it could help you reconnect, resolve long-standing conflicts, or simply strengthen your bond. But you might worry about your partner’s reaction. Will they feel blindsided? Defensive? Will the conversation turn into yet another […]
Is Marriage Counseling Worth It After Infidelity? The ROI for Your Family—and Your Future
Infidelity doesn’t just injure two partners; it shakes the entire family system. The question, “Is counseling worth it?” isn’t only about saving a marriage—it’s about whether you’ll lower conflict, restore safety, and model honesty in ways that shape children’s lives for years to come. Structured, affair-focused therapy is associated with better trust, intimacy, and stability […]
Why Communication Breakdowns Are Best Solved at a Marriage Retreat
If you and your partner can’t seem to talk it out without turning everything into an argument, or worse, you’ve stopped talking altogether, it can feel like you’re stuck in an endless cycle. You’ve tried to communicate better, maybe even gone to weekly therapy sessions, but somehow the same misunderstandings, hurt feelings and frustrations keep […]
How Long Does Infidelity Recovery Take? A Weekly vs. 2-Day Intensive Timeline You Can Trust
Every couple is different. With weekly counseling, many feel some relief within weeks, and deeper rebuilding often takes 12–24 months. With a 2-day intensive plus our focused follow-ups, early calm and clarity can come much faster, and many couples solidify change in 6–12 months—as long as there’s no “trickle truth,” real accountability, and daily practice. […]
Weekly Couples Therapy vs. 2-Day Affair Recovery Bootcamp (with Follow-Ups): Which Helps Faster—And Lasts?
After an affair, most couples ask the same thing: should we do weekly couples therapy or a focused weekend? This guide compares weekly counseling with our 2-Day Affair Recovery Bootcamp—with eight 90-minute follow-ups so momentum doesn’t fade. You’ll see who each path fits, how structured disclosure (to prevent “trickle truth”) works, and what progress typically […]
Can a Therapist Tell You to Leave Your Partner?
It’s a question many people ask in a moment of crisis: Can a therapist tell you to leave your partner? And unfortunately, the answer is: Yes — and it happens far too often. We wrote in detail about this in our article “How My Therapist Destroyed My Marriage”, where we explore real stories of individuals […]
Best Therapy for Infidelity: What Works (and When)
When an affair is discovered, couples don’t need generic advice—they need a specialized, structured approach that stabilizes the crisis, tells the truth safely, and rebuilds trust. Research shows affair-focused, structured interventions outperform unstructured talk therapy for restoring trust and closeness¹². If you want broader background, see our Marriage Counseling for Infidelity guide. If you’re ready […]
Marriage Counseling for Infidelity: How Couples Heal After Betrayal
Infidelity is one of the most painful crises a couple can face. As a licensed marriage therapist who has spent over two decades working exclusively with couples, I’ve seen firsthand how betrayal shakes the very foundation of a relationship. The betrayed partner often experiences trauma symptoms—intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, and a loss of trust—that are overwhelming […]
Affair Recovery Bootcamp: Heal Faster After Infidelity
Infidelity can shatter trust, security, and intimacy at the core of a relationship. For many couples, the aftermath feels overwhelming—how do you rebuild when the foundation itself feels broken? An affair recovery bootcamp offers an intensive, structured approach that helps couples heal in days or weeks, rather than months or years of weekly counseling. As […]
Is Marriage Counseling Cheaper Than Divorce? Here’s What the Numbers Say
When couples reach a breaking point, one of the first practical questions that comes up is: Is marriage counseling cheaper than divorce? While the answer may seem obvious from a purely emotional perspective — “of course it’s worth saving a marriage if you can” — the financial data adds another layer of urgency. Divorce is […]
Questions to Ask Before Booking a Couples Therapy Weekend
When couples contact me about attending my private marriage retreat, the first thing I tell them is this: not all couples therapy weekends are created equal. The right one can be life-changing; the wrong one can feel like an expensive disappointment. If you’re going to invest the time, money, and emotional energy into a multi-day […]
What Is Involved in an Intensive Couples Therapy Weekend?
When couples are stuck in patterns of conflict or emotional distance — or facing a potential breakup — an intensive couples therapy weekend can offer a powerful reset. Unlike weekly one-hour sessions, this format condenses months of progress into just a few days, allowing partners to move past surface-level issues and address the deeper roots […]
The Silent Killers of Marriage That Retreats Help Uncover
Some marriages don’t end with a bang – they fade away quietly. There are no explosive fights or dramatic betrayals and on the surface, everything might look fine. You still share a home, maybe even share laughs with friends and family. But under the surface, subtle emotional patterns are eroding the foundation of your relationship. […]
Imago vs. EFT vs. Gottman: What Works Best in a Weekend Retreat?
If you’re considering a couples therapy weekend, you’ll quickly encounter three names over and over: Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and The Gottman Method. All are evidence-based approaches, but they differ in focus, process, and what you might experience in a compressed weekend retreat format. In this guide, we’ll break down the […]
Does Intensive Marriage Counseling Work? What Research and Real Couples Say
If your marriage is facing serious challenges, you may be wondering, “Does intensive marriage counseling work?” The short answer is: Yes, it absolutely can — if you’re ready to do the work. Intensive marriage counseling, like the 2-day private retreats we offer at The Marriage Restoration Project, is an effective and transformative solution for couples […]
What’s the Divorce Rate After Marriage Counseling? Here’s What Couples Should Know Before Taking That Step.
If you’re considering couples therapy and wondering what the divorce rate after marriage counseling is because you’re just not sure you want to take the risk, good for you for doing proper research. Let’s talk about it — honestly. Because the answer depends on what kind of counseling you’re getting… and whether your therapist truly […]