Marriage Intensives & Online Counseling | Imago Therapy โ€“ The Marriage Restoration Project

Weekly Couples Therapy vs. 2-Day Affair Recovery Bootcamp (with Follow-Ups): Which Helps Fasterโ€”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 Bootcampโ€”with eight 90-minute follow-ups so momentum doesnโ€™t fade. Youโ€™ll see who each path fits, how structured disclosure (to prevent โ€œtrickle truthโ€) works, and what progress typically […]

Can a Therapist Tell You to Leave Your Partner?

Itโ€™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 โ€” and it happens far too often. We wrote in detail about this in our article โ€œHow My Therapist Destroyed My Marriageโ€, where we explore real stories of individuals […]

Best Therapy for Infidelity: What Works (and When)

When an affair is discovered, couples donโ€™t need generic adviceโ€”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 closenessยนยฒ. If you want broader background, see our Marriage Counseling for Infidelity guide. If youโ€™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, Iโ€™ve seen firsthand how betrayal shakes the very foundation of a relationship. The betrayed partner often experiences trauma symptomsโ€”intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, and a loss of trustโ€”that are overwhelming […]

Affair Recovery Bootcamp: Heal Faster After Infidelity

By Rabbi Shlomo Slatkin, LCPC โ€” Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Founder of The Marriage Restoration Project Infidelity can shatter trust, security, and intimacy at the core of a relationship. For many couples, the aftermath feels overwhelmingโ€”how do you rebuild when the foundation itself feels broken? An affair recovery bootcamp offers an intensive, structured approach that […]

Is Marriage Counseling Cheaper Than Divorce? Hereโ€™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 โ€” โ€œof course itโ€™s worth saving a marriage if you canโ€ โ€” 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 youโ€™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 โ€” or facing a potential breakup โ€” 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

The Silent Killers of Marriage That Retreats Help Uncover

Some marriages donโ€™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 youโ€™re considering a couples therapy weekend, youโ€™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, weโ€™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, โ€œDoes intensive marriage counseling work?โ€ The short answer is: Yes, it absolutely can โ€” if youโ€™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 […]

Why Intensive Marriage Counseling Retreats Work When Nothing Else Has

If youโ€™re reading this, chances are high that youโ€™re feeling stuck. Maybe the conversations between you and your partner always lead to the same arguments. Maybe youโ€™re sleeping in separate rooms or feeling more like roommates than romantic partners. Maybe youโ€™ve already tried weekly therapy, only to leave sessions more frustrated than before. Youโ€™re not […]

Tired of Fighting in Your Marriage? How to Stop Arguing in a Relationship

But hereโ€™s the truth: constant fighting isnโ€™t a sign that your relationship is doomed. Itโ€™s a sign that something deeper needs to be healedโ€”together. Why You Canโ€™t โ€œJust Stop Fightingโ€ When youโ€™re locked in a pattern of daily arguments, advice like โ€œjust communicate betterโ€ or โ€œchoose your battlesโ€ falls flat. Thatโ€™s because the fighting isnโ€™t […]

Marriage Coaching vs. Licensed Therapy: Which Is Right for Your Intensive Retreat?

When couples seek help to repair their relationship, they often come across two main options: marriage coaching vs licensed marriage therapy. While both can play valuable roles in relationship improvement, itโ€™s important to understand the key differences between themโ€”especially when considering a marriage therapy intensive. In this post, weโ€™ll explore the differences between marriage coaching […]

What Is Secular Counseling? A Guide for Couples Seeking Non-Religious Therapy

For many couples, the decision to seek therapy is a vulnerable and courageous one. But what happens when you want professional help without religious undertones? Thatโ€™s where secular counseling comes in. If you’re looking for support that honors your values, your worldview, and your relationship without bringing in faith-based language, this guide is for you. […]

Do Marriage Counselors Ever Advise to Break Up?

People ask me this a lot – sometimes quietly, sometimes hoping Iโ€™ll say yes. “Do marriage counselors ever advise to break up?” I do know that many marriage counselors do. I personally do not. Ever. I don’t feel that it’s my job to tell a couple if they should or should not stay together. My […]

How to Get the Most Out of Your Couples Retreat: Before, During, and After

When your relationship is on the line, deciding to attend a couples retreat can feel both hopeful and nerve-wracking. You might be wondering: What will it be like? Will it actually help? What if we just end up fighting the whole time? These questions are completely normalโ€”and theyโ€™re a sign that you care deeply about […]

Do Marriage Retreats Really Work? 5 Myths About Couples Therapy Retreats Debunked

When your marriage feels like itโ€™s falling apart, itโ€™s natural to hesitate about what to try next. Weekly therapy may feel too slow, while conversations at home often spiral into the same painful loops. If youโ€™ve ever considered a couples retreat but brushed it off due to skepticism, fear, or misinformationโ€”youโ€™re not alone. At The […]

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