Home / Couples Intensives
Longer, 2 to 6 hour sessions for couples ready to address what they've been avoiding
The topics you dance around
Most couples I work with have two or three subjects they hesitate to bring up. Topics that feel a bit taboo. Dangerous, even. Because every time they come close to discussing them, it turns into a conflict.
It might be finances. How you're spending, saving, or the debt you haven't talked about properly. It might be the children. Different ideas about parenting, boundaries, or decisions about their future that you keep putting off. It might be something else entirely. Something specific to your relationship that sits between you, unspoken.
You've probably tried to address it before. Maybe it went badly. Maybe one of you shut down, or it escalated quickly, or you just... stopped. And now it's easier to avoid it altogether.
But avoiding it isn't working either.
A Couples Intensive is simply an extended session—similar to an intensive language course, where immersion helps you learn faster than weekly classes. Instead of the usual hour, we take two hours, four hours, or a full day together.
The idea came from my existing clients, who kept telling me that one hour wasn't always enough. They wanted more time. More space to really get into the difficult stuff without watching the clock.
Weekly sessions work well for most couples. But sometimes there's a specific issue that needs more than an hour. Or your schedules make it hard to maintain momentum week to week. An intensive lets us stay with a topic until it's resolved. We can go deeper in a single day than we could across several weekly sessions—not because weekly doesn't work, but because some issues benefit from concentrated time.
It's not therapy squeezed into a day. It's therapy given the time it sometimes needs.
Before we book anything, we'll have a call to talk through what's going on for you as a couple. This is where we discuss what you're hoping to achieve, whether an intensive is the right format for your situation, and what to expect.
This call is free and there's no obligation. Some couples aren't suited to an intensive—perhaps emotions are running too high right now, or a different approach would serve you better. I'd rather we figure that out before you commit your time and money.
We meet at my practice in Canterbury (or online if you prefer) for your chosen session length. For longer sessions, we take short breaks every hour and a proper lunch break for the four or six-hour option.
The session is tailored on what we identified in your assessment. Each session is crafted around your relationship's unique dynamics, history, and goals—whether that's communication patterns, a specific issue you've been avoiding, or skills to navigate conflict differently.
At the end of the intensive, we'll talk about where you are and what might help going forward. You'll leave with a clear sense of your next steps—whether that's continuing weekly, booking another intensive, or simply taking what you've learned forward.
You'll leave with clarity on your next steps. And if it helps, a simple action plan to keep the momentum going.
Your relationship is at a crossroads. A decision you keep putting off. A conversation you need to have but haven't been able to.
You're living parallel lives. Same house, but strangers. You want to reconnect but don't know where to start.
You're locked in the same cycles. Every argument follows the same script. You need something to break the pattern.
You're busy. Work, children, everything else. A weekend intensive covers what might take months in weekly sessions.
You want to learn skills, not just talk. Intensives give us time to practise communication and conflict resolution.
You're both open to showing up. You don't have to be equally enthusiastic, but you both need to be willing to engage.
You're in the immediate aftermath of a crisis. If you've just discovered an affair, or emotions are running so high you're struggling to be in the same room, an intensive might be too much right now. We'd start weekly first.
The issue is primarily sexual. I work with relationship aspects of intimacy: connection, closeness, frequency. But I'm not a psychosexual therapist. If the issue is more clinical, I'd recommend someone with that specialism.
One of you doesn't want to be here. Reluctance is normal, one partner is often keener than the other. But if someone is completely unwilling, an intensive isn't the place to start.
The most comprehensive option.
Good for: Couples who want dedicated time to work on their relationship. Multiple issues to address. Making significant progress without waiting months.
Best part of a day dedicated to your relationship. Includes short breaks each hour and a lunch break.
Good for: Working through a difficult topic thoroughly. Communication skills and practice. Breaking patterns that have been stuck.
A longer session for couples who have a specific issue to address. Enough time to go deeper than a standard hour allows.
Good for: A particular conversation you need help navigating. Learning a specific skill together.
Questions
If you have questions about couples intensives we can book a (Free) 15min phone call or google meet call to discuss it further. This can be done here on the website or by contacting me via email.
Booking in
Please contact me directly via email to enquire about availability and booking a pre counselling assessment call. Couples intensives can not be booked through the website calendar.
About Jenny
Start with a conversation
Start now by selecting the couples intensive assessment. If you can't find a slot, please contact me via email or phone. I will reply within 48hrs. If I haven't, please check your spam folder