Gottman Method Marriage Intensives
Focused Time. Deeper Work. Meaningful Change.
A 2–3 day Gottman Marriage Intensive provides concentrated clinical time for couples who want to step away from the demands and interruptions of everyday life and focus intentionally on their relationship.
Intensives allow couples to move beyond the limitations of a traditional 50-minute weekly session and create the time and continuity needed to explore deeper patterns of conflict, understand one another’s perspectives, and practice new ways of relating.
Rather than simply helping couples manage conflict, the goal is to help you build a more connected, satisfying, and resilient relationship.
Why Choose an Intensive?
For some couples, weekly therapy can feel difficult to sustain. Busy schedules, competing priorities, and gaps between sessions can interrupt momentum and make it challenging to maintain the continuity needed for deeper therapeutic work.
An intensive creates dedicated time for your relationship. With several consecutive days of focused therapy, couples can build momentum, work through complex concerns, and spend more time practicing the skills they are learning.
This format may be particularly helpful for couples experiencing significant relationship distress, navigating a major transition, or wanting to make meaningful progress in a concentrated period of time.
What to Expect
Gottman Relationship Checkup
The Gottman Relationship Checkup, developed by the Gottman Institute, is included in the intensive fee. This assessment provides a detailed look at the relationship, highlighting strengths, areas of concern, and each partner’s experience and hopes for therapy.
The assessment helps your therapist identify where to focus clinical attention and provides a baseline that can be revisited over time to help measure progress.
Gottman Relationship Builder
Couples also receive access to the Gottman Relationship Builder, included in the intensive fee. This research-informed resource gives couples opportunities to continue practicing concepts outside of therapy through guided exercises, videos, and activities.
Your therapist can incorporate these resources into your treatment plan and help you continue building on the work you begin during your intensive.
Assessment
Before beginning an intensive, couples complete a comprehensive assessment process to determine clinical fit and develop an individualized treatment plan.
The assessment includes:
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90-minute couples assessment with your therapist
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60-minute individual assessment with each partner
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60-minute feedback session to review assessment findings, treatment recommendations, and goals for the intensive
The assessment process helps ensure that an intensive is clinically appropriate and allows your therapist to tailor the intensive to your relationship’s specific needs.
After the Intensive
Your therapist will recommend an appropriate follow-up plan based on your goals and progress. A 60- or 90-minute follow-up session may be scheduled in the weeks following the intensive.
Follow-up sessions: $180/hour
Couples will also maintain access to the Gottman Relationship Builder and can continue using the resources in coordination with their therapist.
Intensive Options & Policies
Assessment + 1-Day Intensive — $3,000
Includes the comprehensive assessment, a customized relationship toolkit, and one full day of intensive couples therapy.
Assessment + 2-Day Intensive — $4,500
Includes the comprehensive assessment, a customized relationship toolkit, and two full days of intensive couples therapy.
Custom Intensive
Customized intensive structures and schedules are available upon request based on clinical needs, availability, and treatment goals.
Intensive therapy days are typically scheduled from 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., with an hour break for lunch.
Deposit & Cancellation Policy
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a 2-day, 3-day, or custom intensive.
Intensive Cancellations
Cancellations made more than 30 days before the scheduled intensive may be made without an additional cancellation charge.
Cancellations made less than 14 days before the scheduled intensive are subject to a charge of 50% of the intensive fee.
Assessment & Follow-Up Cancellations
Assessment and follow-up appointments cancelled with at least 24 hours' notice are not charged.
Assessments cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice are subject to a $300 non-refundable cancellation fee. Follow-up appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice are charged at the $180/hour session rate.
Exceptions may be considered for illness or severe weather at the therapist's discretion.
When an Intensive May Not Be Appropriate
An intensive may not be appropriate when there are circumstances that require a different level or type of care. This may include:
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Untreated substance use or refusal to participate in an established recovery plan
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Active suicidal thoughts or significant untreated mental health concerns
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Difficulty with emotional self-regulation, including an inability to take a break and safely return to the session
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An active or undisclosed affair
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Suspected domestic violence, coercive control, or a threat of abuse
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Clinical fit is determined through the assessment and consultation process.