aOur Approach to Intensive Marriage Counseling
As licensed marriage counselors—and a married couple ourselves—we bring both professional expertise and lived experience to every Marriage Intensive Retreat. After losing our first spouses, we found love again and have shared 18 years of marriage. With over 70 years of combined counseling experience, we offer a collaborative, compassionate, and results-oriented approach to our marriage therapy.
We specialize in marriage intensives for couples in crisis, combining evidence-based therapeutic methods with real-world wisdom. Your Marriage Intensive is grounded in empathy, clinical insight, and a deep commitment to helping you restore connection, rebuild trust, and renew hope.
Our Story: Real Life, Real Marriage
Our personal journey mirrors the complexities we help couples navigate. We’ve each been in long-term marriages, grieved the loss of a spouse, and blended a family of six children. We’ve walked through the valleys of cancer, the demands of running a business, and the deep joy of becoming grandparents.
Our parenting story is filled with both celebration and struggle—from a valedictorian child to one who was expelled from school. We understand the emotional and relational terrain that life brings, and we bring that understanding into every marriage intensive we lead.
At Northwest Marriage Intensives, we don’t just offer marriage counseling—we offer guidance from those who’ve lived it.
Meet the Intensive Team
We are one of the few married couples in the country who specialize in Marriage Intensive Retreats. Our clients benefit from our collaborative approach: two licensed counselors offering distinct yet complementary perspectives, working together to guide couples toward lasting change. With over 70 years of combined experience, we bring insight, balance, and dedication—focused entirely on helping you repair, strengthen, and renew your relationship.
Hollis Maclean Wenzel, M.S, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Hollis MacLean Wenzel, M.S, has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Oregon since 1996 (#T0346). She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from California State University East Bay and a Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies and Child Development from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Her clinical background spans private practice, small clinics, and in-patient settings, often working within multidisciplinary teams. Hollis’s approach primarily centers on family systems, tailored with other therapeutic strategies as needed. She specializes in couples therapy and has extensive experience working with teenagers and directing nonprofits for children and families. Her areas of expertise include marital satisfaction, blended family dynamics, infidelity, parenting, grief, loss, suicide, anxiety, depression, and life transitions.
David MacLean Wenzel Ph.D, LPC, M.Div., NCC
Licensed Professional Counselor and Professor of Counseling
Dr. David Wenzel holds a M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling from Loyola University, along with Master’s degrees in Divinity and Theology from Western Seminary, Portland, Oregon. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Oregon (#1012) since 1994 and a Nationally Certified Counselor (#27095) since 1991. With over two decades as a counseling professor, his clinical experiences range from the Veterans Administration to community mental health. He spent two years training at the Isaac Taylor Institute of Psychiatry and Religion in Columbia, Maryland. Formerly, he was the Clinical Director at Sandy Family Services DUII program, Clinical Director at Sunnyside Counseling Center, and the Director of the Counseling Program at Western Seminary. His professional interests lie in child development, parenting, clinical supervision, and the interplay of spirituality in mental health. Beyond his academic and clinical roles, Dr. Wenzel is a sought-after speaker in the community on topics related to parenting, family communication, marriage, and relationships.
Hollis MacLean Wenzel
Dave Reflects on Hollis
“When it comes to our professional styles, I tend to lean on outlines and structured flow-charts, while Hollis embraces a more spontaneous approach. She has an extraordinary ability to sense things that might completely bypass my notice. Her attunement to the emotional currents and dynamics within the room is remarkable.
Hollis excels in conveying the woman’s perspective, especially to men. This skill is undoubtedly enriched by her diverse experiences as a mother to biological, adopted, and blended children. These personal journeys deeply inform her professional insights.
What truly sets her apart is her intuitive nature and willingness to engage in relational risks. Hollis possesses a remarkable ease in connecting with anyone, unafraid to pose challenging questions or voice necessary truths. We recall a couple who experienced a pivotal moment in their therapy when Hollis expressed something they had long awaited hearing. Her authenticity and directness not only speak volumes but also beautifully balance my more structured approach. She’s not just a therapist; she’s a truth-teller and a genuine complement to my methodology.”
Dave Maclean Wenzel
Hollis Reflects on Dave
“Dave’s brilliance shines through in his extensive knowledge and experience. For over 30 years, he has educated and mentored students in the art of therapy. His background is impressively diverse: from his training as a pastor and role as a Clinical Director at a community counseling center, to his expertise in designing and leading a graduate counseling program. He’s also guided many counselors on their journey towards licensure. His ability to draw from various therapeutic modalities and manage multiple complex discussions simultaneously is nothing short of remarkable. I’ve witnessed him skillfully consulting with multiple therapists at once, seamlessly navigating through each conversation.
Dave has a unique way of connecting with men, embodying the essence of a ‘man’s man’. His hands-on skills range from running his own construction company to repairing our cars. He’s passionate about outdoor sports and has even built our house and several structures on our property, including an enchanting treehouse. (Take a moment to check out the treehouse we built!)
But his understanding isn’t limited to men. Thanks to his clinical experience and the experience of raising our daughters, he possesses a profound insight into women’s perspectives as well. His book, ‘Why Women Need Chocolate’, is a testament to this understanding. Dave’s multifaceted talents and experiences make him not just an exceptional therapist but also a relatable and versatile human being.”
Your Next Steps for a Marital Intensive Retreat . . .
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