Marriage Intensive Retreat Structure

What Does a Day in a Marriage Intensive Look Like?

Your Marriage Intensive Retreat is designed to provide the depth of several months of therapy—over the course of just a few days. Each day follows a steady rhythm, combining joint and individual sessions with thoughtful breaks and space to process.

On a typical day, you can expect:

  • A morning joint session to set the tone

  • Individual time for each partner to explore personal themes

  • An afternoon series of sessions that build on earlier work

  • Guided reflection or couples exercises to deepen insights between sessions

  • Breaks for rest and meals, which are just as important as the work itself

We spend around six hours each day in direct counseling, all of it led by the two of us—Dave and Hollis. We don’t outsource any part of your experience. In addition to the direct counseling, in our behind the scenes times, we plan, review, and adjust your intensive to ensure it meets your unique needs.

Over the course of three days, couples receive approximately 18 hours of personalized counseling—focused, compassionate, and uninterrupted. (Click/Pull down ‘Sample Daily Schedule’ at the bottom of this page to see a detailed example)

Getting Ready for Your Intensive 

Once we have made a deposit, what is the process?  Prior to the start of the Intensive you will complete a three part assessment package which includes an extensive personal history, personality profiles, and marriage assessment. Each individual should anticipate investing approximately 7-10 hours into the assessment (does not need to be completed in one sitting).  The assessment package is returned to us prior to the intensive for scoring, evaluation and initial treatment strategizing by Dave and Hollis.  This assessment package allows us to “hit the ground running” from the beginning and make the most of your time.  A typical timeline would look like this:

  1. Your intensive is scheduled after you submit your deposit.
  2. Within 48 hours you will receive digital portion of assessment package.
  3. Within 3 days you will receive the written portion/pre-intensive package.
  4. Most individuals need 2-7 days to complete work, depending on their schedule.
  5.  Seven days prior to the intensive your intensive your intensive package is completed.

We deeply appreciate your trust in us with this process and we commit to working our hardest, and doing our best on your behalf.  In turn we ask that you also commit yourself to this process.  That commitment can begin with earnest effort on the assessment package.

Marriage Intensive Retreat Assessment Package

  • Part one consists of three personality inventories. The use of three allows us to see themes about your style and cross validated results (that might not occur with just one).  These are written inventories where you will answer questions in a true-false or Likert scale format.  The inventories are validated industry standard instruments. Part one usually takes about 2.5-3.5 hours and can be completed in more than one sitting.
  • Part two covers your personal history and family structure.  It consists of a family survey, sibling and birth order review, a personal history, and a genogram (family map/tree).  The length of time to complete these depends largely on your age and family size.  For example, younger people have less history, so they naturally have less to write.  Family size also impacts the time it will take, larger more complicated families will result in more time invested.
  • Part three delves into the dynamics of your marriage, which is the reason you have contacted us.  First, you will receive two email links to complete these comprehensive marital assessments online. (one to two hours each to complete).  Second, you will complete a written exercise about the history of your relationship.  This usually takes about 1-2 hours.

What are the options and how much is the cost?

Below are the Intensive Package descriptions.  Please see the descriptions and guidelines for what might be best for your situation.

Two Day Intensive Package: $6150

Includes the three part assessment package, and a two day Intensive.  

Three day intensive Package: $8150 (This is the most popular)

Includes the three part assessment package, two and one-half day intensive and a half-day follow-up 4-6 weeks later.

Three “plus one” Day Intensive Package $10,150

Includes the three part assessment package, a three day Intensive, and an additional full day intensive follow up ($3550 value) 4-12 months out, at the couple’s discretion.

Three “plus two” Day Intensive Package $12,150

Includes the three part assessment package, a three day Intensive, and two follow up days: the first between 3-6 months, and the second day between 6-12 months out, at the couples discretion.

Off-Site Marital Intensive (any of the above packages, off-site)

Some couples prefer to have us come to a location of their choosing. The schedule for counseling would follow a similar pattern to the on-site intensives listed above. Such locations might be your favorite resort, a vacation home, or similar.  

Where do couples stay during the on-site intensive?

There are a number of options available.  AirBnB has numerous locations close-by.  The Resort at the Mountain is an easy 10-15 minute commute. There are a number of mountain-type lodges in the Mt. Hood corridor.  If convenience is your main concern, there is a Best Western Hotel 1 mile from our offices.  If you would like advice in locating an appropriate location Hollis is glad to give assistance.

Your Next Steps for a Marital Intensive Retreat . . .

Book a 15 or 30 minute Clarity Call >> Use either voicemail or text (503-577-5338) or email ([email protected]) to request a clarity (informational) call and inquire about dates available.

Ask us any questions: Menu of contact options >>

Sample Daily Schedule

Sample Daily Schedule

8:30 – 10:00   Joint Couples Session

10:00 – 10:20  Break

10:20 – 12:00  Individual or Joint Sessions (as needed)

12:00 – 1:00   Lunch Break

1:00 – 2:30    Joint Couples Session

2:30 – 2:45    Break

2:45 – 3:20    Individual Check-Ins

3:20 – 3:30    Break

3:30 – 4:45    Joint Couples Session