The Benefits Of A Couples Retreat For Couples Therapy
With the business of daily life, some couples struggle to find time to focus on intimacy or know how to reconnect after being together long term. A couples retreat can be a fun and effective way to combat this reality and find a space to prioritize working on your bond with your partner.
An intensive couples retreat may offer a designated time for you and your partner to strengthen bonds and resolve conflicts in your relationship. An effective couples retreat program can assist in dedicating the effort to connecting, growing, and healing with the person they're in a relationship with. In addition to individual couples therapy sessions, you can also meet other couples and learn unique insights you might not have found in individual therapy.
What is a retreat for a relationship?
Couples retreat programs are often a getaway that provides partners with the resources and space they seek to bond, form new memories, and have fun in a therapeutic setting. Retreat programs with a therapeutic focus might involve navigating common relationship-related challenges in couples, like building communication skills, becoming a team to support a new baby, or learning to work through conflict. Though it was a box office hit with audiences around the world, the movie “Couples Retreat,” the comedy directed by Peter Billingsley and starring Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love, and Kristen Davis does not accurately represent all experiences of attending a couples therapy program. You are not likely to attend a yoga class with a charismatic Frenchman like Jean Reno with four couples, and are more likely to participate in activities and educational modules with a licensed professional who is there to help you deepen your bond with your partner.
What to expect at a couples retreat
Couples retreat amenities
Bonding activities for couples
Counselors involved in retreat programs may plan exercises and activities focused on bonding and connecting as you explore your relationship. The exercises can help you identify misconceptions and change self-defeating behaviors to improve communication, learn to forgive each other, and build a loving relationship if these are areas you are looking to work on. Different couples therapy programs may have their own focus and unique goals for married couples.
Group sessions with other couples
You can often partake in group sessions or discussions at a couples retreat program. While this format may feel awkward at first, it could provide a level of connection for couples looking to learn from each other and discuss similarities in their relationships. You can watch and learn about what has and hasn't worked for other couples to implement change into your relationship through talking with others and it is possible that you may make new friends.
What are the benefits?
Consider the pros and cons of a couples retreat
If you're unsure whether you would benefit from a couples retreat, do a pros and cons chart with your partner on the pros and cons of going to the program, staying home, or trying another form of therapy. By making a list, you may realize that a couples retreat would be beneficial, it also may help you to get on the same page with your partner.
Things to consider
Before you decide to commit to couples therapy programs, it can be beneficial to take a moment to consider what you hope to gain from a retreat and why.
Questions to ask yourself
You can ask yourself the following questions to get started:
- What relationship and life challenges do we hope to address?
- What are our needs for the experience?
- What is our budget?
- What would an ideal version of the retreat look like?
- What are some of our priorities?
- What steps will we take afterward to ensure the benefits of the trip long term?
- Do we have any worries about the retreat?
- How will we respond if we experience conflict during the retreat?
You might also consider scheduling a visit with a therapist before the retreat to create a plan for conflict, bonding, and potential roadblocks.
Therapy vs. in-person programs
Marriage therapy is personal
Each option can offer advantages and may provide solutions to conflict, communication challenges, or worries. However, a couples retreat program may offer you a chance to isolate yourselves, away from daily life, including children, and focus on specific parts of your relationship. Therapy can involve looking at the general nature of your bond with your partner. The option you choose can depend on your goals and what you are expecting to improve. Combining the two may benefit couples looking for an intensive vacation counseling experience.
Alternative forms of marriage therapy
Although couples retreat programs and in-person therapy can be interactive and enjoyable ways to discuss relationship challenges or goals, not every couple can afford them. Barriers to resources like finances, reachability, or scheduling play a role in keeping couples from seeking the guidance they hope to receive. In these cases, online therapy serves as an alternative form of support.
Online therapy
Efficacy of online therapy
One study on internet-based therapy found that many couples felt the online platform allowed them to show more honesty with each other and connect with their therapist more than with in-person couples therapy treatment. The ability to control the environment therapy takes place can help couples feel comfortable and prepared to navigate challenging discussions.
Takeaway
Couples retreat programs often provide opportunities for partners to communicate openly, spend quality time together, and have fun to regain the spirit of romance that you once had. They can teach couples unique coping skills and allow for a social form of treatment. When combined with long-term relationship support options like therapy, a couples retreat can provide an opportunity to get closer to your partner and make lasting memories.
However, if you're looking for immediate and affordable support, you can also reach out to a counselor through an online platform or within your city for further guidance and personalized support.
Are marriage retreats worth it?
Marriage retreats take planning and oftentimes cost money, but they can be well worth the time and effort. Going to a retreat allows a married couple to spend time together without distractions of work and family.
What is the purpose of a couples retreat?
The purpose of a couples retreat is for the couple to spend uninterrupted time together without the distractions of daily life. Oftentimes people fail to put time into their relationship when other things put demands on their time. A retreat can help couples reconnect and remember what they love and enjoy about one another.
What is expected in a couples retreat?
There’s nothing that’s mandatory to do in a couples retreat. The most important thing is that a couple spends time together in a place where they both feel comfortable. They might spend time talking, being intimate, or doing activities they enjoy together.
Why can couples retreats be important?
Couples retreats can be important because the demands of daily life often leave couples little time to connect with each other. In order for the relationship to thrive, it is important for couples to reconnect and spend an enjoyable time together.
What sorts of couples retreats are recommended?
There is no specific type of couples retreat that is best. Some couples stay in a hotel in the city for a weekend, while others might book a bed and breakfast in the countryside. Others might plan a camping trip or plan international travel in a relaxing location. Some people might even have a friend or family member take their children for the weekend so they can have their home to themselves for a few days. The most important things are that the retreat involves the interests of both partners and that it's logistically and financially doable.
Is it too late for relationship therapy?
In many cases, it is not too late for relationship therapy. If two partners are committed to the relationship and the therapeutic process, therapy can be beneficial at any point.
Does couples therapy mean the relationship is over?
No, attending couples therapy does not mean the relationship is over. In fact, if both partners are invested in therapy, it indicates a willingness to work on the relationship. If a couple gave the relationship a chance but arrives at the conclusion that it's best to end the relationship, they can decide this together in therapy.
Do people stay together after couples therapy?
Most couples overcome issues or improve their relationship during couples therapy, but there is a percentage of couples who decide to split after attending therapy.
What percentage of couples survive couples therapy?
The Journal of Marital and Family Therapy reports that about 70% of couples who attend counseling stay together.
Do relationship therapists ever suggest separation?
A therapist will never recommend divorce. They might, however, suggest a therapeutic separation, during which both partners give thought to the relationship.
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