What if one weekend could change the rest of your relationship? You need a breakthrough, not a bandaid.
You’ve done your best to work through the hard stuff—late-night talks that end in circles, promises to “do better,” maybe even a few attempts at weekly therapy. But the changes never seem to last. The arguments return, the distance lingers, and the hope that things could feel different starts to fade.
What you need isn’t another quick fix. You need space—real, uninterrupted time to step away from the noise of daily life and focus fully on your relationship. That’s what a Couples Therapy Intensive provides: the opportunity to dig deep, break old patterns, and create the kind of breakthrough that weekly therapy often can’t accomplish alone.
A Transformative Alternative to Weekly Couples Counseling
At the Center for Couples Counseling, we understand that some couples need more than the traditional once-a-week therapy model. That’s why we offer Couples Therapy Intensives and Retreats—a focused, immersive experience designed to help you and your partner move through challenges, heal disconnection, and rebuild trust in a shorter amount of time.
Unlike weekly sessions, which are often limited by time and spread out over months, intensives give you the space and momentum to dive deeply into your relationship patterns, practice new skills, and create lasting change in just one or two days.
Why Choose a Couples Therapy Intensive?
Life doesn’t pause while your relationship struggles. When you’re dealing with breaches of trust, ongoing conflict, or years of unresolved issues, waiting weeks—or even months—to feel progress can feel frustrating and discouraging.
A Couples Therapy Intensive provides:
Dedicated Time & Space – Instead of 50 minutes a week, you’ll spend multiple hours in guided sessions, giving you the opportunity to fully engage without distractions.
Deeper Connection – Extended sessions allow us to uncover the root causes of conflict and disconnection, not just surface-level arguments.
Accelerated Progress – What may take months of weekly counseling can often be addressed in the course of a one- or two-day intensive.
Healing & Hope – Couples often leave with a renewed sense of clarity, closeness, and confidence in their relationship.
Many couples ask: “What’s the difference between an intensive and weekly therapy?”
Weekly Therapy offers steady, gradual progress with shorter sessions spread out over time.
Couples Intensives are immersive, concentrated, and designed for couples who want or need faster progress, deeper breakthroughs, or a reset in their relationship.
Think of intensives as a relationship reset button—a powerful way to create momentum that weekly therapy can then help maintain.
Who Are Intensives and Retreats For?
Our Couples Intensives and Retreats are a great fit for couples who:
Feel stuck in repetitive arguments that never get resolved.
Are recovering from infidelity or breaches of trust.
Want to reconnect after years of distance or disconnection.
Need a jumpstart before (or instead of) traditional therapy.
Have demanding schedules and want concentrated time together.
What Issues Can Be Addressed in an Intensive?
Every couple brings a unique story. Our intensives are flexible and can be designed around your most pressing needs, including:
Infidelity & Affair Recovery – Processing betrayal, rebuilding trust, and deciding how to move forward.
High-Conflict Relationships – Learning tools to stop escalations, reduce defensiveness, and repair quickly.
Parenting & Life Transitions – Adjusting to big changes such as new babies, career shifts, or relocation.
Disconnection & Emotional Distance – Rebuilding intimacy, communication, and friendship.
Pre-Divorce or Managed Separation – Gaining clarity about whether to repair or part ways.
What Makes Our Intensives Different?
Not all couples therapy intensives are the same. At the Center for Couples Counseling, I’ve designed an experience that’s immersive, practical, and uniquely tailored to who you are—not a cookie-cutter program. Here’s what sets my approach apart:
13+ Years Focused Exclusively on Couples - For over a decade, I’ve specialized in working only with couples. That means you’ll work with someone who deeply understands relationship dynamics, not a generalist who “also sees couples.”
Expertise in Complex Relationship Challenges - I specialize in areas that many therapists shy away from, including infidelity recovery, infertility counseling, high-conflict couples, postpartum transitions, money and financial infidelity, intimacy struggles, and more. Whatever you’re facing, I bring the skill and confidence to help you address it head-on.
Advanced Training in Multiple Models - With training in the Gottman Method, Relational Life Therapy (RLT), and the Developmental Model, I draw from several proven approaches. This allows me to adapt tools and interventions that actually fit your relationship—not force you into a one-size-fits-all method.
Authentic and Direct Style - I’m not the kind of therapist who quietly nods and lets you vent without direction. I’ll challenge you, ask the hard questions, and tell you the things you need to hear—not just what you want to hear. At the same time, I use humor, authenticity, and down-to-earth language (yes, even cursing if that’s how you talk) to keep the process real and relatable.
Immersive, Experiential Work - Talking is important—but change happens when you experience something new together. I use interactive exercises, neuroscience-informed practices, and even somatic or relaxation techniques to help you feel shifts in real time, not just talk about them.
An Environment That Encourages Connection - My office is quiet, private, and easy to get to, with plenty of parking so you’re not stressed before you walk in. Just minutes from the Kemah Boardwalk, you’ll also have access to restaurants, waterfront views, and fun activities—perfect for turning your intensive into a weekend of both healing and reconnection. Every intensive even includes a date night experience to help you take what you’ve learned into real life.
What to Expect from a Couples Intensive
At the Center for Couples Counseling, we customize intensives to meet your unique needs. A typical intensive includes:
Relationship Assessment – A comprehensive intake to understand your history, strengths, and struggles.
Guided Couples Sessions – Deep, structured conversations led by your therapist to uncover patterns and teach skills.
Skill-Building Exercises – Practical tools from leading approaches such as the Gottman Method and Relational Life Therapy (RLT).
Integration & Planning – Concrete next steps to carry your progress back into daily life.
You’ll walk away not only with insights, but also with practical tools you can start using immediately.
Meet Your Therapist
I’m Erika Labuzan-Lopez, LMFT, LPC, founder of the Center for Couples Counseling. For the past 13+ years, I’ve dedicated my entire career to one thing—helping couples. From newlyweds navigating the transition to parenthood, to partners recovering from infidelity, to high-achieving couples balancing stress, success, and connection—I’ve seen the struggles that can make even the strongest relationships feel fragile.
My style is direct, authentic, and compassionate. I won’t just nod and smile while you talk—I’ll challenge you, ask the hard questions, and guide you to go deeper than you thought possible. At the same time, I bring humor, relatability, and a down-to-earth approach to every session. Couples often tell me it feels like a relief to finally have a therapist who is both professional and real. From the LEGO builds in my office to my “neuroscience geek” side, my goal is to create a space where you can show up as your full selves—comfortable, supported, and ready to do the work.
Alongside advanced training in the Gottman Method, Relational Life Therapy (RLT), and the Developmental Model, I integrate neuroscience, experiential exercises, and even moments of humor or play to help couples not just understand their patterns, but shift them in lasting ways.
If you’re ready to step into an immersive experience where you’ll be challenged, supported, and guided toward real breakthroughs, I’d love to work with you.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re ready to stop feeling stuck and start rebuilding your relationship, a Couples Therapy Intensive or Retreat may be the right choice. Take advantage of a free 30-minute video consultation in which you’ll get the chance to understand how an intensive works, why it is or isn’t a good choice for your specific situation, and assess if the therapist is a good fit to spend two intense and meaningful days with you transforming your relationship. Call now, because some relationships need more than 50 minutes a week.
Other Services Offered at Center for Couples Counseling
Our team understands you or your relationship might be facing different challenges. Our Texas practice offers couples therapy, infertility counseling, postpartum anxiety and depression counseling, therapy for self-care and burnout, affair recovery and infidelity counseling, and therapy for perfectionism. For more about us check out our FAQs and blog!