Private 2-Day Couples Intensives & Marriage Retreats in Fort Worth, TexasFor couples who keep having the same argument—and want relief, not repetition…
You care deeply about each other, but the same conflicts keep returning.
It can feel like you’re stuck in an endless loop, replaying the same argument over and over again. You could practically choreograph the fight because you know exactly how it goes: the moment one of you shuts down, the moment things blow up, the tension that lingers afterward.
Home doesn’t feel peaceful anymore.
You want to understand why these same problems keep resurfacing. You want insight into what’s really happening underneath the arguments — not just another surface-level fix.
More than anything, you want to feel understood by your partner again.
You want ease and calm in your home. You want the closeness you had before life got so busy — before kids, before stress took over. You want your best friend back.
You're ready for more than vague advice — you want concrete communication tools that actually help you understand each other and rebuild a relationship that feels supportive, secure, and close again.
Turn conflict into connection with a research-based Couples Intensive, guided by a Certified Gottman Therapist.
Susan Wade offers private Gottman Method Couples Therapy Intensives (also known as “Marathon Therapy”). This is a structured, compassionate marriage retreat designed to help you move out of gridlock and back into connection, quickly and effectively.
You’ll walk away with practical communication and negotiation skills you can use long after your time together, feeling closer, stronger, and more hopeful about your relationship.
Is a Couples Intensive right for you?
A 2-Day Intensive is ideal if you:
• Have the same argument repeatedly without resolution
• Feel emotionally disconnected, misunderstood, or like "roommates."
• Are looking to heal from an affair, betrayal, or broken trust.
• Want the focus of a marriage retreat but with clinical, science-based expertise
A 2-Day intensive may be right for you if you want couples therapy in a focused format that allows you to make meaningful progress more quickly.
Why Choose an Intensive instead of Weekly Therapy?
Faster Progress
Condense weeks or even months of therapy into just two days. This format is designed for accelerated results—helping you achieve meaningful breakthroughs and lasting change in a shorter timeframe.
More Convenient
Skip the stress of weekly appointments. Dedicate two uninterrupted days to focus fully on your relationship and each other.
Efficient Use of Time
Without long breaks between sessions, you stay engaged and build steady momentum. This continuity helps you move past recurring conflicts instead of revisiting them week after week.
A Deeper, More Productive Experience
Extended time together allows you to explore the root causes of disconnection. You’ll go beyond surface issues to uncover patterns at their core—creating space for repair, understanding, and renewed closeness.
Susan Wade, LCSW offers two-day, evidence-based Couples Intensives from 9am-4pm on Thursdays and Fridays, as well as select weekends. Sessions are held in a private, comfortable office in Fort Worth, Texas, making them convenient for couples traveling from Dallas, Austin, Houston, and beyond.
What Happens in A 2-Day Intensive?
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Before your intensive, you and your partner each complete the Gottman Connect online relationship assessment—a comprehensive, research-based tool that highlights your relationship’s strengths, challenges, and communication patterns.
Your results provide valuable insight into your relationship dynamics and help shape the focus of your intensive so you can spend your time where it will make the greatest difference.
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9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Assessment & Goal Setting
Begin with a joint session to explore what brings you to therapy and what you both hope to change.
Both partners meet individually with Susan to share their personal story and background. These sessions focus on understanding each partner’s attachment style and individual experiences—separate from the relationship.
Review your Gottman Connect results to understand your relationship on a deeper level—what the research reveals about your strengths, challenges, and how they compare to healthy relationship patterns.
1:00 – 2:00 PM | Lunch Break
Take time to rest, reflect, and recharge.
2:00 – 4:00 PM | Break the Gridlock: Gottman Communication & Conflict Interventions
By the end of Day 1:
You’ll have a clear understanding of your relationship patterns, a sense of where and why you get stuck, and practical tools to begin creating change.
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9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Focused Work on a Recurring Conflict
Focus on one recurring issue—such as parenting, intimacy, finances, or communication.
Understand the deeper reasons the conflict repeats and learn how to address it more constructively.
Use Gottman interventions to foster empathy, teamwork, and connection.
12:00 – 1:00 PM | Lunch Break
A pause to rest and reflect before the afternoon integration.
1:00 – 4:00 PM | Integration & Moving Forward
Apply new communication tools in real time with structured guidance.
Learn and practice staying regulated, expressing emotions and needs clearly, and listen with genuine curiosity.
Develop a personalized plan for sustaining growth and closeness long after the intensive ends.
By the end of Day 2:
You’ll leave feeling more connected, less stuck, and equipped with practical tools to strengthen your relationship at home.
Ready to Begin?