Intensive Couple’s Therapy in NY
High-impact, short-term couple’s therapy
Achieve 2-3 months of couple’s therapy in 2 days.
How might you be feeling?
Some couples to us because they feel more like roommates than romantic partners.
Others may be trying to find their way back to each other - or determining whether they can rebuild - after a recent infidelity / betrayal.
Some couples come to us because they keep getting stuck in the same blowout fight.
Some are preparing for or adjusting to major milestones or transitions - marriage, a child, the loss of a job, a new diagnosis, a relapse.
Others may simply wish to deepen their connection and prevent an escalation of dynamics they’ve noticed between them.
And some may be seriously considering separation.
Our intensives are designed for couples who:
Feel emotionally disconnected or stuck in repeated, painful conflict
Are facing a major crossroads, such as infidelity, betrayal, or separation
Are considering divorce or separation, but aren't sure what they want
Have difficulty making time for weekly sessions due to schedules or logistics
Need a safe, structured space to untangle what’s gone wrong—and what’s possible
Rather than stretch the work across months, an intensive gives you several hours in one or two days to make meaningful progress.
Focused, High-Impact Support When You Need It Most
When your relationship feels like it’s hanging by a thread —or you’re unsure whether to even stay together—traditional weekly therapy may not feel like enough. Our Couples Therapy Intensives offer deep, focused support for couples in crisis who need real movement, fast.
-
We use Gottman-based assessments and interventions to identify strengths and areas of opportunity that erode and enhance connection. You’ll learn to communicate more effectively, de-escalate conflict, and rebuild friendship and trust—even in the midst of deep pain and overwhelm.
-
EFT helps us get beneath the surface of arguments and into the vulnerable emotions that drive them. We'll work to uncover attachment wounds, soften defenses, and begin to restore emotional safety and closeness.
-
For couples where one or both partners are unsure about staying together, we use a structured form of therapy called Discernment Counseling. This is not about fixing the relationship right away—it’s about gaining clarity on whether to pursue change, separate, or take a pause with intention.
The Atlas approach:
Our approach combines research-backed methods that address both the emotional and practical aspects of your relationship crisis:
What to Expect
Each intensive is customized to your needs, and may include:
A thorough intake and relationship history assessment
6 - 12+ hours of therapy in a day or over a weekend
Individual and joint sessions
Concrete communication skills modeling and hands-on practice in conflict repair
Tools and next-step recommendations to take home
You’ll leave with more clarity, emotional insight, and actionable guidance—whether you're hoping to rebuild or decide how to part in a way that’s respectful and grounded.
Our Office in Nomad:
All in-person couple’s therapy intensives will take place in a warm, inviting space that help you to feel calm and grounded for the work.
The office is located in NoMad in New York City and easily accessible via the 1, 2, 3, N, Q, R, W, B, D, F, M and 6 trains.
What Happens During a Couples Therapy Intensive?
Each intensive is structured but personalized. Here are examples of the kinds of exercises we may use to guide your work together:
-
We help you identify the recurring negative cycles that keep you stuck—whether it's shutting down, criticism, defensiveness, or emotional withdrawal—and begin replacing them with healthier, more connected patterns.
-
Using structured scripts like the Gottman “Dreams Within Conflict” or the EFT “Hold Me Tight” conversations, you’ll practice speaking vulnerably and listening with curiosity and empathy, even around emotionally charged issues.
-
You’ll be guided to explore the underlying fears, longings, and attachment needs that fuel your reactivity—and begin seeing each other’s emotional pain in a new light.
-
We may map out significant relational events to help you process hurt and disconnection, clarify where trust was lost, and explore opportunities for repair or closure.
-
When one or both partners are ambivalent about staying in the relationship, we use structured one-on-one and joint sessions to clarify each person’s truth—without pressure or urgency to fix things prematurely.
-
If infidelity or secrecy is part of your story, we may use structured trust repair exercises, accountability conversations, and forgiveness work to support healing—only if both partners are willing and ready.
-
Whether you decide to rebuild or separate, we’ll help you identify your individual and shared values, agree on immediate next steps, and leave the intensive with a practical, emotionally attuned plan.
Sample Schedule
Below is an example of a schedule of events for intensive couple’s therapy for a two-person relationship. Schedules will differ for non-monogamous or polyamorous relationships with more than two partners.
Prior to sign-up, you and your partner will participate in a consultation call to assess whether this is the right intervention for you. This is a 30 minute virtual consultation and can be followed-up with individual consultations if additional consultation is needed.
Two to three weeks prior to the start of your couple’s intensive, you and your partner will complete a series of relationship assessments. These will help you organize your thoughts about your relationship, its strengths and challenges and give your therapist a foundational understanding of target areas.
Your therapist will then share materials tailored to you and your relationship to further prepare you for the time spent in the intensive. This will include previews of worksheets, recommended readings, provisional schedule of events and more.
Preparation
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. : 3-hour couple’s session to review relationship history and current stressors. We will unpack the results from your assessments, discuss goals for our time together, review a plan of action and begin to dig into the heart of your relationship challenges.
1 - 2 p.m.: Break
2 - 3 p.m.: Individual Session with Partner A
3- 4 p.m.: Individual Session with Partner B
4 - 5 p.m.: 1-hour wrap up session to review takeaways from the day and discuss exercises and skills to practice at home.
Day 1
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. : Marathon Session with both partners. We will continue to unpack patterns showing up in your relationship and practice using various tools to support new, more adaptive cycles of healthy conflict, repair and reconnection.
OR
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. : 3-hour couple’s session.
1 - 2 p.m. : Break
2 - 4 p.m. : 2- hour couple’s session to crystallize insights, internalize takeaways and discuss the couple’s next steps.
Day 2
FAQs
-
Our intensives range from $6,000 to $8,000+, depending on the length, customization, and any add-on services such as follow-up integration sessions or additional assessment. We’ll work with you to design an experience that fits your needs and goals. Payment is due in full upon scheduling.
-
If your relationship feels stuck, in distress, or on the verge of ending—but you want clarity, healing, or one last effort to reconnect—this is likely a good fit. It’s also ideal for couples who are motivated to do deep work but struggle to attend weekly sessions. We’ll schedule a consultation beforehand to ensure this is the best next step for your relationship.
-
We can’t guarantee a specific outcome—but many couples walk away with more clarity, emotional insight, communication, co-regulation, de-escalation and attunement tools than months of weekly therapy. Some couples choose to recommit and rebuild; others decide to separate with compassion and understanding. Either way, you’ll leave with more peace and direction than when you arrived.
-
It’s common for one partner to be more invested or ready than the other. We’ll start with an individual pre-intensive interview to understand each of your hopes, concerns, and hesitations. Our goal is not to push an outcome—but to help each of you get clarity and speak honestly about what you want and need.
-
Most intensives are between 1 and 2 full days (6–12 clinical hours total). We offer half-day, one-day, and two-day formats. Some couples opt to add follow-up integration sessions or additional support after the intensive, either in-person or virtually.
-
Pre-intensive assessment and planning
Structured and customized therapy sessions
Gottman Relationship Checkup
Personalized exercises and communication coaching
Breaks and integration time
Optional follow-up plan
-
Yes, intensives can be conducted in person or online via secure video, depending on your location and needs. We’ll help you create a private, uninterrupted environment if you're attending virtually.
-
Many couples continue with follow-up therapy or coaching sessions to build on the momentum. We’ll discuss next steps before you leave, and can coordinate continued care with our team or refer you to trusted providers in your area.
Meet Our Couple’s Intensive Therapists
-
Janine Cheng, LCSW
FOUNDER + CLINICAL DIRECTOR
-
Natalie Dupre, LMSW
ASSOCIATE PSYCHOTHERAPIST