Live out of town?
Marathon Multi-Day Counselling might be right for you
What is Marathon Couples Counselling?
Best Marriages offers an intensive version of our regular counselling for couples who live out of town and cannot travel to Langley on a weekly basis. Essentially we would accomplish multiple session over the course of a few days. Arrangements can be made with one of our Certified Gottman Therapists to provide extended sessions consisting of 6 hours per day, occurring over several consecutive days.
Couples who have experienced this modality and have been in typical counselling sessions said they would never have made the breakthroughs they did without being able to work through their issue in one extended sitting. They felt that by not being rushed, the needed safety to share was built up as they went on in the session.
What does it involve?
Marathon Couples Therapy is an intensive and focused therapeutic modality for couples in high distress or simply in need of a marriage expert. What you can expect from a Marathon session with one of our Gottman Therapists is to foster respect, affection, and closeness to build and share a deeper connection with each other’s inner world; to keep conflict discussions calm; to facilitate breakthroughs; to resolve conflict grid-lock; and to strengthen and maintain the gains in your relationship. You will have time to talk in depth about the struggles and challenges of the relationship that simply cannot happen in the traditional style of couples therapy. There is time to process past injuries that have never healed, and time to understand how these injuries have impacted the relationship. There is time to learn and practice new communication skills to help you have more productive conversations. There’s time to rebuild together.
We start out by identifying the goals and intentions of the therapy process right from the start. We help couples come to a compromise on their “gridlocked” issues: many times couples do not always have the same aspirations, hopes or goals, yet they need to come to some sort of resolution. We do our best to honor both individuals’ hopes and dreams. Our goal is to facilitate clients in accessing new strengths, learning new skills, and gaining new insights, which moves them in the direction that they want their relationship to go.
Prior to coming in for your first Marathon session, you will complete an assessment packet which includes an intake form, a few quizzes that you can do online through our website and the Gottman Love Lab Questionnaire.
In this assessment packet you will be asked several questions about the current state of your relationship, as well as what it is you hope to achieve during therapy. These goals will become our objective, and we will review your assessment packet prior to meeting with you.
For those choosing a 2 Day Marathon, you will also be required to complete your Intake Sessions prior to the start of your first Marathon session. Completing the Intake Process in advance of your Marathon allows you to make the most of the full day intensives. You will then start on your treatment plan at the beginning of Day 1.
On your first meeting together with your therapist, you will share an oral history of your relationship and discuss the current challenges, struggles and conflicts that your relationship is facing. You will each have the opportunity for an individual session as well to share your personal perspective on your relationship and these challenges. These individual interviews are an important part of the Intake/Assessment Process and provide your therapist with the information they need to create your Couples Treatment Plan. The therapist will then meet with you both again as a couple to review the results of your Gottman Assessment and discuss the proposed Treatment Plan for moving you toward your goals. Once we believe that we are all on the same page, the therapy begins in earnest.
How Does this Work?
You will book two to four consecutive days of therapy. If there is an infidelity in the marriage, please let us know in advance as we will require a minimum of 3 days for your booking. If you are booking a 2 Day Marathon, you will also book your Intake Sessions at this same time. If you are from outside of the Lower Mainland, you will need to make arrangements for accommodations near our clinic in Langley, or within a reasonable commute to our clinic daily. Most Marathon’s are scheduled from 10am to 5pm daily with an hour break for lunch. If you prefer an earlier or later start time, please be sure to let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you. Please note that our therapy hours for most of our Therapists are between 10am and 8pm daily.
You will pay a 50% deposit at the time of booking and the remainder is payable 3 weeks prior to the first day of your Marathon. Due to our scheduling commitments, there is a 3 week cancellation policy. Your therapist has to make themselves available and arrange their schedules for these sessions, so it is imperative that you keep your appointment and commit to this process. If you cancel 3 weeks prior to the start of your Marathon, you can choose to reschedule for a later date or receive a full refund on your deposit. Please note that refunds will not be issued for any cancellations received within 3 weeks of the start of your Marathon.
We are available for Marathon sessions almost any day of the week, depending of course, on scheduling availability.
When you have completed your Marathon, you may choose to continue your Gottman Method Couples Therapy with a second Marathon of shorter duration – either a 1 Day Marathon or a 2 Day Marathon. Or you may choose to continue with our 90 minute Gottman Method Couples Therapy Follow-up Sessions (Virtually or In Office) weekly, biweekly or monthly, to further your work on your relationship. This will be discussed on the last day of your Marathon so that you have a plan for any follow-up that might be necessary.
Other Considerations for Marathon Couples Therapy:
The format of Marathon Couples Therapy is a good fit for couples who want intensive therapy but don’t live in the vicinity of a Certified Gottman Therapist and prefer in-person clinical support or for couples whose schedules do not allow for them to attend weekly therapy sessions. It is also a great fit for couples who are urgently needing support for infidelity, loss or crisis. Please note however, that the format of Marathon Couples Therapy may move you more quickly and intensely into the areas of difficulty to be addressed in your relationship. Therefore, you and/or your partner may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, loneliness, and helplessness over the course of your Marathon sessions. Your therapy may also involve recalling unpleasant aspects of your history together and/or individually. As such, the therapist will provide an environment of safety for both partners. You will be treated with dignity and respect, without judgment, throughout the process.
MARATHON TESTIMONIAL
“I cannot express how grateful my wife Johanna and I are for the incredible weekend session we had with Darren. It was nothing short of transformative for our marriage, and we wanted to take a moment to share our heartfelt appreciation.
From the moment we walked into Darren’s office, we felt a genuine sense of warmth and compassion. His welcoming demeanor immediately put as at ease, and it was clear that he truly cares about helping couples like us navigate the complexities of marriage. Throughout the weekend, Darren displayed an unparalleled level of expertise in couples counselling. He guided us through a series of exercises and discussion that allowed us to explore the deepest corners of our relationship. Darren’s ability to foster open and honest communication was astounding. Thanks to his guidance, we learned invaluable skills for effective conflict resolution and were empowered to find win-win solutions to the challenges we’ve faced.
Darren’s patience, empathy, and unwavering support created a safe space where we felt comfortable addressing even the most sensitive issues. His keen insights and thoughtful feedback were instrumental in our journey towards healing and strengthening our marriage. The impact of this weekend with Darren has been nothing short of miraculous. We have already noticed a remarkable improvement in our communication, understanding and overall connection. Our love has been rekindled, and we owe it all to Darren’s expertise and guidance.
If you’re seeking help for your marriage, we wholeheartedly recommend Darren. His dedication to his clients is unmatched, and he will walk with you every step of the way on your journey to a healthier and happier relationship. We are eternally grateful for the positive changes he has brought into our lives, and we can’t thank him enough for his incredible work.
Darren, you are a true gem in the world of couples counselling, and we feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with you.”
– Joe Sargeant
Who Would Benefit?
Any couple who is experiencing marital or relationship distress who feel they would benefit from longer extended sessions.
Any couple who does not live in the vicinity of Langley, BC: more than an hour away for example (Vancouver, Chilliwack, or other parts of Canada or the USA).
Any couple in distress who feel the need for urgent help and will be unable to schedule regular sessions over time due to demands on their own schedules — work or travel, for example.
Who would Not be a Candidate?
Couples who have already determined to leave their relationship and cannot commit to the therapy process are unlikely to derive significant benefit from this process, and are therefore not candidates for this type of therapy.
Who Would Benefit?
Two Day Package
$5000
- Includes all of the assessments and interventions mentioned above
- 12 hours of intensive therapy/coaching
- two individual sessions (within the 12 hours)
- feedback and goal setting session
- A take home package of tools and supplementary support material.
- Highly skilled therapist who has years of experience working with couples and are master trainers with the Gottman Institute.
Three Day Package
$7500
- Recommended for Affair Recovery
- Includes all of the assessments and interventions mentioned above
- 18 hours of Intensive Therapy/Coaching
- two individual sessions (within the 18 hours)
- feedback and goal setting session
- A take home package of tools and supplementary support material.
- Highly skilled therapist who has years of experience working with couples and are master trainers with the Gottman Institute.
Four Day Package
$10,000
- Recommended for Affair recovery & those wanting extra support
- Includes all of the assessments and interventions mentioned above
- 24 hours of Intensive Therapy Coaching
- two individual sessions (within the 24 hours)
- feedback and goal setting session
- A take home package of tools and supplementary support material.
- Highly skilled therapist who has years of experience working with couples and are master trainers with the Gottman Institute.
- can also be divided into 2, 2-day sessions instead of 4 consecutive days