Couples Intensive Services
Marathon Therapy
What is Marathon Therapy?
Marathon therapy is an intensive form of couples counseling where partners work with a therapist for long sessions over a short period of time. Each session is essentially the equivalent of attending 4 to 6 hours of couples therapy in one day. The premise for it relies on studies which demonstrate that couples therapy can be more effective and address issues more quickly when it is offered in intensive doses initially and then phased out to less frequent treatment.
"I was initially very hesitant to do couples counseling with my partner, especially because I felt responsible for the problems in our relationship. But Kerry immediately helped put me at ease, and made even the most difficult issues seem resolvable. She helped us both uncover and articulate issues that had been hidden for years. I went into every session feeling nervous and left feeling optimistic about the relationship, understood by Kerry and my partner, and excited about the future."
-E/Wife
Is marathon therapy right for us?
Marathon therapy may be right for you if:
- You are hoping to stabilize your relationship quickly through gaining insight into the dynamics you feel trapped in, and by learning new skills to break through gridlock and change these dynamics.
- You live a distance from the Northampton area (for example Boston or the Berkshires) and do not wish to commute weekly for traditional couples therapy.
- You are currently in couples counseling with me and want to engage in more intensive work.
When is marathon therapy not advisable?
Marathon therapy is not recommended for you if you or your spouse are struggling with:
- An undisclosed, ongoing or recent affair.
- Active addiction (drugs, alcohol, etc.).
- Serious violence in your relationship, threats of serious violence, or fear of serious violence on the part of one or both partners.
- An untreated, diagnosable mental illness (bipolar, psychotic disorders and major clinical depression). This does not include past and successfully treated mental health conditions that are currently stable and/or in remission.
- Suicidal or homicidal thoughts, or a history of serious harm inflicted on another person.
- Lack of commitment to the therapy process.
How is marathon therapy structured?
Our first session is six hours with a one-hour break scheduled into the middle of the day. While the majority of the session will be spent meeting with the two of you together, there will also be time allotted to meet with each of you individually.
During this session you can expect:
- To engage in an assessment process that will illuminate the dynamics underlying the crisis that has brought you into therapy.
- To begin to learn skills that will help you achieve specific goals that we will determine, in order to resolve a current life crisis or specific issue in the relationship. Please note ~ because time is limited this does not include a full relational assessment or the teaching of every skill included in the Gottman Method.
You may, as a result of this first session, feel an increased sense of relief and hope about the potential to move through what had previously felt like a hopeless and immovable situation. It is nonetheless important to understand that the intensity of the sessions, and the difficulty of the areas being addressed, may also stir up feelings of guilt, sadness, anger, loneliness and helplessness. It is normal for these feelings to occur and to be temporarily amplified before you reach a level of decreased distress and resolution.
Subsequent sessions will meet for 4.5 hours (including a half-hour break scheduled midway through the appointment). The duration of marathon couples therapy ranges from 2 to 5 sessions and will be structured depending on the issues we are aiming to address and the goals you have for the therapy. During these sessions you can expect to:
- Learn new tools, which will aid you in moving through the obstacles that have prevented you from addressing your current relationship issues.
- Experience a significant reduction in feelings of distress.
- Find resolution to specific problems for which you are seeking treatment.
Fees and Payment Information:
The fee for marathon couples therapy is $150 an hour. Six-hour marathon couples sessions are $900 and 4.5-hour appointments are $675. There is an additional one-time $250 assessment fee for the time spent reviewing the questionnaire materials you will be submitting to me prior to our first meeting.
Insurance
It is possible with some insurances that you may be able to get coverage for a small portion of the session(s). This is usually between $140 and $200 per session. Please contact me for further information concerning what insurances I am currently able to accept.
Payments
For initial appointments, deposits are required in the form of credit card in order to hold your slot. Payment for future services is collected at the time of meeting in the form of cash, check or credit card (I currently accept all major credit cards).
Cancellation Policy
Because marathon therapy is a time intensive, specialized service, I offer only a limited number of appointments for it. All clients are required to give a minimum of two weeks notice if they need to cancel or reschedule their appointment. Initial deposits are refundable when a cancellation occurs two or more weeks before our scheduled appointment. Cancellations after this period will be charged the full fee for the marathon therapy session plus related session-specific services.
*Note ~ Due to the severe nature of New England weather, exceptions are made in the event of hazardous driving conditions and weather emergencies.
How do we get started?
I currently reserve a small number of slots in my practice exclusively for marathon therapy and, as a specialized service, these sessions fill up quickly. If you are interested in seeing me for marathon therapy, please fill out the initial inquiry form for new clients and submit it to me. There is generally a 2-4 week waiting period for your initial appointment, but on occasion I am able to get clients in sooner, so it is always worth inquiring.
Once we have scheduled an appointment I will send you a series of questionnaires that I will ask you to fill out and send back to me prior to our meeting. It is imperative that I receive these assessments a minimum of one week before our first meeting to allow ample time for me to review your answers and begin to formulate an understanding of the dynamics that have brought you in for counseling.
Couples Retreats
Retreats for couples are currently being planned for 2010. These events are usually one day workshops attended by multiple couples and are more structured than marathon therapy. Unlike marathon therapy, however, couples retreats are not catered to work specifically with you and your partner's unique relationship and struggles. Retreats offer couples the chance to learn new skills and engage in exercises to enhance the relationship and overcome old patterns of behavior that interfere with intimacy. If you are interested in receiving information on future retreats, please contact me.