Couples intensive · Dallas, Texas
The fight you keep having deserves time and attention.
About twelve hours of focused couples therapy over two days. Grounded in Relational Life Therapy. Private and in person, in a comfortable garden office in North Dallas.
- Length
- 2 consecutive days
- Time together
- About 12 hours
- Beforehand
- An individual session with each of you
- Afterward
- Written plan and a follow-up session
- Investment
- From $4,000
Is this right for you
Could two focused days be right for you?
A strong fit when
- You're at a crossroads and need to decide what comes next.
- You're recovering from an affair, a betrayal, or another rupture.
- Weekly couples therapy hasn't moved the pattern.
- Your schedules make weekly sessions hard to keep up.
- One of you is close to leaving, and you want a real attempt first.
Not the right first step when
- There's ongoing physical violence or threats, or one partner feels unsafe at home.
- Active, untreated addiction is driving the conflict.
Screening exists to check this. If an intensive isn't right for you, I'll help you find what is.
Why two days
More time to stay with the conversation.
Weekly sessions give you time to practice between appointments. An intensive offers longer stretches together, with fewer breaks in the conversation.
That gives us room to explore the patterns between you and practice responding differently, with coaching in the room before you try it at home.
Two days won't resolve everything. Progress varies, and ongoing therapy may still be helpful. We'll use the consult and screening process to consider whether this format fits your situation.
How it works
From first call to follow-up.
Before
Your individual sessions
After the consult and intake, I meet with each of you alone. You each tell me your story privately, so we can start day one together and get straight to work.
Day one
Seeing the pattern
Both of you, from the first hour. Where the pattern comes from, what each of you does inside it, and what it costs you both.
Day two
Building what replaces it
Practice the conversations you've been avoiding. Repair what needs repair. Leave with a written plan you both agreed to.
After
Follow-up session
We check in on what held, what slipped, and what comes next, including weekly sessions if you want them.
The approach
Grounded in Relational Life Therapy.
My approach is direct and grounded in Relational Life Therapy, developed by Terry Real. When I see a pattern that's hurting the relationship, I'll name it. We'll work on what you can do differently: asking for what you want, listening without defending, and repairing after a fight.
Most couples recognize themselves in what Terry Real calls the five losing strategies: needing to be right, controlling, withdrawal, unbridled self-expression, and retaliation.
Where
A comfortable garden office in North Dallas.
Intensives take place somewhere private and quiet, away from your phones, your kitchen, and the room you usually fight in. You'll get the address once your intensive is booked.
Couples from outside Dallas are welcome. The intensive is in person.
Investment
What a couples intensive costs.
| Weekday intensiveTwo consecutive weekdays | $4,000 |
|---|---|
| Friday and SaturdayOne weekend available per month | $6,000 |
What's included. Screening, an individual session with each partner, both full days, your written plan, and a follow-up session.
Reduced-fee spots. For every eight full-fee intensives, the next two are offered at a reduced rate. These are weekday only. Ask about availability on your consult call.
Weekends are limited. One weekend a month is open for intensives, so those book first.
Private pay. Intensives aren't billed to insurance.
Questions
Couples intensive questions.
What is a couples intensive?
A couples intensive is concentrated couples therapy: about twelve hours over two consecutive days instead of one hour a week. I meet with each of you individually beforehand. Then we spend both days together working on the pattern that keeps you stuck, and you leave with a written plan and a follow-up session.
How is an intensive different from a marriage retreat or workshop?
A retreat or workshop usually teaches skills to a group of couples. An intensive is private therapy: just the two of you and me, working on your specific pattern for two full days.
How much does a couples intensive cost in Dallas?
A two-day weekday intensive is $4,000. A Friday and Saturday weekend intensive is $6,000, with one weekend available each month. The fee covers screening, an individual session with each partner, both full days, your written plan, and a follow-up session.
Is a couples intensive covered by insurance?
Intensives are private pay. Ask on your consult call whether a superbill makes sense for your plan.
We're thinking about divorce. Is an intensive still worth it?
Many couples come at exactly that point. My job isn't to keep you together at any cost. It's to help you see clearly enough to decide well. We'll work toward a clearer understanding of your options and what each would mean for you and your family. Whether you stay together or separate, the aim is to make decisions thoughtfully—not to promise a particular outcome.
How do we prepare?
After you book, you'll each fill out intake forms and meet with me individually. That's the preparation. You don't need to plan what to say.
What happens after the intensive?
You leave with a written plan you both agreed to. A follow-up session is included, and weekly sessions are available if you want to keep going.
Who isn't a good fit for an intensive?
If there's ongoing physical violence or threats, or one partner feels unsafe at home, an intensive isn't the right first step. Active, untreated addiction also needs its own care first. The screening process exists to check this, and I'll help you find the right support if it's not a fit.
Who you'll work with
Julia Ruiz Hoffman, MA
I've spent more than fifteen years working with families and people in crisis. I'm trained in Relational Life Therapy and I'm direct. My loyalty is to the relationship, so in any given moment I may push harder on one of you than the other. Over time, you'll both get the same honesty.
Begin
Come do the work.
- Free 20-minute consultTell me what's going on. I'll tell you honestly whether an intensive is the right fit.
- Screening and intakeForms for both of you, then an individual session with each partner.
- Schedule your two daysTwo consecutive weekdays, or one of the monthly weekend dates.
Book your consult
Start with a free 20-minute call.
Requests go through the secure client portal, so your information stays private. Choose “I'm a new client” and ask for Julia Hoffman.
Request a consultPlease don't send detailed health information by email. We'll cover that privately.