SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA COUPLES INTENSIVES and COUPLES RETREATS
FAQ’s
General Questions
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A first session can feel intimidating—many people feel that way. The first session for all services is an intake where we gather history, clarify goals, and collaborate on the best approach. The appointment is 50–120 minutes, depending on the service. Prior to the intake, you’ll be invited to a secure, HIPAA-compliant client portal to complete intake paperwork and a few assessments. Completing these ahead of time saves you both time and money.
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Yes, as long as space is available.
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Because I reserve significant time and plan in advance, advance notice is required to avoid a cancellation fee. Please refer to your intake documents for full details as it varies based on the service chosen.
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If you have out-of-network benefits (e.g., a PPO), I’m happy to provide a super bill upon request so you can submit for reimbursement. Please check with your insurer regarding your specific coverage.
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It’s natural to wonder if a service is the right fit. I offer a free consultation call before scheduling an intake. We’ll discuss your goals and I’ll share my approach. If I’m not the right fit for you, I’ll provide thoughtful referrals.
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Schedule a free consultation to talk through your goals and concerns. In general:
Couples Intensive: a private weekend of therapy for deep, focused work for one couple.
Couples Retreat: a small-group, experiential weekend (not therapy) focused on skill building and connection—with time to relax and reset.
Safe & Sound Protocol: Is a sound healing intervention done in the comfort of your own home.
Couples Intensives
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A Couples Intensive is a private, immersive weekend designed to help you dive deeply into your relationship with focused support. It’s one couple, one therapist, all weekend. This accelerated format leads to quicker gains and deeper breakthroughs.
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This concern is completely normal in deep, focused work (and likely familiar from home). I pace the weekend to your nervous systems and watch closely for signs we need to slow down, pause, or shift focus. I use trauma-informed, nervous-system-aware approaches to help you stay grounded and connected. Breaks are built in, and emotional safety is continuously monitored to prevent overwhelm or shut down. You’ll learn tools for self-regulation and co-regulation that you can take home.
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Intensives are ideal for couples who:
Schedule challenges to attend weekly sessions over months or sometimes years
Feel they are at a crossroad
Are premarital and want a strong foundation for life
Want rapid progress beyond what weekly therapy typically offers with start and stop appointments.
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Your intensive can be completed over a weekend or spread across three or four days, depending on what works best for your schedule. Many couples who travel to San Diego prefer the convenience of a weekend format, while others choose to space the sessions over several days to allow for additional processing and integration between meetings.
Breaks are intentionally built into each day to allow time for rest, reflection, and integration. Every intensive is thoughtfully tailored to meet the unique needs of your relationship.
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I draw from neuroscience-informed methods, including PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy), IFIO (Intimacy from the Inside Out) which is an Internal Family Systems model for Couples, the Gottman Method, the Developmental Model, and the Relational Intimacy Model. All of my work is grounded in attachment, developmental theory, and neuroscience.
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You set the pace. You always choose what—and how much—you share. Everything discussed is confidential.
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I don’t take electronic notes during an intensive. I take brief paper notes so I can create your personalized action plan, which you’ll receive after the intensive. My notes are stored securely and accessed only by me.
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Most intensives are held at Loews Coronado Bay Resort, a secluded waterfront setting in Coronado. When that venue isn’t available, we meet at a comparable resort on Shelter Island.
Mini Intensives take place in the office located at 5405 Morehouse Drive, Suite 330, San Diego, CA. 92121.
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Many couples find it highly beneficial to stay on-site to minimize distractions and prioritize the relationship for the weekend. While recommended, lodging is not required.
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Sabbath -sensitive scheduling honors religious observance and spiritual priorities. These Couples Intensives are thoughtfully designed so couples can fully engage in the work without comprising their faith or values.
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Weekly couples therapy can be helpful, however, meaningful progress is often slowed by time constraints and the interruptions of life demands. By the time the next appointment arrives, couples may have lost momentum or fallen back into familiar patterns.
A Couples Intensive creates the time, focus, and continuity needed for lasting change. Over the course of a weekend or three to four days, you'll work through the issues that matter most, uncover the deeper dynamics driving conflict, and learn practical tools to strengthen communication, rebuild trust, and deepen connection, all with personalized guidance and support.
Rather than spending months revisiting the same concerns, many couples experience significant breakthroughs in just a few days because they have uninterrupted time to fully engage in the therapeutic process.
Anchored in Love Couples Retreats
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A small-group (maximum five couples) weekend focused on connection, communication, and nervous system regulation through experiential learning—not therapy. Unlike large lecture-style workshops & retreats, Anchored in Love is intimate and relaxed, with plenty of privacy for you and your partner.
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No. This is not group therapy. You’ll discuss concepts and practice skills privately with your partner. You never have to share personal issues with the group. (You can also read Google reviews from past participants.)
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No. Your privacy is a priority. Sharing with the larger group is always optional.
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Four therapist led interactive relationship sessions
One pre-retreat intake consultation
An optional private couples therapy session
A personalized relationship action plan to guide continued growth after the retreat
A comprehensive relationship resource manual to take home
A curated blend of experiential exercises, mindfulness, movement, and practical relationship skills in a private, supportive setting
Continental breakfast each morning, plus beverages and refreshments throughout the weekend
Full access to Loews Coronado Bay Resort amenities throughout your stay
Optional Add On: adventures including a half-day sailing excursion or guided mountain biking experience
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At Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado, California.
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Staying at the resort is highly recommended, however not required.
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Liz Marucheau, LCSW and Helen Kuhn, LPCC—licensed couples clinicians with over 35 years of combined experience. We’ve both taught couples therapy courses at the graduate level at San Diego State University. Liz has created Couples therapy curriculum.
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The Anchored in Love Couples Retreat is not just for couples who feel disconnected. The retreat is for premarital couples building a secure foundation, long-term partners wanting to refresh and deepen connection, and even therapists attending with their partners. All couples are welcome—regardless of sexual orientation, background, religion, education level, or neurotype (including neurodivergent and mixed-neurotype relationships).
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Friday: Set the Sail (3 hours): Lays the foundation for the weekend in a beautiful waterfront villa.
Saturday: Deep Dive (3.5 hours): Targeted tools and strategies in the morning with individual private areas for each couples to practice new skills.
In the afternoon choose: a private therapy session, or down time to enjoy the resort amenities and or San Diego.
Optional add on is available: for a half-day sailing excursion or half day Mountain Bike excursion.
Sunday: Tie the Knot (3 hours): Leave with an individualized action plan and a resource manual for long-term success.
Dress is casual and comfortable. Layers are encouraged; some private exercises may take place outdoors on the private patio.
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Sailing is an optional add on, the retreat takes place in a waterfront Villa. Saturday afternoon provides several options: some couples prefer to have a private therapy session while other couples prefer to enjoy the resort amenities or take time to enjoy San Diego or Coronado Island,
All retreat sessions occur in the waterfront villa on the resort property.
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While lodging isn’t included, participants may opt to stay at the resort and receive a 10-20% discount on room rates. The retreat fee is discounted for 2026, with an additional $75 discount for mental health professionals.
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The 2026 fee is $1350. per couple.
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Yes. We can design a private retreat for your group. Pricing depends on group size; for five couples the fee is $1225 per couple. For three or four couples, pricing is prorated.
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Many couples feel complete after the weekend; others appreciate additional support to integrate skills:
Eighty-minute therapy sessions
Mini-intensives (3, 4, or 6 hours) typically on a Monday
A Weekend Couples Intensive
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This retreat isn’t designed for couples who recently discovered an infidelity, are dealing with active addictions that interfere with the relationship, or are on the brink of divorce. In these cases, please contact me to discuss whether a Couples Intensive would be a better fit.
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
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SSP is a listening-based intervention designed to help regulate the nervous system and support improved connection, communication, and emotional resilience. It was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, a psychologist, neuroscientist, and professor.
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You listen to specially filtered music that engages the vagus nerve, helping your system shift from defense to safety and connection.
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SSP can benefit individuals and couples experiencing insomnia, trauma, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, or being “stuck” in old patterns. I am a certified SSP provider and offer SSP to adults and couples.
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Yes, SSP is available in person or remotely via a secure platform, depending on what’s most convenient and clinically appropriate.