Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

  • 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 80–110 minutes. 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.

  • At this time, I’m not accepting new clients for weekly therapy. I’m focusing on Couples Intensives, Couples Retreats, and Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) services. Follow-up is available for couples who complete a Couples Intensive.

  • 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.

  • Services are private pay. If you have out-of-network benefits (e.g., a PPO), I’m happy to provide a superbill upon request so you can submit for possible reimbursement. Please check with your insurer regarding your specific coverage.

  • 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, I’ll provide thoughtful referrals.

  • Schedule a free consultation to talk through your goals and concerns. In general:

    • Couples Intensive: a private weekend of therapy for deep, focused work.

    • Couples Retreat: a small-group, experiential weekend (not therapy) focused on skills and connection—with time to relax and reset.

Couples Intensives

  • 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 often leads to quicker gains and deeper breakthroughs.

  • 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. You’ll learn tools for self-regulation and co-regulation that you can take home.

  • Intensives are ideal for couples who:

    • Schedule challenges to attend weekly sessions over months,

    • Feel at a crossroads,

    • Are premarital and want a strong foundation, or

    • Want rapid progress beyond what weekly therapy typically offers with start and stop appointments.

  • A typical schedule is:

    • Friday: 4:00–7:00 PM

    • Saturday: 9:00 AM–4:30 PM (with a 1.5-hour lunch)

    • Sunday: 8:30–11:30 AM
      Breaks are built in for integration and rest. Each intensive is tailored to your relationship’s needs.

  • 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.

  • You set the pace. You always choose what—and how much—you share. Everything discussed is confidential.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Many couples find it highly beneficial to stay on-site to minimize distractions and prioritize the relationship. While recommended, lodging is not required.

Anchored in Love Couples Retreats

  • 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, Anchored in Love is intimate and relaxed, with plenty of privacy for you and your partner.

  • 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.)

  • No. Your privacy is a priority. Sharing with the larger group is always optional.

    • Four guided small-group sessions

    • One optional half-day sailing excursion or a private therapy session

    • A 50-minute intake call before the retreat

    • Access to resort amenities

    • A curated blend of movement, mindfulness, and relationship skill-building

    • An individualized action plan to take home

    • Drinks and refreshments throughout the weekend

  • At Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado, California.

  • Highly recommended, not required.

  • Liz Marucheau, LCSW and Helen Kuhn, LPCC—licensed couples clinicians with over 35 years of combined experience. We’ve both taught couples therapy at the graduate level at San Diego State University.

  • No. It’s 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).

    • Friday — Set the Sail (3 hours): Lays the foundation for the weekend in a beautiful waterfront villa.

    • Saturday — Deep Dive (3 hours): Targeted tools and strategies in the morning; in the afternoon choose half-day sailing on San Diego Bay, a private therapy session, or down time to enjoy the resort.

    • Sunday — Tie the Knot (3 hours): Leave with an individualized action plan for long-term success.
      Dress is casual and comfortable. Layers are encouraged; some private exercises may take place outdoors on the patio.

  • No. Sailing is optional on Saturday afternoon. All sessions occur in the waterfront villa on the resort property.

  • While lodging isn’t included, participants may opt to stay at the resort and receive a 15-20% discount on room rates and 20% off food and spa services. The retreat fee is discounted for 2025, with an additional $50 discount for therapists.

  • The 2025 fee is $875 per couple. Two retreats remain this year: Weekends of September 19, 2025 and October 10, 2025.

  • Yes. We can design a private retreat for your group. Pricing depends on group size; for five couples the fee is $875 per couple. For three or four couples, pricing is prorated.

  • Many couples feel complete after the weekend; others appreciate additional support to integrate skills:

    1. Eighty-minute therapy sessions

    2. Mini-intensives (3, 4, or 6 hours)

    3. A Weekend Couples Intensive

  • This retreat isn’t designed for couples who just 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)

  • 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.

  • You listen to specially filtered music that engages the vagus nerve, helping your system shift from defense to safety and connection.

  • SSP can benefit individuals and couples experiencing insomnia, trauma, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, or feeling “stuck” in old patterns. I am a certified SSP provider and offer SSP to adults and couples.

  • Yes. SSP is available in person or remotely via a secure platform, depending on what’s most convenient and clinically appropriate.