Home FAQ Questions Contact Schedule Consultation
Couple sitting apart (hero)
EFT Couples Intensives

Three days.
Real change.

For couples looking to go deeper than standard weekly sessions can offer, a 3-day intensive provides the time and space needed for real breakthroughs on an accelerated timeline, with powerful relational shifts happening in days, not months.

What the Intensive Is For

Where couples start. Where they land.

Coming In

Recurring arguments that go in circles, leaving you both exhausted and misunderstood

Emotional distance, living more like roommates than partners

The same painful cycle, one pursuing, one withdrawing, or both shutting down

Lingering hurt and resentment from past injuries or unmet needs

Feeling stuck and hopeless, wondering if things can actually change

After the Intensive

Able to talk about hard things without it escalating; feeling heard and understood

Reconnected, more warmth and affection, a sense that your partner is genuinely there for you

You recognize the cycle when it starts and know how to step out of it together

Renewed trust, a clearer sense that your relationship is moving forward, not repeating the past

Better equipped for real life, with a plan to keep the progress going beyond the three days

Why EFT Works

An approach that works.

70–75%
of couples move from distress to full recovery1
~90%
of couples show significant improvement2
Real change
that lasts
studies show lasting relational improvements on long-term follow-up3
#1 researched
one of the most effective and studied couples therapy models4
Couple in emotional distress
Who It Is For

Is an intensive
right for you?

Intensives work best for couples who are motivated to break the patterns keeping them stuck and are ready to work toward deep and lasting change.

Couples stuck in the same cycle who feel like nothing they try actually sticks

Couples in crisis who cannot afford to spend six months slowly building momentum

Couples for whom weekly scheduling is difficult or regular sessions have not been sustainable

Couples who have tried therapy before but felt like they never went deep enough

Pre-marital couples who want to do serious, intentional work before getting married

The Model

How we work

EFT is grounded in decades of research on love and bonding. Here is what it looks like in practice:

01

Non-pathological

This is not about diagnosing what is wrong with you or your relationship. In EFT, the focus is on deeply understanding each of you as individuals as well as the cycles and dynamics keeping the relationship stuck. At the core is understanding the attachment needs and desire for connection underneath the dysfunction.

02

Experiential

In EFT, we are not just talking about feelings and understanding things intellectually. The process is deeply experiential, focused on actually identifying and accessing emotions in the room and learning new ways of being with and understanding your partner. By slowing things down with curiosity and a genuine desire to understand each other more deeply, you begin to shift the way you see your partner and develop the more secure attachment so crucial to healing.

03

Emotion-focused

We view emotion as an important messenger, communicating in powerful ways about your needs, fears, and deepest longings. When we follow the emotion as it appears in real time, we get to the heart of what is happening much faster and with a deeper and truer understanding.

The Structure

What the three
days look like

Days run from around 9am to 3 or 4pm with breaks built in. The structure below is a guide — we adjust based on you.

1
Day One

Getting the full picture

The first three hours are assessment. The opening hour is relationship history, where you have been, what has happened, and the moments that make sense of where you are now. Then I meet with each of you individually for an hour. That individual time matters. I want to understand how you were shaped, what you carry into the relationship, and how you each see what is happening from your own perspective.

After a break, we spend the final two hours beginning to slow down your negative cycle. What sets it off. What each of you does. What you are telling yourself in those moments. We get clear on the pattern before we try to change it.

Mapping the Cycle

Relationship history Individual sessions Break Slowing the pattern down
2
Day Two

Going deeper

Day two follows a two hour block, break, two hour block rhythm. This is where we build off what emerged on day one. We start to access the deeper emotional experience underneath the cycle: the fear, the longing, the things that are hard to say. Sessions build on each other, and couples usually start to feel something shift. A little more safety. A little more clarity about what is actually happening between them.

The breaks are genuinely important. You are doing real emotional work and your mind and body need time to absorb it. We are not trying to push you to exhaustion.

Going Deeper

2hr session Break 2hr session
3
Day Three

Making it real

By day three, most couples are in a genuinely different place than where they started. We continue building on new conversations, consolidating what has changed. We end with a real review, where did you come in, where are you now, and what does follow-up look like.

Consolidating the Gains

Continued sessions Follow-up planning
Couple sitting apart
After the Intensive

Solidifying
the work

At the end of the intensive, we work together on a follow-up plan to ensure that the hard-earned progress you made is something that remains and endures long term.

Good to Know

Things people ask

Is this a replacement for ongoing therapy?

For many couples, yes. The intensive provides the breakthrough they needed. They leave with a renewed sense of safety and connection and do not feel the need for long-term weekly therapy afterward. For other couples, the intensive acts as a powerful jumpstart and creates enough momentum and clarity that their ongoing weekly sessions become deeper and more productive than before. Every relationship is different, which is why we never take a one-size-fits-all approach. On the final day of the intensive I will work with you to create a personalized follow-up plan, whether that means occasional check-ins, a short series of sessions, or more regular support.

What if things feel really broken right now?

Many couples arrive at the intensive feeling like they have run out of options. That is okay. The intensive is specifically designed to help couples break through the kind of deep stuckness that weekly therapy can struggle to reach.

Do we have to be in active conflict?

Not at all. Distance and disconnection can feel just as painful as constant fighting, and the intensive works for both. Whatever your pattern, there is a path forward.

What does follow-up look like?

Every couple is different. Together on day three we build a personalized follow-up plan based on where you are and what will best support the progress you made. You will not leave without a clear next step.

Couple holding hands
Getting Started

Every couple is
different

Before anything else, I want to understand where you are and how I can best be of help. An introductory call gives us a chance to connect, talk through what you have been experiencing, and figure out together whether an intensive is the right fit.

From there we collaborate on shaping an experience that is as meaningful and helpful as possible for you and your spouse.

Ready to take the
first step?

The first conversation is free, informal, and a chance to figure out together whether an intensive is the right fit for you.

Schedule a Free Call ← Back to Main Site
Phone
(845) 403-1668
Email
kasriel@kasrielgewirtzman.com

Research Notes

  1. 1 Johnson, S. M., Hunsley, J., Greenberg, L., & Schindler, D. (1999). Emotionally focused couples therapy: Status and challenges. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 6(1), 67–79. doi:10.1093/clipsy.6.1.67
  2. 2 Johnson, S. M. (2004). The practice of emotionally focused couple therapy: Creating connection (2nd ed.). Brunner-Routledge. See also the ICEEFT research summary at iceeft.com/eft-research
  3. 3 Cloutier, P. F., Manion, I. G., Walker, J. G., & Johnson, S. M. (2002). Emotionally focused interventions for couples with chronically ill children. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 28(4), 391–398. Follow-up studies consistently show gains maintained at 2-year follow-up. iceeft.com/eft-research
  4. 4 Wiebe, S. A., & Johnson, S. M. (2016). A review of the research in emotionally focused therapy for couples. Family Process, 55(3), 390–407. doi:10.1111/famp.12229