Is your happily ever after starting to spiral out of control? With all the daily struggles and trials thrown at couples, it’s not uncommon to feel this way. Don’t let the divorce rate fool you, though.
You can address these stressors and learn to deal with them by choosing therapy retreats. It doesn’t matter if you need to talk to an experienced counselor or get a little time away from your normal duties, these retreats can handle your unique needs.
We will tell you that not all getaways are made equal. One that worked great for your neighbors may do nothing to help you and your partner. Keep reading to learn how to find a retreat that will bring you and your spouse closer together.
How Therapy Retreats Work
If you attend couples counseling, you’ll go to 2-3 sessions a week over the course of a few months. Therapy retreats pack everything into a number of days.
It’s a vacation for couples. The packages include therapy sessions that will help two people work on their relationship. This intensive approach has been known to help spouses overcome a variety of different issues.
1. Know Why You’re Going
It’s hard to take advantage of the benefits of couples therapy if you don’t know why you’re going in the first place. There are many reasons to put a pause on your regular duties and head somewhere to work on your marriage.
Not all these reasons have to be as extreme as infidelity or constant bickering. Even if your marriage is amazing, there are a few problems that you may want to address with your partner. Going to a couple’s retreat is a great way to work on these issues before they get out of hand.
Once you know why you and your spouse need to attend a retreat, it will be easier to match yourselves with a therapist that can handle your unique situation.
2. Don’t Focus On Specific Issues
Infidelity is a common reason why people start looking for options for retreats. It’s a difficult situation that can put a strain on any relationship. This doesn’t mean that you should go to a retreat that focuses on this issue alone.
There are many reasons why this act of betrayal happens, and they’re not always cut and dry. There’s usually a lot of tiny factors that lead to infidelity. Not to mention, if you and your spouse are constantly reminded of the incident, the wound will stay open.
It may end up making the situation worse. It’s much better to attend a retreat that will allow you to work on closeness and honesty. This will allow you to focus on the emotions and factors centered around the problem without actually dwelling on it.
3. They Take Your Personal Limits Into Consideration
You want to attend a retreat that stretches your comfort zones. If you don’t feel a little uncomfortable, then the therapy may not be working. Still, we all have our limits when it comes to being at our most vulnerable.
The therapists at your retreat should be able to tell when they’ve pushed you to this point and alter their session accordingly. It’s also good to attend a retreat that offers breaks. This way, you have a little time to rest your mind and actually process the information you’ve learned during your treatment.
4. They Should Honor Your Goals
At the end of the day, this is your relationship. You and your partner know what you want your marriage to look like when you get done with therapy.
It’s important that the therapist listens to your goals and comes up with a plan to help you meet them. They should do this without pushing their own values at you. If nothing can be done to bridge the gap between you and your partner, that’s for the two of you to decide.
5. Stay Away From the Neutral Stance
When issues pop up in a marriage, both parties have a different idea of what caused them. An experienced therapist ignores these ideas. They look at the relationship as a whole instead of focusing on points of view and sides.
It’s the idea of the “we” instead of the “me”. They’ll challenge you to look at your thought process and think about how it’s affecting your marriage instead of taking sides.
6. Privacy
When it comes to retreats, you have a few options. You could attend sessions alone with your spouse, or go to group counseling. If you choose the latter, privacy becomes pretty important.
Nobody likes having their personal information laid out for all to see. If everyone at the session finds out that someone cheated on their spouse, suddenly the spotlight is on them. This might cause them to become withdrawn, which is the exact opposite of what you want out of a couples retreat.
7. They Use Research-Based Methods
If your therapist isn’t experienced with couples or doesn’t use researched-based methods, you’ll only be putting a bandage over a huge wound. The counselor will listen to you and offer advice that can help you in the short term, but it won’t last.
Over time, you’ll fall back into the same problems if you don’t go to a couples retreat that can teach you sustainable relationship skills.
Choosing Therapy Retreats That Will Bring You Closer Together
If you and your spouse are experiencing a rift in your relationship, it might be time for you to address it by choosing therapy retreats. It will give you the chance to get away from daily stressors to work on you and your partner.
If you choose a retreat with experienced therapists who use researched-based methods, you’re sure to overcome your problems and be well on your way toward healing.
Are you interested in getting started with a retreat? Schedule a call today and get your free consultation.