Couples Therapy Retreats – Are They Worth the Try?

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Going to a couples therapy retreat is the best way for couples to get their relationship back on track, the way it used to be during the honeymoon phase. Couples retreats could be a week-long program or a short weekend getaway meant to be spent with your partner. The purpose is to move you away from your commonplace temporarily, not just physically and geographically, but from the whole everyday routine of fights as well. It is an opportunity to mentally and emotionally detach yourself from the stressful environment back home to relax and gain a better understanding of certain things about your relationship.
So, how does this experience improve relationships, you may ask? Well, here are 3 things partners do during a couples retreat and how it could help you change your relationship for the better:

1. Know what is really going on

Going to a couples therapy retreat is like taking a step back and looking at your relationship from the outside. You will have the time to talk about what each of you is currently up to. It’s the right time to talk about your feelings and concerns; time to ask questions like, “Why have you been so cold and distant?” or “Why did things change?”. Away from kids and work, you will be able to concentrate on trying to sort things out starting off by recognizing and focusing on the real problem. Retreats give couples time to be alone with each other to reminisce and make up, but this experience is not just a fun vacation. It could be a real eye opener.

2. Rekindle the flame

Couples are spending less quality time with each other because of children, errands, and work. They could compensate for this lost time by going to a couples therapy retreat. It’s where they could rekindle the flame to save the spark of passion from dying out. Going to a couples therapy retreat will grant you the time to have a romantic night alone with your partner or a dreamy candlelit dinner date you have been planning for long but can never accomplish because life is just in constant chaos. This is also the time for you to set aside the world and soak up in each other’s presence and love. Remember, relationships require a lot of time and effort from both sides. Inviting him or her for retreat is one way to tell your partner that they are not taken for granted.

3. Resolve issues

A couples therapy retreat is the proper venue for you to talk about your issues and figure out ways to solve your problems with the help of your therapist as the neutral party. This is also the time to discuss about each other’s shortcomings with a cool head and an open heart. Perhaps, you’re not as angry with each other anymore after a weekend of bonding and participating in couples activities. While a regular day in a couples therapy session is all talk and no fun, a couples therapy retreat have given you the time to relax while being alone with each other, to think about your issues, and think clearly about your relationship. Being away from your busy life can actually ease up your mind and heart, and only with that state of being will you truly realize how you want things to go in your relationship. At the end of the retreat, it is fairly possible that you will be able to resolve all your marital issues or relationship problems.  
Now that you know the benefits you can reap from going to couples therapy retreats, it is important to consider if it really is what you need. If so, how do you choose the right kind of activities for you and your partner? There are different types of couples therapy retreats and a couple of examples are as follows:

1. Spiritual or religious

These religion-based and organized couples therapy retreats are good for those who want to strengthen their hearts and minds as individuals and as a couple under the witness of their church. These activities revolve around scriptures about love and aided with psychology research information. This event imparts ideas on how to strengthen a relationship.

2. Educational

This kind of couples therapy retreat focuses more on giving scientific and empirical-based research information and explanations that would help a couple deal with their problems. This also depends on the approach of your therapist. Some of them would give you straightforward answers to your relationship questions, while others prefer a three-way discussion between you and your partner, facilitated by your therapist, so you could figure things out by yourselves. This is more of a theory-based approach in handling a couple’s relationship problems.
For a couples therapy retreat to be a success and have fruitful results, here are a few things to consider:

3. Agreement

A couples therapy retreat will never work out if one of you is simply forced into it. The main purpose of this activity is to resolve relationship issues and rebuild love, trust and intimacy between partners together. How will you be able to get things back on track if participation is not voluntary? Given this, it is very important that both you and your partner are willing to go through the process.

4. Timing

Yes, timing is indeed everything. If going to a couples therapy retreat didn’t work the first time, it doesn’t mean it’s a failure. Perhaps you two are not ready to be left alone in the same room right now, but with a little more time and effort, you eventually can. Don’t just say that couples therapy retreats are a waste of time and money. Therapists who guide you through this are well-informed and well-trained professionals and the success of the process does not depend on them alone. The problem is, we tend to believe that everything can be instantly fixed or solved. This does not apply to relationship conflicts. If your relationship is in a very bad shape, your therapist cannot magically put it back together to look perfect.
 
Lucky are those who found love, some would say. What they do not know is that relationships are not full of love all the time. If you have hit a rough patch in your relationship right now, going to a couples therapy retreat is the solution to your problem. Find the perfect time and place to talk, resolve conflicts and rekindle the flame of your relationship. To answer your question, yes, couples therapy retreats are completely worth trying!