Why a Couples Therapy Intensive Might Be the Best Choice for Your Relationship (Novato & Marin County)

Is Your Relationship at a Breaking Point, or Just in Need of a Reset?

Maybe you're stuck in the same exhausting arguments. Maybe trust has been damaged. Or maybe you just want to feel close again, but traditional weekly couples therapy feels too slow. That’s where couples therapy intensives come in.

At Kodo Couples Therapy, we specialize in offering couples intensives in Novato, designed for couples in Marin County and beyond who are ready to go deep, get unstuck, and make meaningful progress in a shorter amount of time.

What Is a Couples Intensive?

A couples intensive is exactly what it sounds like: instead of seeing your therapist once a week for 50 minutes, you spend three days focused on your goals as a couple. Think of it as a relationship retreat: structured and powerful, but also deeply relational and healing.

At Kodo, our intensives are:

• Tailored to your goals (whether it’s healing after betrayal, stopping the cycle of conflict, or improving emotional connection)

• Emotionally safe (we pace the work so both partners feel seen and supported)

• Rooted in evidence-based methods including Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and EMDR

Why Choose an Intensive Instead of Weekly Therapy?

Many couples in Marin County come to us after trying traditional couples therapy and not seeing the progress they hoped for.

Here’s why intensives often create faster breakthroughs:

1. You Get to the Heart of the Issue. Fast

When you have hours, not minutes, there’s space to go deeper into patterns, pain points, and past wounds.

2. You Bypass the Weekly Reset

In weekly therapy, couples often lose momentum between sessions. An intensive allows you to stay in the work, so the shifts stick.

3. You Leave With a Plan

Our intensives include structured follow-up: written summaries, personalized tools, and clear next steps to keep the gains alive.

How EMDR Can Help in Couples Work

One of the unique things we offer at Kodo is integrated EMDR for couples. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a powerful trauma treatment that helps people reprocess painful memories so they no longer trigger intense emotional responses.

In a couples intensive, we might use EMDR to help one partner:

• Heal attachment wounds or past relationship trauma

• Process betrayal or infidelity

• Reduce reactivity and triggers that hijack communication

When one partner is able to face their pain in a supported way, the relationship transforms. EMDR helps clear the emotional landmines that often sabotage connection.

Who Is a Couples Intensive Right For?

Couples intensives are a great fit for:

• Couples in crisis who need rapid, focused support

• Long-term partners wanting a relationship tune-up

• Busy professionals or parents who don’t have time for weekly sessions

• Anyone ready to go deep and see real change fast

Located in Novato and Serving All of Marin County

Whether you're in Novato, San Rafael, Petaluma, Mill Valley, or Larkspur, our peaceful Novato office is an easy drive and offers a welcoming space to do meaningful relationship work. We also offer virtual intensives for couples throughout California.

Next Steps

If you’re ready to move beyond conflict and disconnection, a couples intensive might be exactly what your relationship needs.

Click here to learn more about our intensives or schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if it's a fit.