Therapy doesn’t have to take years. Intensives offer focused, uninterrupted time for your relationship to get to the heart of what’s happening.
Weekly therapy is powerful — many couples make meaningful, steady progress over time, and some of the deepest work with couples can happen in that rhythm. But there are moments in a relationship when the pace of weekly 50-minute sessions isn’t quite enough. It takes time for your body to settle, for emotions to surface, and for the two of you to reach the place where the real work begins.
Intensives create the space to stay with those moments instead of stopping just as things start to open. With uninterrupted time, we’re not forced to pause right where something meaningful is opening up — often the moment a weekly session would normally end. We can stay with it, move at the pace your nervous system needs, and follow the work through to a deeper place of clarity and connection.
WHO INTENSIVES ARE FOR
Intensives may be a good fit for couples who:
Feel stuck or plateaued in weekly therapy
Are navigating a rupture or transition and want more space to work through it
Want to accelerate progress toward deeper emotional connection
Prefer focused, immersive work rather than waiting week to week for small windows of movement
Have conflicts that move quickly and need extra time to slow things down
Find that their nervous system takes longer to settle or warm up before deeper emotional work becomes accessible
Are trying to repair a significant relational hurt that weekly therapy hasn’t had enough time to fully address
Notice that the most important material emerges at the end of weekly sessions, when the clock runs out
WHAT TO EXPECT IN AN INTENSIVE
Intensives are held via telehealth by Dr. Stacy Ko and are grounded in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). The work is experiential — meaning we’re not focused on strategies or communication tools, but on slowing down what’s happening between you as it unfolds in the room so we can work with it in real time. We all protect our hearts in ways meant to keep us safe, but those same moves can prevent our loved one from coming closer and make it harder for our deeper pain and longings to be responded to. In intensives, we gently track those protective patterns, get underneath them, and help you access the more tender places they’re guarding so you can reach for each other differently and create a new felt experience of connection.
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Because we already have a shared understanding of your relationship, these intensives let us go deeper into the places that are hard to reach in weekly sessions. In the weeks leading up to your intensive, we’ll talk together about what you want to focus on and what feels most important to work through.
During the intensive, you can expect:
More emotional depth than a weekly session allows. We’ll stay with moments that usually get cut off by the clock.
A slower, steadier pace. There’s room for your body to settle and for emotions to come forward naturally.
New insights about yourself and your partner. When you have uninterrupted time, things surface that don’t always show up in shorter sessions.
Bigger feelings — with support. You may access emotions you haven’t touched before, and we’ll move through them at a pace that feels manageable.
Breaks. A 3‑hour intensive is typically held straight through. A 4‑hour intensive includes one short break, and a 2-day intensive will have several breaks included so you have time to reset and stay grounded.
Fatigue afterward. It’s normal to feel tired, reflective, or tender after this kind of work. Couples are encouraged to plan gentle time for themselves afterward.
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A two‑day intensive gives us the time needed to understand your relationship, meet with each of you individually, and begin the deeper work together. It’s not meant as a quick fix, but a focused jumpstart — a way to create clarity and momentum that weekly therapy can continue to build on. Each day includes approximately 5–6 hours of focused work, with breaks throughout.
Day 1: Understanding the Relationship
Session 1 (90 minutes): Joint session to understand what brings you in and what’s been happening between you.
Session 2 (60–90 minutes): Individual session with Partner A.
Session 3 (60–90 minutes): Individual session with Partner B.
Session 4 (90 minutes): Our first couples session after we’ve spent time understanding your relationship. We’ll begin slowing things down enough to see what happens between you in real time and start making sense of the pattern that pulls you into disconnection.
Day 2: The Deeper Work
Day 2 includes approximately5–6 hours of focused work, with breaks, divided into three extended sessions. This day is devoted to going deeper into the trickiest moments where you miss each other, giving you enough space to access the emotions that make connection possible.
Session 1 (90-120 minutes)
Session 2 (90-120 minutes)
Session 3 (90-120 minutes)
You can expect to feel tired afterward — not depleted, but in the way you might feel after a long, meaningful conversation. Couples are encouraged to plan gentle time for themselves after each day.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
3-Hour Intensive (existing clients only) | $1,500
4-Hour Intensive (existing clients only) | $2,100
10-12 Hour Intensive (existing and new clients) | $4,600
Intensives are immersive, extended sessions that require deeper emotional pacing and clinical preparation. Intensives are offered exclusively on Saturdays and Sundays. Exact start and end times will be coordinated with you to fit your schedule and needs.
NEXT STEPS
If you are an existing client: We will discuss the intensive format, timing, and paperwork together in session so everything is coordinated within the context of your ongoing work.
If you are new to Dr. Ko’s practice: We will begin with a free 30‑minute consultation to determine whether an intensive is the right fit for your goals and your relationship. If you are a good fit, Dr. Ko will walk you through the paperwork and scheduling process so we can structure the intensive in a way that supports you.
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A 50% non‑refundable deposit is required within 48 hours of scheduling to reserve an intensive. The remaining balance is due on the day of the session.
Because intensives require significant preparation and weekend availability, cancellations or rescheduling within 7 days are subject to the full fee. In cases of illness or emergency, a one‑time courtesy reschedule may be offered when possible, though the deposit remains non‑refundable.
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How do we know if an intensive is the right fit for us?
An intensive is a good fit when both partners share a desire to understand what’s happening between them and want focused time to work on it together. Many couples choose this format when weekly therapy hasn’t been possible, hasn’t created enough movement, or has started to feel plateaued. It’s also helpful for couples who have tried other models and felt stalled, or whose patterns move quickly and need more space to slow down and make sense of what’s happening. In the consultation, Dr. Ko will talk through your goals and determine whether this structure is the best use of your time and energy.
Is an intensive only for couples in crisis?
No. Intensives are not only for crisis — they’re for clarity, movement, and depth. Many couples come because they want to understand their pattern more clearly, reconnect, or get unstuck after feeling stalled in weekly therapy. You do not need to be in crisis to benefit from extended, focused time together.
What would make us not a good fit for an intensive?
Some situations require a different level of support or a different structure. An intensive is not appropriate when:
There is an active, ongoing affair that has not been disclosed or stabilized
There is untreated addiction that significantly impacts the relationship
One or both partners do not feel physically or emotionally safe in the same room
There is concern that what’s shared in therapy will be used against the other partner
There are mixed agendas (one partner wants to work on the relationship, the other does not)
The couple is separated
During the consultation, Dr. Ko will assess whether an intensive is a good use of your time and money. She will not move forward with an intensive if she does not believe you can benefit from it.
What if one of us isn’t good with emotions or EFT‑type work?
This is extremely common — and EFT is designed for exactly this. You do not need to be “good at feelings” to benefit from an EFT intensive. Dr. Ko will guide the process, slow things down, and help each partner access what’s underneath in a way that feels manageable. Many partners who start out unsure or uncomfortable find the structure grounding and clarifying.
How is an intensive different from weekly couples therapy?
Weekly therapy offers steady support in shorter segments. Intensives provide extended, uninterrupted time to slow down what happens between you, understand your pattern, and work with the moments that matter without rushing. The immersive format allows for deeper emotional pacing and movement that is harder to reach in a traditional 50‑minute session.
How do I schedule an intensive as a new client?
Dr. Ko offers free 30-minute consultations to assess whether you and your partner are a good fit for an intensive. The consultation is a chance to talk through what’s been happening in your relationship, what you’re hoping for, and whether an intensive is the right structure for your goals and capacity. Dr. Ko will walk you through the format, answer questions, and help assess fit. If it feels like a good match, she will share the paperwork and scheduling details; if an intensive is not appropriate, she will recommend other resources and/or structures for therapy that better support your situation.
What if we’re already working with another couples therapist?
Many couples come to an intensive while working with another therapist. The intensive can complement ongoing work by giving you focused time to understand your pattern and create movement you can continue building on. If helpful, Dr. Ko can provide a brief summary of themes or shifts for you to bring back to your therapist.
Do you take insurance or offer superbills?
Intensives are a self‑pay service and are not billable to insurance. Superbills are not provided for intensive work, as this format is not typically covered by insurance plans.
What is your cancellation policy?
Please see the full Deposit & Cancellation Policy above for details. Because intensives reserve significant time and preparation, the policy is firm and designed to protect the container for both partners and for Dr. Ko.
What happens after an intensive?
Before you leave, we’ll talk together about what comes next so you have a clear sense of how to maintain the progress we attained. The goal is to choose the path that best supports the momentum you created during the intensive. This may include:returning to your existing therapist (for new clients)
beginning/continuing weekly therapy with me
scheduling another intensive
or taking time to let the work settle before deciding on next steps