About the Intensive

Enhance, Refresh, Repair and Renew!!

NEW LOCATION 2024: SAN DIEGO, CA

2024 Marriage Intensive (May 17 - May 19, 2024)

Do any of the following describe your marriage?

• You have mutual respect and love, but your relationship intimacy is needing attention.
• You have some challenges in your communication or in how you handle conflict that you need to address for the long-term health of your marriage.
• Though you have good relational intimacy, your sexual relationship has been a source of frustration, disappointment, pain, and sadness.
• You may be experiencing challenges with: orgasm, desire discrepancy, sexual pain, erectile functioning, premature ejaculation, past sexual trauma, the impact of pornography
  
• You want to make sure to grow in your marriage throughout your life.
  
• You would like to improve intimacy in your marriage but are not sure where to start. You find this difficult to talk about with your spouse and need help where to begin.
  
• You have challenges in any of the following areas: chronic continuous or high conflict, chronic disconnection, experiences with betrayals or addiction where healing is still difficult.
• Your sexual relationship has challenges due to sexual trauma, infidelity, addiction, or mental health challenges.
• You experience sexual functioning challenges: sexual pain, arousal, desire, orgasm, erection, or ejaculation; chronic illness, surgeries, or diseases that influence your sexual relationship.

If any of these describe your marriage, click here for more information on the “Marriage Intensive”.

The Intensive Format

This is the version of The Art of Intimate Marriage for couples in a small group format. An intensive schedule means covering all the material in a one-weekend format rather than weekly or in large groups. Intensives allow for a lot of work in a short time.

Who is this Intensive For?

This is an important question. Some couples come to an weekend marriage intensive just to keep their marriage thriving. Many couples come to an intensive because there are either some issues that have gotten stuck (see those above) or because they are needing some sigificant repair after betrayal or after a time of separation? There are also couples wondering if they can save their marriage. This intensive is structured to meet the individual needs of each couple, those coming for enhancement to those looking for significant repair. Make a call to us and let us help you decide if this is for you.

The difference between a Marriage Retreat and a Marital Intensive

What is the difference between a marriage retreat and a marital intensive? Marriage retreats can be awesome and inspiring. They are priimarily didactic in format (teaching and listening) with a few hundred attending. A marital intensive is group and individual couples work for 3-5 couples in a small group format. Though there are didactic (teaching) portions, this format includes experiential exercises that each couple does privately. Though there will be opportunities to share after an exercise, sharing is not required. The entire intensive is led by a licensed therapist who assists and supports throughout. The intensives are founded on an evidence-based intervention. Each couple will also engage in two individual couples sessions: one 1-hour assessment session with Dr. Konzen before the intensive and one 1-hour follow-up session after the intensive.

Cost, Time, and Effort

The intensive is set up to include a renewing time while staying in beautiful San Diego.  Couples are encouraged to plan days before and after the intensive to enjoy the surrounding area. The latest recommended arrival is Thursday. You will begin the group intensive on Friday, finishing Sunday. You can compare the cost of this experience to an all inclusive resort vacation or a cruise. What better way to invest in your marriage. The intensive is all inclusive (all accomodations and food are included) while each couple provides their own flights and transportation. The retreat center is approximately 30min from the San Diego airport. Transportation is not included. Rental cars are recommended.

Based on: Graduated Intimacy -- the EIS Model
The intensive is created from a nationally award-winning evidence-based intervention that has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Graduated Intimacy is a step-by-step experiential marital therapy intervention for couples to gradually increase intimacy grounded in Christian principles. The EIS model stands for Empathy, Intimacy, and mutual Sexual satisfaction. This intensive intervention provides a roadmap for couples to reach new experiences of intimacy.

Read more about the intensive.

View the General Schedule.