The Marriage Retreat Experience

A marriage retreat typically covers an extended weekend. The usual plan is for you to arrive in Baltimore, Maryland on a Wednesday evening. Have a leisurely evening with dinner and an ongoing discussion about what topics you want to cover during our meetings and your hoped-for goals.

This is an idea of how to set up your marriage retreat. Ultimately you choose the exact times and days of the week, to better suit your schedule or your pace.

Day by Day Breakdown of Retreat

Day 1 of Marriage Retreat

Day one begins with your marriage and starting marriage counseling. We would meet Thursday morning and afternoon for two hours each, separated by several hours for lunch.

You would utilize the break over lunch to discuss with each other the ideas that came out during the morning session. Depending on your situation, I might give you an assignment to work on for Thursday evening or I might suggest you relax with each other and avoid discussing the day’s events.

Day 2 of Marriage Retreat

Anger management, if you need it, begins day two of counseling. Otherwise, Friday morning we continue where we left off, or I might do a mini-workshop to teach you to remain friends and avoid hurting each other’s feelings, depending on your personal needs.

The break during the day for lunch will help you as a couple integrate what you learned. Friday afternoon you might practice how to implement what you learned in the morning and/or review your goals for the marriage retreat.

Saturday is an off day. On Saturday you will relax like tourists. Some of the day will be set aside for talking, but most of the day will be spending recreational time together.

Day 3 of Marriage Retreat

The last day of the marriage retreat involves more integration. We meet again Sunday morning to bring together whatever loose ends remain and reinforce the earlier learning.

Summary and Planning for the Future

Each meeting so far has been 2 hours each for a total of 10 hours. Sunday afternoon is a one-hour summary and planning session. At this meeting, we will plan future contact, which could be by phone or in person. The future contact might be soon or could be planned for some weeks or months away, depending on your issues and your progress.

Cost of the Marriage Retreat

I charge based on $260 per hour. The typical retreat is 11 hours. The last hour is free of charge so the total cost is $2,600. I accept credit cards if you want to spread the cost over time.

Please note: If you submit to your insurance company, they will reimburse you only a small fraction of this amount.

Better Marriage or Better Car?

When you think about an improved marriage or a newer car, I believe most couples would choose the improved marriage. Your improved marriage will last a lifetime and provide far more fulfillment over time.

Some people take out a larger loan, similar to what you would do to purchase a car, and leave the additional money in the account to handle future appointments.

Every Couple has Different Needs

The scenario above describes the typical marriage retreat, but not all of them. Ten hours of marriage counseling does not work for every couple.

The marriage retreat will be customized to your needs. Some couples want longer sessions each day and some couples want more days or different days. With enough notice, I can usually accommodate your needs or desires.

Local Hotels, Restaurants and Attractions

Baltimore and nearby Washington DC are filled with historical and recreational opportunities. Some places to look to begin planning your trip (please confirm availability, prices and suitability before finalizing plans):

• Local Hotels
• Local Restaurants
• Baltimore Activities and Attractions
• Washington DC Activities and Attractions
• Pikesville Activities and Attractions
  (my office is in Pikesville, a suburb of Baltimore)

I look forward to meeting you and working with you. I wish you the best success in repairing and improving your marriage. I want to help you make your marriage better than it ever was.

Warm wishes,