When Weekly Sessions Aren't Enough:
Transform Your Therapy Practice with 2-Day Couples Intensives
Nearly every couples therapist can relate to this:
The session is ending and you've just barely started making progress.
Your couple leaves in the middle of getting their hearts ripped open, and you know they’re headed for another week of feeling stuck, in crisis, arguing, and triggering each other.
And you wonder,
“Did I help them at all?”
“Why do I feel so exhausted?”
You’re not alone. Therapists everywhere are tired. Not from the work itself, but from working without a reliable structure that creates lasting change.
It’s a recipe for burnout.
This isn’t why you became a therapist/coach. You wanted to help people be happier, to help them grow, heal, and have breakthroughs.
Now you’re dreading another week of slow progress in hourly sessions with difficult couples — and you’re asking yourself the uncomfortable question…
“Is it them, or is it me?”
But the truth is that there’s only so much you can do in a 50-minute or even a 2-hour session with distressed couples.
The current model of couples therapy is broken.
Not only that, it’s almost unethical.
When a couple comes to you for help, it’s almost always for an urgent issue.
They're fighting. They can't communicate. They're tired of feeling like roommates. Or maybe they just recently found out about an infidelity. And without help, they may be headed for breakup or divorce.
They don't have months or years to work towards a resolution. But that’s exactly what the conventional therapy model of hourly (or even 45-minute) sessions offers…
A chance to stir things up just in time for you to say,
"We're out of time."
It leaves them – and you – frustrated.
Couples deserve more than that. And so do you.
It’s time for a new way of helping couples that gets you excited about your work again.
When you learn to lead 2-day Couples Intensives, it can transform your practice.
The most successful therapists know that client breakthroughs take time.
But it doesn’t have to take months or years. It can happen in 2 days. Today’s busy couples are looking for something different.
We created a roadmap for Couples Intensives so you can help your clients now, while leveraging your time, and earning beyond the hourly limits.
With 3 days of live training and 8 months of follow-up support, you’ll get everything you need to lead 2-day Intensives...
And without getting in over your head or ending up with the wrong couples in the room.
This official Couples Institute Training is designed for therapists who want to deepen their skills in working with couples using the renowned Developmental Model.
You’ll learn how to:
- Conduct a consultation that helps you rule couples in or out (so you never find yourself feeling stuck and wishing for an escape hatch)
- Talk to clients about the brain in a way that helps them understand what's happening when they fight – and how it’s possible to break that pattern
- Set clear, realistic goals for the 2-day process that get clients feeling motivated and hopeful
- Use the Initiator-Inquirer process with precision: when to introduce it, how to guide it, and how to tailor it to your couple
- Apply 3 Initiator-Inquirer Continuums that help couples track their own growth and give you the key areas to focus on
- Use our Intensive Questionnaires to quickly identify where to spend time, what to ignore, and what deeper patterns are playing out so you can work deeper than the fight-of-the-week
- Teach new skills, practice in session, and set up real-world follow-through so couples leave with new skills that they have practiced and know how to use outside your office
You’ll Also Get Everything You Need To Make A Pivot In Your Practice
Switch from frustrating short sessions to...
Having More Energy
Forget feeling drained after cycling through back-to-back couples sessions every day. Couples Intensives lead to energizing breakthroughs that make work fun and rewarding.
Working Fewer Hours
Offering Couples Intensives gives you the income and flexibility to work as little or as often as you want.
More Effectiveness
Take couples through a process that does more in two days than what can be accomplished in months of therapy. That means more job satisfaction for you, and more happy couples who rave about you to others — so you can be booked as many Couples Intensives as you choose.
More Freedom In Your Schedule
Want to only work on weekends or two days during the week? Offering Couples Intensives gives you the freedom to work when you want, without gaps in your schedule while you wait for your next session.
Confidence That You’re Using A Model That Works
The Developmental Model has been used with proven results for 35 years. Now we’ve refashioned it into a brand new way of helping couples that’s revolutionizing the psychotherapy field.
“This is one of the best things I have ever done.”
Where do you want to be a few months from now?
It’s time to try something different.
The Couples Intensives Training is the fastest, most effective, and most satisfying way to fall in love with your work again.
Here’s What Therapists Are Saying…
“This is one of the best things I have ever done.”
“I see couples falling in love again.”
Check out what others have done with Intensives
These testimonials reflect the real-life experiences of individuals who completed our training. However, their experiences are personal to those individuals and may not necessarily be representative of all program participants. We do not claim, and you should not assume, that all users will have the same results. Earnings and client outcomes depend on a variety of factors including location, experience, effort, market demand, and individual application of the material.
Where do you want to be a few months from now?
Proud of all you've accomplished for your clients and the new career path you've taken? Or feeling drained by short couples sessions where barely any progress is made? (And earning way less income than you could.)
It’s time to try something different.
The Couples Intensives Training is the fastest, most effective, and most satisfying way to fall in love with your work again.
Be part of this group of therapists who are forging an exciting new path.
In the Couples Intensives Training, you’ll get everything you need to start offering Couples Intensives right away.
- 3 Days of Live Training with Ellyn & Lori
- 6 Follow-up Training Calls with Ellyn & Lori
- Community Support Membership
- 2 Specialty Marketing & Copywriting Calls
- One binder of 33 Handouts for Couples
- Another binder with structure, roadmap, intake questionnaires, email templates for you
- Complete structure and instructions for leading an Intensive
- *Bonus: 2-day Intensive footage
*PLUS… Watch an Entire 2-Day Intensive That Can’t Be Bought
When you join the training, you’ll get exclusive access to a full, uncut two-day intensive led by Lori — who’s facilitated more Developmental Model intensives than anyone alive. You’ll see every move. Every pause. Every moment of breakthrough.
And you won’t just watch the work—you’ll understand the thinking behind it. Because you’ll see Ellyn comment on the work.
Ellyn and Lori will walk you through exactly why they made the choices they did:
What they pursued.
What they ignored.
Where they saw leverage.
And how they used the Developmental Model Intensives framework to guide each decision in real time.
This is not a bonus you can buy.
This is the kind of access most therapists never get in their careers.
And if you’re serious about mastering intensives, you’ll love watching two world-class trainers work with clinical precision, deep intuition, and decades of experience.
You can’t find this anywhere else. You only get it here.
What Else is Covered in Your Live Training and Follow-Up Support?
01
Onboard new or existing clients
Not only will you learn how to lead a Couples Intensive, you’ll learn how to get new clients on board. Get specific talking points and guidance to explain Intensives to new and existing clients in a way that gets you both excited.
02
How to market Couples Intensives so couples come to you
03
You’ll learn how to screen for dream clients and say, “No thank you” to the ones who aren’t a good fit. Get specific questions to ask on consultation calls so you feel like a confident pro every step of the way.
04
Learn exactly what to say if you’re asked tough questions like “Is there a guarantee?” We’ll give you exact scripts so you won’t feel stumped and can focus on helping your clients.
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This isn’t just another workshop. It’s your moment to revolutionize how you work with couples while boosting your income, your reputation, and your satisfaction.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO LEAD A COUPLES INTENSIVE
Day 1
A Proven Roadmap from Start to Finish
You’ll learn the exact structure of an intensive, from consultation call to goodbye handshake – or hug. You’ll see how each phase builds upon the previous one to create a transformative experience for couples in 2 days. You’ll get our proven list of questions to ask on consultation calls so you can screen for dream clients and two binders full of materials that tell you what to do, when.
Handouts that Do the Heavy Lifting
You’ll get the sequence and handouts for a successful 2-Day Intensive. You’ll see the binder of materials that will guide you as well as the binder of handouts you can send couples home with.
The Initial Consult
Through a live demonstration, you’ll get specific talking points to guide new and existing clients to sign up for an Intensive. From initial consultation to commitment and preparing for the first day, you’ll get the step by step process to confidently get started.
Handling Questions and Objections
Learn what to say if you’re asked tough questions like “Is there a guarantee?” With demonstrations and role plays, you’ll be ready to handle anything.
Day 2
INTAKE QUESTIONNAIRES
Watch a video of Dr. Ellyn Bader reviewing the intake questionnaire (the
same one you’ll get!) with a couple. You’ll learn the ins and outs of a successful consultation.
Setting the Tone Before You Start
You’ll learn how to take care of your client’s pre-Intensive jitters and assure them that they’re on the right track so you can create a transformative experience in the first 20 minutes.
Own Your Role as a Leader
We’ll cover the qualities of leadership that are crucial in an intensive. You’ll discover how to establish your role as a confident expert so couples feel like they’re finally getting the help they want.
Day 3
Charge What You’re Worth
How to Market so Couples Come to You
How to Pivot Your Practice: Follow-ups and Mini-Intensives
Do you only want to do the initial Couples Intensives, and not the follow-up? Or do you want to see your clients through? We’ll guide you to determine which option works best for you so you can work as little or as much as you want – all while your clients are handled with care.
You might want to offer shorter Intensives as well. We’ll show you how to choose from the existing material so you can offer mini-Intensives and still get incredible results.
Empathy and insight are not enough to facilitate significant change.
That’s why we teach you to go beyond empathy and insight.
You’ll get the skills to become a strong leader who can confidently guide your couples to big, lasting change.
Therapy is an art, meaning no two Couples Intensives will be the same.
We’ll show you the exact steps to lead a Couples Intensive, and how to pivot based on whatever comes up.
Read More Positive Therapist Reviews
Therapists who have taken this workshop have fallen in love with the Couples Intensive Model.
It’s possible for you too.
Imagine what it would be like to…
- Steer your couples toward rapid transformation that sticks
- Get referrals from our network and from happy clients
- Feel confident in your skills and have the time it takes to create change
- Comfortably handle conversations about pricing
- Have more energy and enthusiasm about your work
- Reduce your workload and increase control of your schedule
- Reconnect with enthusiasm and energy for this work
What’s Included?
Binder For Therapists
All the hard work has been done for you, including pre-written forms and email templates to send your clients before you get started. You’ll get scripts for what to ask on consultation calls so you can assess the best couples for Intensives, financial agreement templates, personal history questionnaires, and exercises to give to your couples during their Intensives. These pre-session tools will tell you before your couples come in exactly where to start, what to focus on, how to set effective goals, and how to motivate couples. We’ll give you the exact handouts we’ve developed so you can offer Intensives right away.
A Ticket to the Virtual Couples Intensives Training
Join us virtually for three half-days of transformative training. Get ready for an unforgettable experience that will change your life.
Binder For Couples
You’ll get a PDF of the exact binder to give your couples during their Intensives, with all 33 handouts in the right sequence to save you precious time and energy. This is one of the most valuable parts of the Couples Intensives Training. It’s completely organized, so all you have to do is just make a copy and give it to your couples.
6 Live Follow-Up Sessions
You’ll get six virtual follow-up sessions to give you support where you need it most, whether that’s marketing, questions about running Intensives, learning how to feel more confident talking to potential clients, or de-briefing after your first few intensives.
8 months of ongoing Support From the Facilitators & Community
This isn’t just a one-time weekend training that you take and that’s all you get. You’ll join a community of other therapists leading Intensives so you have 24/7 access to consultations, advice, and support from those who have been there, done that. PLUS Ellyn & Lori your trainers will be available to answer questions as well.
You can be the catalyst for a deeper level of healing than your clients ever thought possible .
Which makes this training quite possibly one of the best investments of your career.
You can even use Couples Intensives to work fewer days per week. And you have the option to offer follow-up sessions or refer couples out to our built-in community for ongoing support from trusted therapists.
Are couples willing to pay $4,000 and up for an Intensive?
Yes, and here’s why. Couples easily pay at least that much in a few months of weekly therapy, without getting anywhere near the same progress. But when given the option of taking two days versus six months (or more) for an experience that will revolutionize their relationship, it’s a no-brainer for many couples.
And here’s why you can — and should — charge more. A Couples Intensive is completely different fromt traditional therapy.
Couples are looking to Intensives, for results in record time.
This is why you can charge more.
Many couples say they learned more in two days than in three years of therapy.
You’ll be offering them the chance of a lifetime to work through what could be the biggest challenge of their relationship. Ask any couple and they’ll tell you it’s worth it to feel hope that their relationship will survive.
Meet the therapist who pioneered couples therapy in the 1980s and has revolutionized the field again with Couples Intensives:
Dr. Ellyn Bader
Psychotherapist, Co-Creator of The Couples Institute® and Creator of The Developmental Model®
Dr. Ellyn Bader is one of the early founders of “couples therapy,” as well as a recognized thought leader and trailblazer in relationship therapy worldwide. Ellyn co-created “The Developmental Model,” a revolutionary approach that is highly adaptable to the complex needs of two people growing, changing, and staying connected in a relationship. The model has deeply influenced the therapeutic world and is currently used in more than 70 countries. It is taught by many graduate programs using her award-winning textbook In Quest of the Mythical Mate, which has been reprinted more than 20 times.
Ellyn co-founded The Couples Institute® (1984) and co-authored Tell Me No Lies (2001) with her husband Dr. Peter Pearson. She has been a trusted resource for TV, radio, podcast, and print publications, appearing on Nightline, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Good Morning America, and numerous NPR programs; also featured in Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and more than 70 others.
Ellyn is joined by the successful therapist who turned the Developmental Model into a winning curriculum for Couples Intensives.
Lori Weisman, M.A.
Therapist, Nationally Recognized Brain Injury Expert, and Co-Creator of the Couples Intensives Training
Lori is passionate about training therapists to learn this model and has partnered with Dr. Ellyn Bader to offer this world class training.
Over the past four decades, Lori Weisman has had the opportunity to work with thousands of people struggling to rebuild their lives and their relationships.
The Wall Street Journal called our
Couples Intensives a process that can
“Fix your marriage in 16 hours.”
You’ll also get training from these specialists:
Monte Bertolino
Marketing Consultant Monte is the Launch Manager for the Couples Institute and works with entrepreneurs from startups to seven-figure businesses. She’ll help you get known for offering Couples Intensives no matter where you are in your marketing journey. You’ll learn how to make a name for yourself and to find your ideal clients using free channels and paid advertising based on your team and budget.
Molly Pearson
Expert copywriter Molly has generated millions of dollars in revenue for her clients. Not only will you get ready-to-go Couples Intensives copy for your website, she’ll provide copy guidance so you can speak directly to your ideal client and get booked with as many Couples Intensives as you want.
You can guide your clients to have major breakthroughs when you...
- Have a proven structure that works
- Spend uninterrupted time together
- Know how to give them skills they’ll use for life
- Guide couples through tricky territory using the latest neuroscience
- Have the time and space to get to the root of their issues
- Help them make different choices that they’ll take home and use
You'll get over $16,930 worth of value + bonuses, plus two full days of never seen before behind-the-scenes footage with a real couple going through an intensive!
3 Days of Live Training with Ellyn & Lori
$8,400 (Included with the live training)
6 Follow-up Training Calls with Ellyn & Lori
$3,150 (included)
Community Support Membership
$1,000 (included)
2 Specialty Marketing & Copywriting Calls
$600 (included)
Binder of 33 Handouts for Couples
$1,660 (included)
Therapist binder with structure, roadmap, intake questionnaires, and email templates
$2,120 (included)
Complete structure and roadmap for an Intensive
Save hours of your own trial and error labor. Benefit from start-to-finish guidance and 60 combined years of experience and feedback from couples. (included)
*Exclusive Bonus -
Footage of an entire 2-day Couples Intensive with commentary from Ellyn & Lori that you can review
Total Value
$16,930 worth of value PLUS the 2-day intensive with a real couple! This is career-changing!
What Our Therapists Are Saying...
The Next Virtual Intensive Training is July 21 - 23, 11am - 3pm Pacific Time.
The Next Virtual Intensive Training is
July 21 - 23, 11am - 3pm Pacific Time.
The Next Virtual Intensives Training is
July 21 - 23, 11am - 3pm Pacific Time.
The investment for the Intensives Training Package is $8,995.
There are 4 payment options:
- Payment of $8,995 in full
- $1,000 Deposit, and balance of $7,995 due by June 21, 2025
- 5 Payments of $1,800/mo (Available until June 1, 2025)
Questions? Email lori@loriweisman.com
When you enroll today, you’ll get 2 bonuses we’ve never offered before…
BONUS 1:
Go Behind-The-Scenes as Ellyn and Lori Work Intensively with a Real Couple
Imagine being a fly on the wall during a 2-day couples therapy intensive led by two of the field’s greatest minds…
You’ll get exclusive access to over 12 hours of a live intensive with Ellyn and Lori. This isn’t just training; it’s a front-row seat to mastery in action with a conflict-avoidant couple who struggled with 10 years of addiction.
Watch as Lori elegantly navigates every stage of the process: diffusing tension, fostering trust, addressing the unspoken, and facilitating massive breakthroughs.
Ellyn takes it even deeper, dissecting Lori’s techniques, revealing the “why” behind every intervention, and showing you exactly how to translate these moments into actionable skills for your own practice.
You’ll observe pivotal moments as they happen – the challenges, the pivots, and the breakthroughs. This isn’t just theory. It’s a front-row seat to transformation in its purest form. By the time you’re done, you won’t just know what’s possible – you’ll see exactly how to make it happen in your own work.
BONUS 2:
Lifetime Access of Live Trainings - For Free!
One of the most powerful aspects of this program is something almost no one else offers:
You’ll have the chance to rejoin our live training, over and over, for free, every time we offer it.
You might be nervous to invest in a Couples Intensives Training Program.
It’s a big decision. A decision to...
- Learn a proven model that allows you to charge premium rates for the worthwhile breakthroughs you facilitate.
- Charge premium rates for the powerful results you deliver
- Leave behind a model of therapy that's too disjointed and slow for many couples and draining for you.
- Take control over your schedule and how much you work.
- Learn how to help couples step out of the blame game and communicate effectively — for life.
- Become confident in your abilities to help couples more than other therapists.
- Be part of a new movement of successful leaders in the therapy profession.
- Make a name for yourself as a therapist who struggling couples need to work with.
- Go into semi-retirement or create more time for yourself so you avoid burnout.
- Fall back in love with your work and feel energized by it.
The Next Virtual Intensives Training is
July 21 - 23, 11am - 3pm Pacific Time.
The investment for the Intensives Training Package is $8,995.
There are 4 payment options:
- Payment of $8,995 in full
- $1,000 Deposit, and balance of $7,995 due by June 21, 2025
- 5 Payments of $1,800/mo (Available until May 1, 2025)
- 9 Payments of $1,000/mo (Available until April 3, 2025)
Questions? Email lori@loriweisman.com
Here's What Therapists Are Saying
“It’s so effective that I’m moving towards just doing this type of work.”
“You get months’ worth of
therapy done in 2 days.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Immediately. You’ll leave with everything – handouts, templates, scripts, practice, and two binders – to start booking your first Intensive right away. We’ll even show you how to turn existing clients into Intensive clients so you don’t have to market.
You bet. Couples aren’t paying for your time – they’re paying for the transformation. And an Intensive will completely change their lives — in just 2 days. Don’t worry. We’ll show you how to confidently stand behind your rates.
Both! Whether you are a therapist or a coach, you already have the skills – now you’ll have the structure to go with them.
Yes! Couples are done with dragging therapy out for years. They want results now. Your trainer Lori Weisman even got 12 requests for Couples Intensives this month alone! There’s more interest than we can handle, so we need more therapists with experience doing Intensives to keep up with the demand.
Actually, it’s surprisingly energizing. Without the pressure of fitting everything into a short session, you’ll feel more relaxed, connected, and effective. By the time you get to the second day, the connection in the room is palpable. That’s why Intensives are anything but exhausting. It’s a very fun way of working.
Yes. This workshop is based on the Developmental Model, so we require at least one year in the Level 1 Training Program.
However, we make exceptions for professionals who…
- Have 5+ years of experience as a therapist or coach working with 3 or more couples per week, or
- Complete The Change Lab: Immediate Impact with the Initiator-Inquirer
If you would like to be considered for an exception, you can Apply Here
Think of Level 1 as the foundation. The Couples Intensive Training takes that theory and turns it into a step-by-step 2-day offering. You’ll learn how to attract clients guide them through the right exercises in the right sequence so they can build trust, intimacy, communication skills, and experience a bigger shift than they ever could in a one- or two-hour session. We also bring in copywriting and marketing experts to support you after the training who will teach you how to position yourself and your website so couples will book you for Intensives. And you’ll get ongoing support for an entire year with the 3 virtual follow-up trainings and 6 months in the community membership.
You will get 3 virtual follow up sessions. In the first session you will meet with 2 experts on our team to offer marketing strategies and copy for your website to attract couples for Intensives.
In the second session you will be introduced to the private membership site, where you will get all the support you need from the facilitators and others offering Intensives. You’ll also find all handouts, videos, and an occasional Zoom visit from Ellyn and Lori.
You’ll never be left on your own. Our private community lets you connect with alumni for ongoing support. Your trainers Ellyn and Lori are also in the group and join in to answer questions. This is also a perfect place to find other quality therapists to refer clients to in the event that you don’t want to do follow-up sessions.
The starting rate for Couples Intensives is $4,000 and we’ve had therapists in New York City charge up to $12,000. Just one or two Intensives will cover the cost of this training – after that, it’s all profit.
We teach you exactly how to screen for the right clients. Couples dealing with untreated mental illness, domestic violence, or active addiction won’t benefit. Ideal couples, on the other hand, are those navigating issues like feeling like roommates, desire discrepancies, reconnecting after the kids left the house, or unresolved emotional triggers.
As part of your training, you’ll learn how to screen clients so you always work with couples who you can truly help.
This training is provided by The Couples Institute, founded by Dr. Ellyn Bader and Dr. Peter Pearson. Any other programs using our name are not affiliated with us.
Earnings Disclaimer: Any income or earnings examples shown in testimonials are not guarantees of future success. They represent exceptional results and should not be considered typical. Your own income depends on many factors, including your location, niche, business model, and marketing efforts.
We respect your privacy,