Couples Therapy Intensives in Atlanta

Dedicated time to work on your relationship

A private couples therapy intensive gives you time to understand recurring conflict, talk through what matters to each of you, and practice ways to communicate and reconnect with support.

Your experience includes a relationship assessment followed by a five-hour intensive appointment with Josh Wayne, LMSW, MPH, at Inner Balance Counseling’s Linwood office in Atlanta. If you both wish, the day can include guided connection practices in the nearby community garden.

Complete assessment and intensive: $1,250, paid in two phases. Assessment: $400. Intensive: $850.

When focused time together may help

You may care about each other and still find yourselves returning to the same argument or feeling distant. It can be difficult to make room for those conversations while managing work, travel, and family responsibilities.

An intensive may be worth exploring if:

• The same disagreements keep returning, and you want help understanding what happens between you.
• Important conversations end in defensiveness, withdrawal, or feeling unheard.
• You want to rebuild closeness and make more room for affection, friendship, or intimacy.
• Weekly appointments are difficult to schedule, or you would prefer a longer block of time for relationship work.

You do not need to have tried couples therapy before. The consultation helps us consider whether an intensive or ongoing couples therapy fits your needs.

Meet Josh Wayne

I’m Josh Wayne, LMSW, MPH, a therapist at Inner Balance Counseling. My approach is warm, engaged, and practical. I help each partner put their experience into words, understand the patterns between them, and practice responding with more clarity and care.

I have completed Gottman Method Levels 1 and 2 training. My work also draws on mindfulness and more than a decade of experience with Nonviolent Communication. Alongside my work as a therapist, I bring experience guiding nature walks and teaching about plants and mushrooms. That experience informs the optional outdoor portion of the intensive.

In this video, I explain the assessment, how we pace the intensive day, and the option to include time outdoors.

How the process works

Start with a free 15-minute consultation

We’ll briefly discuss what brings you in, answer your initial questions, and consider whether to begin the assessment process. There is no charge for this call.

Complete the assessment

We begin with an 80-minute session together to explore your relationship history, what you appreciate about each other, your current concerns, and your goals. You’ll then complete relationship questionnaires and meet with me separately for a 30–45-minute screening with each partner.

The assessment includes 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes of appointments, plus time to complete the questionnaires. The $400 fee also includes my clinical review and preparation. This process helps us determine whether an intensive is an appropriate next step.

Completing the assessment does not obligate either partner to continue. If I recommend another form of support, or either of you decides not to proceed, there is no additional intensive fee.

Schedule your intensive

If an intensive is appropriate and both partners choose to continue, we schedule your five-hour appointment. The $850 intensive fee is paid after that decision. Your assessment helps us select priorities for the day.

What your intensive day includes

The day includes approximately four hours of clinical work and one hour for planned breaks and movement. We pace the work so there is room to pause, reflect, and return to the conversation.

Depending on your goals, we may:

• Map how a familiar disagreement starts and what keeps it going.
• Explore the feelings and needs underneath each partner’s responses.
• Practice expressing concerns and listening with less defensiveness.
• Work on returning to a conversation after tension or disconnection.
• Make space for friendship, affection, and connection.
• Develop specific practices to try at home and discuss next steps.

Build connection in the community garden

Along with talking through difficult concerns, we can make time to enjoy each other’s company. From the Linwood office, we can walk to the nearby community garden for guided practices focused on attention, curiosity, and connection, if you both wish.

You might practice listening while walking, explore what each of you notices, or spend time appreciating something together. My experience as a nature guide helps me bring the garden into this work through shared observation and exploration.

If a picnic or lunch date appeals to you, we can discuss whether to include one during your planned break and how to arrange it. Food arrangements and garden access will be discussed when planning your day.

Most conflict-focused work takes place indoors. Outdoor time is optional, and you can complete the entire intensive inside. We’ll plan around your preferences, accessibility needs, and the weather.

An intensive cannot resolve every concern in one day. It gives us focused time to understand your patterns, practice new responses, and identify what support may help afterward.

Your investment

Assessment phase $400

• One 80-minute joint session
• Relationship questionnaires
• A separate 30–45-minute screening with each partner
• Clinical review, preparation, and a recommendation about fit

Five-hour intensive $850

Approximately four hours of clinical work and one hour for planned breaks and movement. This phase follows assessment and a mutual decision to proceed.

Total for both phases $1,250

You pay in two phases. If you do not proceed after the completed assessment, your cost is $400. Follow-up sessions are separate and are not included in the $1,250 total.

Frequently asked questions

Do we have to be married or already in therapy?

No. The intensive is open to married and unmarried partners, including engaged couples. You can inquire whether or not you have tried couples therapy before.

Is an intensive right for every couple?

No. The assessment helps determine whether this format fits your needs. If either partner feels afraid or pressured in the relationship, or another concern needs attention first, we may recommend a different form of support. Both partners must choose to participate.

What if we are unsure whether to stay together?

Bring that question to the consultation. When partners have different goals about continuing the relationship, we’ll discuss whether this intensive is an appropriate starting point or whether another service would fit better.

Where does the intensive take place?

Intensives take place in person at Inner Balance Counseling’s Linwood office in Atlanta. The nearby community garden is available for optional outdoor connection work. Address and arrival details are provided when scheduling.

Will we spend five hours talking about conflict?

The appointment includes planned breaks. We may move between conversations, skills practice, reflection, and connection exercises, depending on your needs.

What happens afterward?

We’ll discuss practices to use at home and recommendations for continued support. These may include a separately booked follow-up session or ongoing couples therapy. Additional sessions are not included in the intensive price.

Explore whether an intensive fits your relationship

Start with a free 15-minute consultation. Bring your questions about the process, scheduling, and what you hope to work on. We’ll discuss whether to begin the assessment.