What is Intensive Couples Counseling?
Our mission at The Relationship Therapy Center is to provide effective couples counseling– it’s what we aim to do. We measure our success rates and we brainstorm about how to become even better therapists. In this process of refining our couples therapy, we realized that while traditional therapy can a great option for folks that just need a little tweaking in their relationship, many people don’t fit into that bucket! Some couples are really struggling and need a program they can get into quickly, that’s designed specifically by qualified couples therapists, and that has a structure that is more condensed. This is ICC. Many couples report that three days of an ICC program can get you further than 3-6 months of traditional weekly therapy will.
Who could benefit from ICC?
The ICC program can be incredibly beneficial for those couples who are motivated to finding a resolution to their issues. Both parties need to be committed to the process, and open to the possibilities.
In particular, ICC is tailored for couples who:
- Need to heal from an affair or crisis
- Are at a make-it or break-it point in their relationship
- Are seeking more intimacy and better communication
- Are busy and seeking a more effective and efficient process
Why ICC over traditional therapy?
Traditional therapy definitely has its benefits and works for many couples. It is a great option for folks that heave the time and schedules to commit to weekly hour-long sessions, have good insurance plans that cover couples counseling, and whose problems are easily tackled. But there are other relationships that truly won’t progress or survive if they choose a traditional therapy format. ICC is designed to help couples make movement in a much shorter timeframe, with more structure and with a dedicated end goal.*
ICC provides 15 total hours of therapy in multiple 3-4 hour blocks, so it’s great for couples who don’t want to waste their time in therapy simply rehashing the last week’s arguments. And, for busy people, several large blocks of time may fit their schedule better than weekly appointments do. What’s more, the work in ICC is delivered in a different manner than traditional therapy. Because the couples spend fifteen uninterrupted, dedicated hours working together, it is experiential and aims to be truly transformative.*
How much does ICC cost?
Full ICC programs cost $4,495 per couple, and 8-hour Mini programs cost $2,495 per couple. Many of our couples are able to use HSA/FSA funds to help pay for services. We have also partnered with CareCredit, a health and wellness credit card that allows us to offer monthly financing for this program.
How does ICC compare to other Intensive Couples programs?
We don’t know of any other program that is comparable to ICC. Other Intensive Couples programs are either not administered by Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, are religiously based, are done with many other couples present, or cost between $6,000-10,000 per couple.
Where and when does ICC take place?
Most ICC programs take place at our office in St. Louis Park, MN. We also offer this service via Telehealth for your scheduling convenience. We will get your ICC scheduled as soon as possible, often within 2 weeks of contacting us.
Who delivers the therapy?
Look. If you have a heart attack, it makes sense to see a cardiologist in the ER, not a general practitioner in a clinic weeks later. If your relationship needs urgent attention, it makes sense to work with someone that really knows what they are doing with couples!
We have a select team of therapists who are licensed and specialize in relationships. All of our therapists have completed the following training/credentialing:
- Experienced Therapists
- Certified in ICC
- Extensive training in Feedback Informed Treatment
- Extensive training in Pragmatic/Experiential Therapy
- On-going Gottman training and supervision from a Certified Gottman Therapist
- Extensive training in Post Induction Therapy