All too often, couples take a while to agree to initiate couples work.  They research to find  they think is a good fit, and often experience a degree of anxiety as they anticipate the date and time of the first session. They arrive 10 minutes early, fill out paper work, and finally find themselves sitting on a couch face-to-face with the therapist.

 

The next 50 minutes fly by quickly!  Confidentiality is discussed, logistical questions are answered, and the discussion moves to the goals that the couple has to achieve.  The first session typically is not enough time for any practitioner to gain a comprehensive picture of what a couple needs, or to be able to start giving direction or homework.  The couple will wait another week to pick up where they left off, which can be frustrating.  This week to week hour can often be consumed by what happened in the week prior and less on the repeated patterns and perpetual difficulties.  At times, problems can worsen during this initial time period, and couples get frustrated and wonder if they are beyond help. 

At Phoenix Ascending, Dr. Ashley's goal in offering virtual couples' coaching intensives is as a springboard for change, and a way to alleviate the frustration of having the initial change moment spread over months, and to work towards change within the short but intense time-frame which is perfect for the action-oriented coaching framework. 

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In a full day, a couple can complete the entire discovery process (sometimes including conjoint and individual sessions), have a better understanding of their relationship and go home with concrete tools to use and practice.