The Best Marriage Retreats for Couples Therapy NYC, New York

A Private Intensive Marriage Retreat That Delivers Real Results

Everyone needs and wants to feel understood, loved, and appreciated by their partner. Over the years of marriage, couples can feel as if their marriage has become disconnected. However, it is possible to retrieve your relationship and reconnect with your spouse. Perhaps you have been seeking marriage counseling but couples therapy NYC options were not providing the support you are seeking. If you are interested in finding one of the couples retreat places to take your relationship to the next level and are considering the best marriage retreats then we are happy to help you.

Marriage and family coaches at An Affair of the Heart utilize techniques based on the science of healthy bonding in adult relationships most clearly described by Sue Johnson, the originator of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, in her book Hold Me Tight.

We use a systematic, empirically-validated theory of adult bonding as the basis for understanding and alleviating relationship problems. The benefits offered by a retreat persist long after returning back to your daily life.

Ross worked with my partner and me after we had realized we couldn’t reconcile.  We had one of the most difficult challenges before us that parents can have – how to let our daughter grow up with two parents, though they lived far apart.  He got us both to see reality, helped us agree to

John R
I have worked extensively with Ross in both individual and couples therapy. I’ve never met another therapist with such extensive knowledge of the complex dynamics that exist in a relationship. The time I’ve spent with him has helped me show up in my own relationship in ways that I never dreamed. My level of patience,

Chris M

I have worked with Ross for many years.  He is a genuine, compassionate therapist – someone who makes you feel valued and heard.  He has incredible positive energy which he directs to both the advancement of his own learning and supporting his clients.  Down to earth, grounded, warm and intelligent – highly

B R
I have worked with Ross on several occasions and found his knowledge and experience to be very helpful to me as I’ve faced and worked through mental health issues. His approach is always professional and human. There was an immediate connection between us. He got to the core of issues and gave me practical steps

Bruce S

With other therapists, I’ve often felt as if I was running in place. Ross gets things moving. He’s extremely intuitive and has introduced me to EMDR, which is one of the most successful tools I’ve ever used in therapy. Ross’s work has helped me resolve issues that have been with me for

Eric B
I am both a bodyworker and psychotherapist. I really, really enjoyed and appreciated Ross’ ability to bring these two approaches together to address the body’s role in therapy, and the mind’s role in contracted muscles, and habitual, health negating postures. But what stands out the most in having worked with Ross is you really know

Elena V, MT, LMFT

What are Intensive Marriage Counseling Retreats?

A real life marriage retreat is a 3-day or 5-day event centered around couples counseling that is overseen by a relationship coach. Marriage retreats can benefit many couples to help them better learn and understand one other on a more vulnerable and profound level.

The best marriage retreats transcend couples therapy NYC options to help couples take communication and emotional connection to a deeper level, and it is done in a safe and secure setting that is separate from the stressors of everyday life. There are no children, no family members, no daily chores such as cooking, dinner or TV at night.

Choosing to attend one of the top marriage retreats is not just for those who are legally married... you do not have to be married or recognized by common-law marriage to participate. The only thing required is a loving commitment to your partner, your relationship, and yourself.


Our 3-day and 5-day intensive marriage counseling retreats are completely private and take place in a safe setting with a single dedicated coach, giving couples the opportunity to reestablish and reconnect their relationship.

During the retreat, couples can expect to participate in a variety of exercises, discussions and emotional processing techniques that encourage more trust and security in their relationship.

Couples will learn different skills to more effectively communicate and build a stronger relationship with their spouse, increase intimacy, and positively overcome problems together.

Why a Marriage Retreat?

Benefits of a Marriage Retreat

Most individuals believe that couples retreat places can only offer support if you are on the brink of divorce. This is not necessarily true. Those who seek marriage retreats are often experiencing relationship distress, and others just want to increase their happiness by getting a strong push in the right direction. Marriage retreats at An Affair of the Heart can provide many benefits to couples that can be used for the rest of their lives. These benefits include:

• Communication Skills: Communication may seem easy during the “Honeymoon Phase” of your relationship. Everything seems to be going smoothly until differences surface between you and your partner and it becomes more challenging. As time goes by, it may feel as if your spouse does not communicate their feelings as much, or you are left wondering how you can positively express your feelings and needs. At An Affair of the Heart, we teach couples different communication skills that can be used to better represents needs, wants, and feelings.

• How to Support and Serve: When taking your vows, you promise to support and stand together with your partner “in sickness and in health.” However, supporting your spouse can be harder than it may seem at times. At An Affair of the Heart, our coaches teach individuals how to remove factors that may be standing in the way of recognizing how to fulfill the needs of their spouse.

• Notice Opportunities and Challenges in The Relationship: Participating in a marriage retreat can help couples handle shared responsibilities and build a strong foundation for their marriage. With the skills taught during the retreat, our coaches can help couples notice each other's strengths and how to use these strengths to overcome weaknesses and issues as they arise.

• Reconnect With Your Spouse: No matter if you are recently married or have been married for 20 years, there may come a time in your marriage where you do not feel as fully connected as you once were. Feeling disconnected can occur from distractions, daily stressors, and other everyday issues. At An Affair of the Heart, our coaches can help you reconnect with your spouse and feel love and empathy towards one another again.


When weighing the pros and cons of an intensive marriage retreat compared to couples therapy NYC options for marriage counseling, the above benefits far outweigh the cons. Any married couple can say that married life is not always rainbows and cupcakes. There are everyday stressors that come up that challenge your marriage constantly.

At An Affair of the Heart, our coaches work hard to help reduce conflict through our expert sessions along with a variety of techniques to increase the overall happiness and fulfillment of your relationship.

Retreat for Couples in Crisis

What is the Cost of the Best Marriage Retreats?

Weekly marriage counseling is often a more common treatment for those who are married. However, when a relationship is in distress, often a more intensive approach like a private marriage retreat is needed to reestablish love, trust and communication in the relationship.

There are many different couples retreat places to choose from within the United States. Each of the top marriage retreats has its own way of helping couples renew their commitment and assist with communication or work through difficult times. The cost of a couples marriage retreat depends upon the location, number of days of counseling, and whether or not the retreat is private.

Typically, the cost of a small group marriage retreat can range from $3,895 to $4,395 per couple. One-on-one intensive marriage counseling retreats with a single, dedicated coach and no other couples start at $9,495 and go up depending on how many days are included. Couples retreat NYC prices will often by higher due to the proximity to the city. While these prices may seem expensive, our coaches are experts in addressing the most common issues facing relationships and you will be provided with a variety of new skills to support your communication and intimacy, helping you build a healthy foundation of trust with your spouse and get your marriage back on track.

Do you feel disconnected from your spouse? Is your communication not where you want it to be? At An Affair of the Heart, we offer one of the best marriage counseling retreats to help couples to reconnect and learn new skills on how to not only communicate positively but also build a strong and solid foundation for a lifelong marriage. Contact our real life marriage retreat today for more information or if you have questions about scheduling an initial consultation.

Pricing and FAQ

1 Year of Weekly Couples Therapy vs 5-Day Retreat

What to Look for in the Best Marriage Retreats

There are several couples retreat places available across the US. There are several factors that are important to evaluate before making a decision about which to attend to ensure that you will have a positive and beneficial experience.

Below is a short list of crucial details that all of the top marriage retreats should be able to explain in depth on their website:

• Proven Therapeutic Methods: Is the couples marriage retreat center using well established, scientifically-validated therapeutic techniques? Not all methods are the same and some have been shown to work more effectively than others for couples that are currently in crisis.

At An Affair Of The Heart, our retreats are based on the science of healthy bonding in adult relationships most clearly described by Sue Johnson, the originator of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, in her book Hold Me Tight.

We use a systematic, empirically-validated theory of adult bonding as the basis for understanding and alleviating relationship problems. The benefits offered by a retreat persist long after returning back to your daily life.

So much of what keeps us isolated from our partner has to do with our old trauma. Working through our negative life experiences provides us with the freedom to approach our relationship with a new level of calm and presence. 

• Clear Expectations: Before you commit yourself to a retreat, you should know what you are actually getting into. Does the retreat center go out of their way to provide a clear and detailed agenda of the events of each day during the retreat?

We pride ourselves on providing a high level of detail pertaining to the hourly schedule of your retreat. We want you to rest assured that you have a clear idea of the types of activities that you can expect each day.

• Experienced Coaches: Is the retreat center run by coaches who are well versed in the problems that pertain to couples in all phases of their relationship? Do they have several years experience in private practice and a variety of notable certifications to establish their professional credentials?

Ross Hackerson, our lead coach, has been working with individuals and couples for over 40 years. After all this time, there is little that Ross has not experienced during sessions. His significant experience and profound level of insight provides tremendous value to clients in a way that a novice coach may struggle to offer.

• Transparent Pricing: Is the cost of the retreat openly advertised, or do you have to reach out first or dig for it? Does the retreat center charge per day, or for the entire experience? Are meals and accommodations included in the price? What about little things like parking?

On our site, you will find clear pricing that explains the terms of our retreat and what is included. We also provide a free consultation to anybody who is interested in learning more before they make any commitments. We want to give you as much time as necessary to ask all the questions you may have so that you can be sure that our retreat is a good fit for you and your partner.

• Safe and Secure Location: It’s not easy to do deep emotional work if you don't feel like your space is private and secure. Where is the retreat center located? What types of offices or businesses are nearby? How many other people will be attending the retreat center at the same time as you?

We give our clients the freedom to select from a variety of fully furnished completely private locations located within downtown Northampton. Nobody else will be present in your location except for the two of you and your coach. Our locations offer the best balance of comfort, security and convenience so that you can do deep work while experiencing all that Northampton has to offer.

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