How You Can Maintain the Retreat Experience

Kathleen Maiman • October 25, 2023

Couples weekend retreats enrich your relationship. They offer a serene opportunity to reconnect, re-establish the foundation of your love, and rekindle your romance.

But what happens when the weekend is over? Here’s how you can maintain that retreat experience in your day-to-day life.

Why Couples Escape With a Weekend Retreat

Couples seek relationship retreats for various reasons — recovery after an affair, sex and intimacy issues, midlife crises, communication problems, empty nest challenges, personal conflicts, and divorce.

Couples retreats help revive your connection, enrich your bond, deepen your sexual desire, and teach you how to grow personally and as a couple. A couples retreat with The Love of Attraction blends lectures on intimate relationship dynamics, self-exploration, and writing exercises.

As you learn new skills, including effective ways to communicate, truly listen, and gain a new compassionate understanding of one another, you’ll also learn how to change negative patterns, move away from conflict, and embrace appreciation, bringing a renewal of passion and pleasure in your relationship. A large portion of your weekend retreat involves privately practicing these new tools with your significant other so you can easily translate what you’ve learned into everyday life.

Life After the Couples Retreat

Once your weekend getaway ends, you and your partner should use your experience to continue growing and developing as a couple. One of the main takeaways from the retreat is understanding the predictable stages of your relationship, including the frustrations and struggles.

Avoid falling back into the same patterns that led to couples counselling in the first place by:

Maintaining conscious communication. Be present and mindful when speaking with your partner, and don’t be afraid to refer back to Harville Hendrix’s workbook from the weekend to relearn healthy communication skills.
Using your understanding of how your personal history affects your current relationship. Choosing to love and be loved is a beautiful thing, but it doesn’t always end with happily ever after. When you feel your past creep into your present relationship, you must communicate your feelings with your partner, assess the situation, and speak with your therapist if you can’t resolve the issue.
Discussing your feelings, needs, and desires without causing your partner pain. Sharing your inner experiences and feelings helps you connect on a deeper level. You also have a better chance of having your needs met, leading to a happier, healthier relationship. Effective communication is direct and clear. I-statements can help you share your emotions while decreasing defensiveness and chances of hurt feelings. For example, I feel XYZ because of XYZ, and I’d like XYZ. Always listen to one another intently and try to understand how the other is feeling.
Referring back to your workbook. Harville Hendrix provides an invaluable resource that’s yours to keep. Use your workbook as a refresher on the effective tools and techniques that can yield fast, significant relationship results.
Seeking ongoing support and resources. Some couples occasionally return to therapy for a relationship “check-in” to help maintain their connection.
Planning future retreats or relationship-building activities. If you’ve attended our Getting the Love You Want couples weekend, continue growing together with our Staying Connected: A Weekend for Couples experience. Retreats and relationship-building activities are perfect for deepening your emotional connection and escaping the hustle and bustle of life that can often interfere with your love for one another.

Stay Connected With The Love of Attraction

Whether rediscovering your passion and joy or experiencing it for the first time, a couples' weekend retreat with The Love of Attraction can deepen your connection, resolve recurring problems, and provide a healthier home environment.

Looking for more resources after your couples therapy weekend retreat? Consider a private session, intensive, or booking a future couples retreat in Alberta.

Get in touch

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