Weekend Intensives
Focused work in your own space
Who This Is For
You want to make real progress, and a weekly video session does not match the life you are actually living. Maybe the calendars will not line up, maybe you are in a season that needs momentum, or maybe you do your best work when you can stay with one difficult conversation instead of parking it for a week.
A weekend intensive is uninterrupted time. We do not stop because a 50-minute hour ran out, and we do not lose the thread between short appointments. You get a block of time to understand the pattern, interrupt it, and decide what you will practice at home.
I am Kendra Capalbo, licensed in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. I am Gottman Method Level 3 trained. Emotionally Focused Therapy is the approach I practice, along with Relational Life Therapy. I see couples only, and I am selective about this format. Regular sessions stay on Zoom. The intensive is the in-person work.
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How It Works
In Your Space: I come to you. Weekend intensives take place in your home, or another place you choose, anywhere I am licensed: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Consultation First: You do not book this the way you book a hotel. We start with a 30-minute Zoom consultation that costs $100, and we talk about what you are facing, what you hope to accomplish, and whether this format fits. The fee applies toward your first session if we go ahead, and if I am not the right fit, I refund it. Some couples should not do an intensive, and I will say so.
Customized Structure: Every intensive is built around your goals, your history, and what you actually need. After the consultation I send a written proposal with the structure, the length, and the investment, and you decide. There is no obligation to proceed.
What the work involves
There is no standard weekend length. The length is in the written proposal, because it depends on what you bring in. Regular sessions are virtual. The intensive is in person, in a place you choose. You need to be in a state where I am licensed while we work.
The consultation and the proposal: That Zoom consultation does not commit you to the weekend. The proposal that follows states the structure, the length, and the investment, and you can say no.
The intensive: You get uninterrupted time, and a hard conversation does not get cut off at 50 minutes. Inside the weekend we check in, stay with the interaction long enough for it to matter, and leave time to decide what you will practice afterward. The proposal says how those blocks are arranged. The method is Emotionally Focused Therapy, with Gottman Method tools where they help.
The opening hours. I ask what brought you now, the history, the patterns you have noticed, what you have tried, and what you hope will change. If we continue in regular sessions afterward, those follow the practice assessment: one session together, an individual session with each partner, and a plan. The individual time is so I can understand the relationship. I am not there to take a side.
After the weekend. I give you specific practices. The change I measure is what you do at home. If we continue, we generally start weekly so the opening does not fade. As you follow through, we space the sessions out. If you or your partner are in crisis or unsafe, call or text 988, or call 911.
How long. For the therapy around the weekend, longer sessions mean more gets done each time we meet. How long therapy takes depends on the work you do between sessions. Some couples use the intensive to get started, then move into regular sessions. Some come back later for maintenance. I do not promise that a weekend finishes the work.
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When Intensives Work Well
Weekend intensives tend to help most when the issue is communication, emotional distance, a fight that keeps repeating and has not yet become chronic damage, or a life transition that is straining the relationship. If you are mostly functional and still stuck, or you want to deal with something before it deepens, an intensive can create real momentum.
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When Intensives Are a Starting Point
For infidelity, a long resentment, or a serious betrayal, an intensive can help, and it will not finish the repair. Think of it as a foundation. We steady things, bring the reactivity down, and get clear about what the repair will ask of each of you. Ongoing sessions usually follow. The person who chose the affair still holds that responsibility. A weekend does not move it.
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The Screening Process
I am selective about intensive work because the format needs both partners willing to stay in a hard conversation. The consultation is where I look at whether concentrated work will be useful, and whether your expectations are realistic. If an intensive is the wrong fit right now, I will tell you. Then we will talk about regular 90-minute sessions.
What it costs
Weekend intensives are built around your situation, so the price is not fixed. After the consultation you receive a written proposal with the approach and the total investment, and you can decline it.
The consultation is $100 for 30 minutes, applied toward your first session if you continue, and refunded if I am not the right fit. Regular sessions are $750 for 90 minutes. The weekend price is whatever the proposal says. The practice is private pay. I do not accept insurance, and I can give you a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement.
Questions couples ask before committing
How do weekend intensives differ from weekly sessions?
Weekly sessions are 90 minutes, virtual, and $750. A weekend intensive is uninterrupted time in a place you choose, in a state where I am licensed. Length and fee are in a written proposal after a Zoom consultation. For communication trouble, distance, or a life transition, it can create momentum. For infidelity or a long resentment, it is a starting point, and ongoing sessions usually follow.
What does a weekend intensive cost?
There is no fixed price. The proposal after the consultation gives the structure, the length, and the total investment, and you are not obligated to proceed. The consultation is $100 for 30 minutes. It applies toward your first session if you continue. If I am not the right fit, I refund it. Regular sessions are $750 for 90 minutes. The practice is private pay. I do not accept insurance. I can give you a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement.
Why is the practice private pay, with no insurance?
The practice is private pay. I do not accept insurance. A smaller caseload is what makes a weekend built around your situation possible. I can give you a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement. The consultation is 30 minutes and costs $100. That is where we both decide if it is the right fit. If I am not the right fit, I refund the fee.
How confidential is the Zoom consultation?
The consultation is on Zoom, and regular sessions use a HIPAA-compliant, encrypted video platform. There is no waiting room. What we discuss stays confidential except where the law requires disclosure: risk of harm to yourself or someone else, child abuse, or a court order. The intensive is in a place you choose. I am not part of your everyday world.
Do both of us need to be there?
Yes. Both partners participate. The format depends on both of you being willing to do concentrated work. You do not have to arrive equally sure. You do have to be willing to show up. If an intensive is the wrong fit, I will say so at the consultation, and we will talk about regular 90-minute sessions instead.
How fast should we expect something to change?
An intensive is for momentum. I do not promise an outcome from the weekend. Where the problem is deeper, including infidelity, treat it as a foundation and plan on further sessions. Longer sessions mean more gets done each time we meet. How long therapy takes depends on the work you do between sessions.
What if we are in crisis?
This is scheduled work for couples who are ready for concentrated time. It is a planned intensive, and it is not a crisis service. If you or your partner are in crisis or unsafe, call or text 988, or call 911.
Investment
Weekend intensives are built around your situation and your goals. The price is not fixed. After our consultation, you receive a written proposal with the recommended approach and the total investment. You can decline it.
Request a Private Consultation
$100 consultation, applied toward your first session.
Request a Private Consultation