Immediate Crisis Support
If you or someone you know is in distress or experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide Crisis Helpline (24/7, free, and confidential), call emergency services at 911 or the Distress Centre Calgary at 403-266-4357, or visit your nearest emergency department.
Professional Couples Intensives in NW Calgary
Viewpoint offers an intensive Marathon version of our regular Gottman Method approach of counselling for couples, relationships, and marriages in high distress or simply in need of a relationship expert. These Marathon sessions allow partners to accomplish multiple therapy sessions over the course of a few days, rather than months, to break free from repetitive conflict, repair emotional disconnect, rebuild trust, and restore meaningful connection.
Who Benefits From Marathon Couples Counselling?
At times, busy schedules, geographical distance, or deep relational distress can make traditional weekly therapy feel impractical or too slow. Trying to schedule around conflicting calendars or travelling into the city week after week can add unnecessary stress to an already struggling relationship.
This unique and effective method of intensive relationship therapy works exceptionally well for couples who live out of town, cannot travel to Calgary on a weekly basis, or have struggles coordinating conflicting schedules.
It is also designed for those who are seeking to fast-track their relationship therapy progress, address high-distress concerns immediately, or work through complex issues with a dedicated relationship expert in a short timeframe.
What You Can Expect From Marathon Couples Counselling
During these extended sessions, couples receive structured, evidence-based care tailored to their unique dynamic. We are LGBTQ2+ friendly and warmly welcome non-typical and neuro-divergent couples, relationships, and marriages.
Throughout your Marathon therapy experience, you can expect focused support in:
Promotion of Respect and Affection: Cultivating appreciation, mutual respect, and warmth within your relationship.
Building Relationship Closeness: Re-establishing intimacy and sharing a deeper connection with each other’s inner world.
Better Management of Conflict Discussions: Developing practical, healthy strategies to navigate difficult conversations calmly.
Experiencing Breakthroughs: Working through long-standing issues to resolve persistent conflict gridlock.
Sustaining Long-Term Gains: Strengthening and maintaining the progress you make during your intensive session.
We are LGBTQ2+ friendly and welcome non-typical and neuro-divergent couples, relationships, and marriages
Couples that have experienced intensive Marathon relationship therapy—and who have also attended typical relationship counselling sessions—stated they never would have made the breakthroughs they did without being able to work through their issues in one extended sitting.
They felt that the extra time in session allowed them to build the comfort and trust they needed to share openly and productively. Couples also consistently reported feeling a strong sense of trust and safety with their therapist throughout the process.
What Couples Say About Marathon Counselling
Marathon Package Pricing
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6 hours of intensive therapy/coaching with a highly skilled therapist with years of experience working with couples and relationships of many types, which includes:
1 hour Discovery session prior to meeting in-person
Joint session to explore the beginnings of relationship, evolution, and challenges
Two individual sessions
Feedback and goal setting session
Gottman Institute online Relationship Check Up assessment for each person
Cost: $1800
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12 hours of intensive therapy/coaching with a highly skilled therapist with years of experience working with couples and relationships of many types, which includes:
1 hour Discovery session prior to meeting in-person
Joint session to explore the beginnings of relationship, evolution, and challenges
Two individual sessions
Feedback and goal setting session
Gottman Institute online Relationship Check Up assessment for each person
A take home package of tools and supplementary support material
Cost: $3600
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18 hours of intensive therapy/coaching with a highly skilled therapist with years of experience working with couples and relationships of many types, which includes:
1 hour Discovery session prior to meeting in-person
Joint session to explore the beginnings of relationship, evolution, and challenges
Two individual sessions
Feedback and goal setting session
Gottman Institute online Relationship Check Up assessment for each person
A take home package of tools and supplementary support material
Cost: $5400
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24 hours of intensive therapy/coaching with a highly skilled therapist with years of experience working with couples and relationships of many types, which includes:
1 hour Discovery session prior to meeting in-person
Joint session to explore the beginnings of relationship, evolution, and challenges
Two individual sessions
Feedback and goal setting session
Gottman Institute online Relationship Check Up assessment for each person
A take home package of tools and supplementary support material
Note: this package can also be divided into two 2-day sessions instead of 4 consecutive days
Cost: $7200
Counsellors Who Can Help
Samantha Rintoul
Registered Provisional Psychologist
samantha@viewpointcalgary.ca
587.500.3099
Nicki Rimke
Registered Psychologist
nicki@viewpointcalgary.ca
403.689.4317
THE VIEWPOINT APPROACH
Collaborative Care & Excellence
During your initial consultation, your therapist will discuss their clinical orientation and collaborate with you to design a therapeutic approach that feels safe, aligned, and effective for your journey. At Viewpoint, we are deeply committed to providing the highest quality of care; our licensed team regularly engages in structured, in-house peer consultation and continuous professional training. This collaborative framework ensures your care is enriched by the collective expertise of our entire senior team, keeping our methods sharp, modern, and clinically sound.
We also believe that accessing mental health support should not introduce extra friction or stress into your life. Whether you choose to meet with us in our calm, confidential space in NW Calgary or connect securely from the comfort of your own home via telehealth, our goal is to make your transition into therapy as smooth, direct, and supportive as possible.
Visit Our NW Calgary Clinic
Suite 221, North Hill Professional Centre, 1632 14th Avenue NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1M7
Located directly adjacent to the Lions Park LRT Station and major Calgary Transit bus routes.
Convenient on-site parking is available at North Hill Centre, featuring up to 3 hours of free surface parking, or 2 hours of free parking in designated zones which requires license plate registration, as posted.
Secure telehealth/online therapy sessions are also available if you are located anywhere in Alberta or Nunavut.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Marathon Couples Counselling is an intensive, multi-day version of our evidence-based Gottman Method relationship therapy. Instead of attending 50-minute weekly sessions over several months, you work through multiple sessions’ worth of therapeutic material in a concentrated, multi-day format.
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Marathon sessions are ideal for couples who:
· Live outside of NW Calgary or out of town and cannot travel for weekly visits.
· Have complex work, travel, or childcare schedules that make weekly appointments difficult.
· Are experiencing high distress and need immediate, deep support rather than waiting week to week.
· Want to fast-track their therapy progress and reach meaningful breakthroughs faster.
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Traditional weekly therapy requires pausing right as deep topics surface, often spending the first part of the next session getting back up to speed. Extended marathon sessions eliminate that weekly "reset button," allowing you to build sustained momentum, deep trust, and comfort with your therapist in a single continuous setting.
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On your first Intensive Marathon Day, you will first meet together with your therapist, and then each partner will have the opportunity for an individual session as well. After that, the therapist will meet with both/all partners and discuss the current state of your relationship, how it got there, and establish a plan for moving you toward your goals. Once we believe that we are all on the same page, the therapy begins in earnest.
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Yes. Viewpoint is proudly LGBTQ2+ friendly. We welcome all relationship types, non-typical dynamics, and neuro-divergent couples, tailoring our approach to honor your unique background and identity.
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Prior to your session, you and your partner will complete comprehensive Gottman Method assessment materials. This allows your therapist to map out your relationship's unique strengths and areas of distress before you step into the room, ensuring every hour of your intensive is spent purposefully.
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You will pay a 50% deposit at the time of booking and the balance at the start of your first session. Due to our scheduling commitments, there is a 3-week cancellation policy. Our therapists will have made themselves available for you and arranged their schedules for these sessions, so it is imperative that you keep your appointment and commit to this process. If you cancel 3 weeks prior to the start of your therapy, a full refund will be issued.
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You begin by booking two to four consecutive days of therapy with one of our participating Registered Psychologists. Marathon sessions can be booked almost any day of the week, depending of course, on scheduling availability. A 50% deposit is required to secure your dates.
Please Note: If there has been a recent infidelity in the marriage, please let us know as we would require a 3-day booking.
Take the First Step Toward Healing
Restoring vitality begins with a single conversation. Contact our team at Viewpoint today to schedule an initial consultation with one of our licensed therapists and take your first step forward.