What Do You Do at a Marriage Retreat? [Things to Know]
Last updated on July 8th, 2022 at 06:35 pm
Whether your marriage is in deep trouble or just needs a boost, marriage retreats are potentially worth the investment.
The best ones can be pricey, so not everyone can afford a break in an exotic locale, but many facilities are affordable. How much you pay depends on the kind of retreat you visit, duration, and its location.
What Do You Do At A Marriage Retreat [Tips]
Taking a Break from Regular Life
Maybe a couple thinks they need a break from each other, but it could be that a break from real life is in order instead.
That means booking time off of work, getting away from the telephone, TV, and internet, and cutting yourselves off from friends and distractions that get between the two of you.
Marriage retreats provide a break from the usual lifestyle that distracts two people from taking time to work on marriage, and marriages are constantly “under construction.”
The Value of Great Scenery
Some people argue that getting away from it all has to include escaping the drab backdrop of everyday life.
Urbanites probably feel this most, but even couples in scenic locations sometimes want a change of scenery when they investigate potential marriage retreats. Many of the top locations offer just that: stunning scenery, peace, and quiet.
Seeking Couples’ Therapy
Although not every center provides counseling, a lot of them make this their principal focus. Marriage retreats offer therapy to couples, individuals, and in a group setting. This gives clients a chance to share their stories and realize that they are not unusual.
Sharing Experiences
Another type of marriage retreat is the experiential. Couples take part in games and activities designed to make them work as a team.
They have a lot of fun, as though they are at camp, but they are working at the same time. This is a kind of activity therapy that, in a sense, combines team building with counseling.
Christian Counseling
Several retreats look at marriage specifically through a biblical lens. The bible has a lot to say about marriage and many tools are embedded in its pages that, when understood fully, can bring a couple closer to God and, ultimately, closer to each other.
Spiritual Marriage Retreats
Certain other retreats take a spiritual angle, but not a traditional one. Their focus is on holistic healing between couples without putting emphasis on doctrine of any kind. You could be meditating together, visualizing, or spending time in nature.
Particular Problems
Varied clients enter a marriage retreat with a multitude of issues. One or both parties have been involved in an affair but one party forgives the other and they are determined to try again.
There has been physical abuse. A spouse has mental health problems or has dealt with addiction. The two could simply be drifting apart now that the kids are grown-ups and have left home.
Thoughts!
Sometimes it looks like the couple has made the decision to enter a marriage retreat and receive counseling too late, or nearly.
Other couples proactively seek out this kind of facility to prevent issues from cropping up or to tackle them as early as possible. They see marriage retreats as preventative marital maintenance.
