Marathon Sessions

A marathon session is a four, eight, or twelve hour block (we don't recommend 12!!), scheduled for one day or several consecutive days. Our marathon sessions with couples specialist Vanessa Knight are currently offered on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. Marathon sessions for couples are generally initiated for three different situations:

There's a sudden, intense need for intervention because of an acute situation.
There's a need for a retreat-style weekend or week (for example, childcare is arranged so couples can truly focus for an extended amount of time).
Life gets really busy or a partner travels quite a bit, so when there's time available for a couple to work through things, they buckle down and do a lot of work at once periodically.

Why would we choose marathon sessions as opposed to regular weekly one-hour sessions?

Continuity - Couples enjoy the continuous flow of the conversation for an entire morning or afternoon (or both), rather than the start-stop dynamic of weekly sessions. The pressure of the clock running out disappears, and the conversation can feel less pressured.
Quicker Assessment - A four hour block of time for assessment purposes allows a process that generally takes 3-4 weeks of one-hour sessions to be condensed into a single morning or afternoon. For example, the first hour is introductory and joint, the second and third hours are 1:1 with each partner, and the fourth hour is for reconvening and beginning the work that will be ongoing after this first extended assessment.
Emotional Regulation - Sometimes it's difficult to contain heavy emotion when there's been a crisis or a long-running disconnection. Extended time with your therapist allows for better containment and coregulation through the hard stuff. Sometimes, when the intensity of emotion gets to be too high, we need breaks. Four-hour blocks allow space for the emotional regulation breaks, walks outdoors, grounding activities that help keep the conversation productive and on topic.
Practical Issues - Short, weekly childcare is tough to find, so an extended block of time is more practical. Jobs or military service require travel, so when both partners are in the same city, it's time to do some relational work. Sometimes our lifestyles need special accommodation, and our practice will do what it can to make getting help easier for you.

Can individuals or families use these time blocks?

While they are generally used by couples, marathon sessions can be made available to families with several members who need more "air-time" during sessions, or existing individual clients who would like lengthy sessions to do specific interventional activities (Morning Altars, grief memorials or end-of-life planning sessions, extensive art therapies).

Are retreat style accommodations available?

Not at this time, but we do have something in the works! Check back for more vacation-style, tropical intensives with Vanessa in 2027. They're coming. For now, if you'd like to make it a retreat style intensive, we can refer you to a local AirBnB or a downtown KC hotel for a getaway. The Downtown Office is in a historic residential neighborhood where there are several historic Victorian AirBnBs for you to enjoy - some within walking distance!

What happens once we request a marathon session?

First, Vanessa will share several consent forms and a detailed questionnaire in the client portal when approving your scheduling request. Once you have completed the questionnaire and it's reviewed, additional questionnaires or assessments may be administered in order to gather as much data prior to the intensive as possible. If during the screening process, your case appears to need some preliminary meetings with each partner, Vanessa will reach out and make the recommendation, providing the reasons why this is appropriate in your case. Cases with active domestic violence, addiction, active infidelity, or complex prior diagnoses may qualify for a need for preliminary meetings. These sessions will optimize the marathon session. If Vanessa finds that a marathon session does not seem appropriate, you'll be contacted directly to discuss recommendations and a treatment plan, including referrals to other professionals if necessary.

What methodology is used for couples intensives?

Couples intensives with our practice are customized with a unique combination of Gottman Intensives methodology, Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) attachment conceptualization, and also Fair Play Method tools for couples who struggle with balancing emotional/mental labor in the household. Each couple is different, and one benefit of using our specialist is the combination of these highly evidence-based practices. Both the Gottman Method and Emotion-Focused Therapy are the gold standard for couples interventions in the psychotherapy world. Generally, it takes more than one 4 hour block to achieve the functional and emotional goals you may have. If you schedule one 4-hour block of time, Vanessa Knight will begin the screening process immediately. Depending on how much lead time (time between your scheduling and the time of the session) there is for preparation, the number and frequency of the 4-hour blocks will be determined. For example, for an acute crisis intervention that is immediate (within 24-48 hours), the marathon session will be treated much like an intake, assessment, and immediate working session to get you help ASAP. However, if you are scheduling several weeks out, you will likely be asked to complete several questionnaires/assessments ahead of time for review and treatment planning.

Is there a cost difference in marathon sessions versus regular sessions?

Nope -- time is time. The difference between marathon sessions and regular sessions is the days of the week they're available. Marathon sessions are outside of regular office hours for client sessions, so as not to interrupt other client attendance and so as to allow maximum focus and attention on your case for that day.

What's the cancellation policy for marathon sessions?

It's generally the same as all our other scheduling cancellation. Yikes! For a marathon session, that's several hundred dollars! We require 48 hours notice of cancellation to avoid fees. Notice between 48 and 24 hours requires 50% of session fees, and notice less than 24 hours from the start time requires full payment. We don't want this for anyone. Please imagine that your therapist is setting aside an entire morning, afternoon, or day for you - away from other clients and family. If you plan to cancel your session, please let your therapist know ASAP to free up this time for her. If you are scheduling a marathon in less than 48 hours, cancellations will be accommodated on a case by case basis. Fees will be assessed for cancellations. If your marathon session has been scheduled for more than one week out from the start time and you cancel less than 48 hours from the start time, the Cancellation Policy will be respected. Think of the marathon session like an airline flight. You're on that plane!