What If Months of Therapy
Could Happen in Days?
A live 5-module course for therapists and coaches who want to deepen their clinical impact while building a more focused and sustainable practice.
With Desirae Ysasi, RLI Director of Training & Dr. Priscilla Short
Join the Live Classes every Tuesday, 12–1:30pm ET | 9–10:30am PT
Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 7 | Apr 14
100% Money-Back Guarantee
7.5 Continuing Ed Credit Hours available for $40 when you attend all 5 classes in full
when you attend all five classes LIVE.
Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
When Weekly Sessions Stall Progress
For couples at a make-or-break point, it’s often too painful to keep surfacing their pain then setting it aside each week.
Important conversations start, emotions surface, insight builds… and then the process pauses. A week later, the same dynamic reappears. Progress stops and starts.
And for therapists and coaches, prolonged work in these cases carries its own cost. Holding couples on the brink for months at a time can be emotionally taxing and exhausting – especially when the work keeps circling without resolution.
Couples Intensives allows you to introduce what Terry Real describes as a “mechanism for correction”: couples experiencing rupture and repair safely in real time. They’re not just talking about change, they’re
practicing it.
They learn what it feels like to soften, take responsibility, reconnect, and be met. This is often what’s missing in relationships, and it’s hard to achieve fully in a 50–90 minute sessions.
“Introducing intensives into my practice has transformed the way I can work with couples – and the depth of change I’m able to support…
At first, I worried that intensives might feel overwhelming or exhausting. In reality, I’ve found the opposite – I often leave feeling energised. This way of working has deepened my clinical impact and continues to be incredibly rewarding.”
Victoria Shalet
Psychotherapist and Certified RLT Therapist
RLT Couples Intensives Offer A Powerful, Accelerated Pathway for Relationship Healing
… when held with clarity, structure and skill
Evidence shows intensives can produce stronger results than weekly therapy…
Research by Boegner & Zielenbach-Coenen (1984) found that couples who received the same total hours of therapy in a condensed, intensive format showed greater improvement and lower relapse than those who received weekly sessions or no therapy at all.
In Relational Life Therapy, intensives are intentionally organized around the 3 phases of the model. This arc provides containment. It allows couples to move through insight, regulation, and integration in a sustained way – rather than opening something that can’t be safely held.
Structure doesn’t only protect the couple. It protects you. A defined arc, clear pacing, and intentional integration reduce the stop-start nature of crisis work and support steadiness rather than prolonged strain – and burnout.
The RLT Intensive Model live course will help you do exactly that. Across 5 x 90-minute classes, you will gain the trusted framework to facilitate deeply transformative Couples Intensives.
- Your clients will gain the relief and reconnection they desperately seek.
- You will gain a deep sense of fulfillment and enthusiasm for your work as you see the powerful results unfold.
“Couples Intensives provide hope, momentum, and real change for your clients. For you they provide a container to deliver truly effective work, see the results unfold before you – it’s a deeply rewarding way to work.”
RLT Couples Intensives allow you to go deep to help couples understand what’s blocking intimacy and do the necessary healing and skill -building to create lasting change ”
How This Training Will Help You
Move From Hesitation to Confidence
Intensives can feel daunting. The stakes are high. This training gives you a clear structure for assessing readiness, pacing the work, and moving through each phase of RLT with intention.
Create Momentum & Lasting Change
Instead of stopping and starting week after week, you will have the space to go deep and guide couples through the full arc of RLT so they leave with insight and skills to continue nurturing their relationship.
Protect Your Energy and Reduce Burnout
Prolonged crisis work can be exhausting. Intensives, when paced intentionally, provide contained depth rather than chronic strain. Clear structure supports steadiness – for you as well as for the couple.
Increase Your Impact Without Increasing Your Caseload
Because a single intensive often equates to several months of weekly work — in outcomes and fees – you can work deeply while optimizing your time, reducing volume without reducing income.
Expand Your Offering With Confidence
You’ll gain a clear framework for how to deliver intensives with skill, structure, and care – including how to follow up responsibly – so you have a clear roadmap to refer to without having to guess or improvise.
“My couples make significant progress in a short window of time…
My clients come in feeling pain and leave having gained needed understanding, a shared language for their relationship, and renewed hope for connection, all within one weekend.
This format is ideal for clients seeking transformative relational work that makes an immediate difference
in their lives.”
Jessica Johnson
LMFT-Associate; LPC-Associate, Certified RLT Therapist
How This Training Will Help You
Over five weekly sessions, you’ll learn everything you need to run effective Couples Intensives, from what to do before you start,
the structure, how to apply each RLT phase to the work, and how to make this a sustainable and growing part of your offering.
March 17 Module 1: Before You Begin
Assessing readiness and appropriateness
Assessing readiness and appropriateness
In this module, you’ll learn all you need to get started with Couples Intensives. You’ll explore the foundational aspects, including:
- What a Couples Intensive is and the benefits of offering them (for you and your clients).
- Which clients are suitable for intensive work
- What information to collect prior to starting the work, including how to screen for preconditions and contraindications
March 24 Module 2: Creating a Container & Waking Up The Couple
Setting up the work, data-gathering, and finding leverage
Setting up the work, data-gathering, and finding leverage
You’ll learn how to create a container for the work ahead and conduct RLT Phase 1 in an intensive setting, including:
- How to gather meaningful data through the 8 lenses and identify the couple’s dance.
- Finding leverage and getting “buy-in” from the couple.
- Addressing the common questions in Phase 1 in an intensive setting:
- Should you do any 1:1 work in this phase?
- What if you can’t identify the Stance–Stance–Dance or blatant/latent dynamics?
- What if there’s no leverage or you can’t get buy-in?
March 31 Module 3: Working With the Adaptive Child
Inner child work and Relational Mindfulness in an intensive format
Inner child work and Relational Mindfulness in an intensive format
You’ll explore when to move into RLT Phase 2 and how to pace relational trauma work, including:
- Working with the Adaptive Child and each partner’s historical relational trauma.
- Helping couples to cultivate Relational Mindfulness.
- Whether or not to do inner child work with both partners by the end of the Intensive.
- How to differentiate the relationship wound and the historical wound.
- If – and how – you can use other modalities for trauma work?
April 7 Module 4: Teaching Skills & Closing The Work
Skill-building, holding ambiguity, and concluding the intensive
Skill-building, holding ambiguity, and concluding the intensive
You’ll learn how and when to move into RLT Phase 3 work and bring the Intensive to an appropriate close, including:
- How to determine which relational skills your clients need and create a plan for teaching them.
- Working with the Adaptive Child when clients get triggered in real-time.
- How to conclude the Intensive:
- Amplifying positive change and building hope.
- Referrals for further work that was identified (e.g., addiction support, medication management for ADD, or mood disorders).
- Holding ambiguity – what to do when some issues can’t be resolved within the time frame.
April 14 Module 5: Making Intensives Sustainable & Profitable
Fees, supervision, and preventing burnout
Fees, supervision, and preventing burnout
In this final module, you’ll explore the practical considerations for running Intensives, including:
- The costs of running them and what are realistic fees to charge.
- How to structure the days to maximize the time.
- What post-intensive follow-up care to offer.
- Self-care practices for you to prevent burnout and make the work sustainable and rewarding.
- Peer supervision and support to strengthen your Intensive offering over time.
- Special topics: working intensively with infidelity and “should I stay or go?” cases.
Plus a Special Bonus Class
April 21 Q&A: What Do You Need to Know?
When all of the structural and therapeutic aspects of intensives have been covered, a common challenge that arises is having the confidence to get started – or knowing how/when/where to advertise your new offering.
In this bonus Q&A call, Desirae and Priscilla will take your questions on any final pieces that are getting in the way of you going out and running your intensives.
You’ll also hear from two other certified RLT therapists who successfully run Couples Intensives, Victoria Shalet and Jessica Johnson, who will share their experience and wisdom to help you.
About Your Teachers
Desirae Ysasi
Desirae has two decades of experience in relationship counseling. She became a Certified Relational Life Therapist in 2018 trained directly by Terry Rea.
She joined the faculty of the Relational Life Institute in 2022 and now serves as Director of Training & Certification, overseeing the global certification program.
She has been the owner of Ysasi Counseling since 2014 and runs Relational Life Texas – the first group practice focused on RLT.
Dr. Priscilla Short
Priscilla Short is an RLT-Certified Couples Therapist and accredited EMDR therapist, working with couples and families.
Based in London, Priscilla was among the first therapists to train in RLT in the UK. Known for her relational and authentic style, Priscilla has developed an expertise over the past 15 years through working in the NHS (inpatient and outpatient settings, including with eating disorders, foster families and looked after children), private practice and the third sector with Relate.
A Note From Priscilla
In this brief video, Dr. Priscilla Short shares what RLT Couples Intensives have done for her practice and why she’s thrilled to deliver this training to help you and your clients enjoy similar results.
Priscilla Short
RLT Certified Relational Therapist
What Your Colleagues Say About Training With Desirae & Priscilla
"Training with Desirae constantly leaves me with a sensation of clarity and direction...
Her active and engaged style of instructing has assisted me in discovering my personal growth edges and meeting those with compassion. She has a great ability to sense into the group she is working with, being attuned to their needs and inviting participation to ensure all are receiving and integrating the instruction.”
Jessica Johnson, LMFT-Associate; LPC-Associate, Certified R…
"Training with Desirae constantly leaves me with a sensation of clarity and direction...
Her active and engaged style of instructing has assisted me in discovering my personal growth edges and meeting those with compassion. She has a great ability to sense into the group she is working with, being attuned to their needs and inviting participation to ensure all are receiving and integrating the instruction.”
Jessica Johnson, LMFT-Associate; LPC-Associate, Certified R…
"Training with Desirae constantly leaves me with a sensation of clarity and direction...
Her active and engaged style of instructing has assisted me in discovering my personal growth edges and meeting those with compassion. She has a great ability to sense into the group she is working with, being attuned to their needs and inviting participation to ensure all are receiving and integrating the instruction.”
Jessica Johnson, LMFT-Associate; LPC-Associate, Certified R…
Who is this for?
This training is designed for you if:
- You're trained in Relational Life Therapy and understand its core concepts and 3-phase model.
- You work with couples facing betrayal, rupture, high conflict, or the real possibility of separation.
- You want a therapeutic container that allows couples to move through escalation, shutdown, and repair without being constrained by shorter, weekly sessions.
- You're ready to expand your practice and meet the growing demand for intensive couples therapy.
- You want the structure, skills, and confidence to offer this powerful modality sustainably and effectively.
Important to know: This course focuses exclusively on Couples Intensives through the RLT lens for romantic relationships. It does not address intensive work with individuals, families, or non-romantic relationship systems.
Not yet trained in RLT? This is an advanced training that assumes familiarity with RLT’s 3 phases. If you’re new to RLT, we recommend completing our RLT Level 1 foundational training first. Learn more.
“Couples intensives are what RLT was built for…
And that’s what I did. Couples would come to me and we’d do deep work over the course of two days. At the end we’d decide together whether they were back on track or getting a divorce.
What I discovered was how effective that way of working could be – 9/10 couples came back from the brink after those two days.
In the kinds of make-or-break cases I see, it can be detrimental to let therapy drag on. These couples simply cannot afford to carry the heartbreaking pain of disconnection over months – and it’s a heavy load for you to carry as their therapist, too.
Couples Intensives provide a container for deep, focused, truly transformative work that provides relief, renewed hope, and connection for your clients.
And for you? A deep sense of fulfilment as you watch the momentum build and real change take place in such a short timeframe.
This training is designed to help you translate RLT into an intensive model with clarity and confidence. Desirae and Priscilla bring depth, steadiness, and thoughtful guidance to this work, and I’m pleased to see more RLT therapists offering intensives responsibly and effectively.
Warmly,
Try The Course Risk-Free
You’re Protected by a 100% Money-Back Guarantee
We’re confident you’ll enjoy The RLT Intensive Model, but if for any reason you wish to withdraw from the course, you are entitled to a full refund within 48 hours of the first live call. Please contact us at support@terryreal.com by Thursday, March 19, 2026 and we will issue you with a 100% refund, no questions asked.
Enroll Today
Join the LIVE training with Desirae Ysasi and Priscilla Short and learn the art and structure of RLT Intensives for breakthrough couples therapy.
- 5 live 90-minute classes with Desirae Ysasi and Dr. Priscilla Short
- A structured framework for designing and pacing RLT intensives
- Handouts to support you in running your intensives – including advertising tips
- Bonus live Q&A call to build your confidence
- Lifetime access to the recordings
- 7.5 NBCC-approved Continuing Ed credit hours (live attendance required)
- 100% money-back guarantee
Choose your payment option
One-Time Payment
$495
Pay Monthly
3x $175
$525 in total
Did you know this course is…
50% off for RLT Certification Students
If you’re enrolled in the RLT Certification, you’re entitled to 50% off this course. Please check your email for your discount code. If you’re not part of the certification and would like to learn more, we invite you to learn more here.
30% Off For RLT Alumni Members
If you’re RLT-certified and have joined the official RLT Alumni Membership, we have emailed you an exclusive discount code to get your 30% discount. If you aren’t yet a member, you can join here. If you haven’t received your email, please email support@terryreal.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the live calls?
The live calls are for 90 minutes every Tuesday on the following dates/times:
PT | ET | UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
March 17 Module 1: Before You Begin | 9am | 12PM | 4pm* |
March 24 Module 1: Before You Begin | 9am | 12PM | 4pm* |
March 31 Module 1: Before You Begin | 9am | 12PM | 5pm* |
April 7 Module 1: Before You Begin | 9am | 12PM | 5pm* |
April 14 Module 1: Before You Begin | 9am | 12PM | 5pm* |
April 21 Module 1: Before You Begin | 9am | 12PM | 5pm* |
What if I can’t make all of the live call dates?
While we encourage you to join live as often as you can, we appreciate that’s not always possible. All live classes will be recorded and stored in your private learning platform for you to watch at your convenience.
How long will I have access to the course material?
Forever! All materials will be recorded and stored in your private learning platform.
Is this suitable for practitioners who don’t work with couples?
While there are versions of intensives that work for families and individuals, this course is focused exclusively on running intensives for couples in romantic relationships.
Do I need any previous training in Relational Life Therapy to join?
Yes – this course assumes familiarity with RLT’s 3 phases and how they work together to facilitate deep, lasting transformation in couples.
You will learn how to translate the tools and interventions of each phase to the Couples Intensive format, but this course will not offer a deep exploration of the theory behind these tools. We recommend you complete RLT Level 1 as a minimum prior to the live classes.
Is this suitable for couples looking for relationship support?
This course is designed exclusively for RLT practitioners looking to facilitate Couples Intensives for their clients. Couples seeking intensives for their own relationship will not benefit from joining.
For support in your own relationship, please explore our relationship courses and workshops or use our Find a Therapist directory to find a practitioner who offers Couples Intensives near you.
How high is the demand for Couples Intensives?
It’s consistently growing. Couples in crisis simply can’t afford to spread therapy over months, even years. Their preference is much more often to accelerate the process with intensive work. It’s not only make-or-break couples who may seek intensives – couples with strict schedules and busy lives may struggle to commit to regular, weekly therapy and find the intensive model is a better fit for their lifestyle.
Won’t I – or my couples – burn out with such intensive work?
Intensive work has enormous potential – but it also carries risk. Many clinicians hesitate for good reason, wondering if the intensity might destabilise the relationship, or if they’re equipped to hold that level of escalation, pain, or relational trauma for hours/days at a time.
You’re right to ask that question. Without structure and clear pacing, time can amplify chaos rather than create clarity. That’s why this course teaches you a sustainable, effective framework that protects your energy and your clients from becoming overwhelmed.
Are Continuing Ed credits available?
Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Learn more.
Do RLT Certification students and Alumni members get a discount?
Yes – if you are enrolled in the Certification or a member of the official RLT Alumni Membership, your discounts are as follows:
RLT Certification students: you are entitled to a 50% discount on this course. Check your inbox for an email from us with your discount code. If you’re not yet enrolled and would like to learn more about the RLT Certification, please visit the information page.
RLT Alumni members: if you are part of the official alumni membership, you are entitled to 30% off this course. Please check your inbox for an email from us with your discount code. If you’re a certified RLT practitioner and would like to join the Alumni, learn more here.
What’s your refund policy?
We’re confident you’ll enjoy The RLT Intensive Model, but if for any reason you wish to withdraw from the course, you are entitled to a full refund within 48 hours of the first live call. Please contact us at support@terryreal.com by Thursday, March 19, 2026 and we will issue you with a 100% refund, no questions asked.
I still have questions, who do I speak to?
Please email us at support@terryreal.com for any further questions.
Learn The RLT Intensive Framework For Breakthrough Couples Therapy
Increase your impact without increasing your caseload
Starts Tuesday, March 17, 2026