“The couples work that you do is so valuable — we are relating now in a wholly new and expansive way. It’s what each of us knew we were missing but could not have found on our own. Thank you so much!” — Tod, Boston, MA
What are Relationship Bootcamps?
Learn how to relate in an entirely new way
The two-day relationship bootcamps are an immersive educational experience combining lecture, break-out rooms, role-playing, and practice utilizing the revolutionary Relational Life Therapy (RLT) approach developed by Terry Real.
Be prepared to throw everything you’ve ever been told about couples therapy out the window as you learn sophisticated, practical skills to help you build intimacy, improve communication, and reduce conflict in your relationships.
Our bootcamps are invaluable workshops for both couples and individuals looking to improve their relationships. With the support of your fellow participants, you will deepen your personal transformation for a change that’s both profound and lasting.
Couples and individuals of all ages, races, and sexual orientations are welcome.
For RLT trainee therapists attending: This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself and really take in the RLT tools by learning to apply them in your personal relationships. An essential element of your work as an RLT therapist is practicing what you preach and attending the Relationship Bootcamps as a participant is a powerful way to fully embrace relational living.
All participants will leave knowing:
The proven tools to be both connected and protected in relationships
The Five Losing Strategies we fall into and how they harm relationships
The Five Winning Strategies to repair and revitalize relationships, and how to practice them
Healthy listening and responding skills to effectively communicate with your partner
Where you get “stuck” most often in your relationships and how to become “unstuck”
Therapists will leave with a better understanding of how to:
Teach couples to assess their losing strategies in relationships and move into the winning strategies for dramatic turnarounds
Teach clients to build healthy self-esteem and use protective boundaries so they can be connected and protected in relationships
Give women the tools of relational empowerment so they can be lovingly assertive
Equip men with the tools of relational awakening so they can open up and show up
“For therapists doing couples work, the Boot Camp is a great chance to see a compilation/distillation of RLT skills in action, plus a great way to do your own relational work. That last part was valuable beyond measure and has shaped my work as a therapist and partner in powerful ways.” — Sarah P.
“Terry Real’s Boot Camp was life-changing for me and my husband. We’ve been together 30+ years so it’d be fair to wonder what would we possibly have to work on. My love-avoidant, grandiose man said this shifted our relationship to a deeper, more loving level; his love-dependent, grandiose wife agrees. The Boot Camp weekend opened up new ways to talk, to see ourselves and to love each other.” — Sarah P., Portland, OR
“I have found that most couples really want a relationship that works for both people and they have no idea how to make that happen. Once they learn that implementing a set of learned skills can achieve their goal, the majority of couples are willing to do things differently. They become empowered to change!” — J.G., Dallas, TX
“My wife and I both found RLI’s workshop to be exceptional, and well worth the time and effort to fly to Boston. I would recommend it highly, particularly to couples having communication problems. RLI’s approach is unique, but common sense, so it is easy to understand and, hopefully, to apply.” — A.M., Toronto
Ready To See What a Relationship Bootcamp Could Do for You?
In-person bootcamps run across the United States throughout the year. We also run online bootcamps for those who prefer not to travel.
Q: Who instructs the bootcamps?
Relationship Bootcamps are run by certified RLT therapists, with a wealth of knowledge and experience in helping couples reconnect.
Q: How much do bootcamps cost?
Prices vary depending on location, please contact the instructor for the bootcamp you wish to attend for further information.
Q: I’m not in a relationship, can I attend on my own?
Yes! Many of the RLT principles translate to individual growth and you can significantly progress your own relationality by attending one of our bootcamps.
Q: I’m attending as an RLT therapist, do I need to participate?
Yes—if you are studying for RLT certification, participation (not just observation) is essential for you to get the maximum knowledge and benefit from the experience. You may come alone or with your partner.
Q: Do the bootcamps count towards Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for therapists?
Please contact the individual facilitator for your chosen bootcamp for further information on CEUs.
What is Relational Life Therapy?
Discover the integrative approach to couples therapy created by distinguished therapist Terry Real that equips people with the lifelong skills to forge more authentic, honest, and intimate connections.
As human beings, we crave connection, community, and closeness. Yet, we’ve never lived in a world that’s been more disconnected or individualistic.
We’re in the midst of a disconnection epidemic: we yearn for meaningful relationships, but we don’t have the skills to realize them. At no time in history has it been more apparent that intimacy is life’s holy grail.
As therapists, we can help people forge the intimate connections they so deeply desire. We can bring deep relief, healing, and change to relationships that are “on the brink,” catapulting couples to new levels of closeness.
When you train in Relational Life Therapy (RLT), you’ll learn the cutting-edge tools to transform relationships, help individuals heal from long-held trauma, and equip them with the skills to live relational, fulfilling lives—accountability, vulnerability, empathy.
And you know what else? These skills can profoundly affect your own relationships, allowing you to enjoy deeper, richer interactions with your partner, family, and friends.
RLT is a powerful method that, once mastered, can transform your life both professionally and personally.
Shall we begin?
Cutting-edge tools to transform relationships
Transforming the Face of Couples Therapy
Learn the lifelong skills to cultivate more authentic, honest, and intimate connections with Relational Life Therapy.
Many people want to have great relationships, but society hasn’t taught them how. In a world that’s more disconnected than ever, we desperately need to shift into a relational, connection-building culture—and that starts in the therapy room.
Changing how we see ourselves in relation to our partner. It involves changing some fundamental aspects of our identity, even changing how we think of ourselves to begin with, but doing this is vital to creating meaningful connections with others.
Building deeper, more intimate connections with ourselves and others is at the heart of Relational Life Therapy. Created by renowned couples therapist Terry Real, this unique, integrative therapy can profoundly and permanently transform individuals by helping them forge fiercely intimate connections in their relationships. RLT educates as much as it heals to equip people with the lifelong tools to live fully-connected, fearlessly authentic lives.
RLT breaks many of the rules of traditional therapy to go deep quickly and help clients make rapid and significant changes. RLT therapists are real, open, and honest. We set the bar high for our clients. We expect rapid, dramatic change, and to a remarkable degree, we get it.
How RLT Works
Catapulting couples to new levels of closeness, trust, and solidarity
Using a range of powerful diagnostic and transformative tools, RLT helps people to first reconnect to themselves—their feelings, needs, and desires—to build a stronger, more intimate connection with their partner.
Step 1: Waking Up
RLT therapists use loving confrontation to wake clients up to their negative behaviors in a direct but compassionate way. We show clients the difficult truths about how they are harming their relationships in a way that builds trust rather than resistance.
Step 2: Healing & Transformation
Swiftly get to the root of negative behaviors, understand them, and overcome them. Unique to RLT, deep trauma and inner child work is done in the presence of the partner. This allows individuals to go deeper and couples to grow closer.
Step 3: Relational Skills For Life
RLT equips people with the powerful tools they need to continue building authentic, healthy relationships long after their time in therapy is over—the key to creating change that lasts.
“Before RLT I felt like something was missing as a therapist.
The things I was taught in school were not practical and I felt stuck in my practice. I’m so grateful for the experiences I have had with the RLT training. I now see relationships in a way that finally makes sense to me and I have more confidence working with couples because I have something that is realistic and I believe works and more importantly my clients are able to grasp and practice.”
-James C.
“Before RLT I felt like something was missing as a therapist.
The things I was taught in school were not practical and I felt stuck in my practice. I’m so grateful for the experiences I have had with the RLT training. I now see relationships in a way that finally makes sense to me and I have more confidence working with couples because I have something that is realistic and I believe works and more importantly my clients are able to grasp and practice.” -James C.
“Before RLT I felt like something was missing as a therapist.
The things I was taught in school were not practical and I felt stuck in my practice. I’m so grateful for the experiences I have had with the RLT training. I now see relationships in a way that finally makes sense to me and I have more confidence working with couples because I have something that is realistic and I believe works and more importantly my clients are able to grasp and practice.”
-James C.
Learn the Practical, Sophisticated Skills to Transform Relationships and Individuals Profoundly and Permanently