Relationship Therapy for One
Therapy Intensives for Individuals Who Want to Heal Themselves and Their Relationships
Relationship Therapy Intensives Can Help You Heal
You wake up and you are so tired of being in this relationship the way that it is. You can almost feel the heaviness before your feet hit the floor. You already know how it is going to go. Some small thing will set the two of you off, then you are right back in the cycle you hate. There is a blow up, someone retreats, the silent treatment starts, and eventually you both sweep it under the rug because there are kids to take care of and jobs to show up for. From the outside you look put together. On the inside, your heart hurts.
You have tried so many times to get your partner to really listen, to see your point of view. Sometimes it seems like they finally hear you and things shift for a little while. You get a glimpse of how it could be and you want to hang on to that. Then the same patterns come rushing back and you feel even more exhausted and discouraged than before. You have asked them to go to therapy more than once. There is always a reason it will not work right now. Money. Time. It is not that bad. They are fine. You are “too sensitive.” Each excuse lands like another confirmation that you are working on this alone.
You are painfully aware that you are part of the cycle too. You see the ways you react, shut down, or try to over-function so things do not fall apart. You know you can only control you, but that thought is both empowering and terrifying. If it is just you, what happens if nothing changes. What happens if everything changes. You are not even sure if the answer is to stay and do this work or to eventually leave - you just know you cannot keep doing what you have been doing.
Part of you is scared to say it out loud, but you are ready to do something different, something you have never done before. You are ready to stop pretending it is “fine” and start really looking at what is happening inside you, in your nervous system, in your patterns, so you can feel more grounded and clear, whatever happens next in your relationship.
Relationship Therapy Intensives in California when you feel like you are the only one trying
If you are reading this, there is a good chance you feel like you are the one holding the emotional weight of the relationship. You are the one reading the articles, listening to the podcasts, trying to say things the “right” way. You might swing between anger and hurt, between wanting to walk away and wanting to fight for what you hoped this relationship could be.
You might notice the cycle starting but still feel pulled into it. You promise yourself you will not react, then your body is flooded and old protective parts of you jump in. Maybe you go numb and quiet. Maybe you get louder because you are desperate to be heard. Later, you replay the conversations and wonder what is yours, what is theirs, and whether you are asking for too much.
If your partner will not come to therapy, it can feel like a dead end. The truth is that individual relationship therapy intensives can still be incredibly powerful. When you change the way you show up in the cycle, the entire dance shifts. At the same time, therapy intensives aren’t just about fixing the relationship. They are about tending to the part of you that has been hurting for a long time and has been working so hard to keep everything together.
Hi, I am Alicia, Your Relationship Therapist
I am Alicia Taverner, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. I help people who feel stuck in painful relationship patterns understand what is really happening inside them, so they can respond from a calmer, more grounded place instead of repeating the same exhausting cycle.
I use the power of brainspotting, tools from Internal Family Systems (IFS), and when it is appropriate and clinically indicated, ketamine in collaboration with medical providers, to help you get to the roots of your patterns. Even though your partner is not in the room, I do not take sides. I am here for your healing, your clarity, and your sense of self, whether that eventually leads to staying, leaving, or reshaping the relationship in a new way.
My clients tell me that taking responsibility for their part in the cycle is not as hard or scary as they expected when they are not being shamed or blamed. They experience me as direct but compassionate. I will be honest with you, and I will also be deeply on your side as you untangle what is yours and what is not.
The Relationship Therapy Process
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Pre-Intensive Interview
It all begins with an planning and preparation session. During this 50-minute pre-intensive meeting we will determine the goals for your intensive. We will look at your patterns, habits and cycles and get clear on what you want to heal.
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Your First Intensive
Sessions take place at my office in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, or virtually and are scheduled for 1-2 days for 4 hours each day, using tools such as IFS and brainspotting to help you create safety in your nervous system so you can dive deep and shift patterns that are hurting you.
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Continued Healing
After your first intensive, you will continue the healing with one monthly intensive of 4 hours or two 100-minute sessions per month. We do this method, not only because it is more affordable, but it is more accessible and leads to much better outcomes. Generally people work with me for a year.
What to Expect in Your Relationship Therapy for One Intensive
In our work together, we slow things down in a way that is hard to do in real life. We look closely at what happens to you right before the argument, during the shutdown, or in the quiet afterward. We notice what your body does. Maybe your chest tightens, your stomach drops, or your jaw clenches. We get curious about the parts of you that jump in to protect you, the ones that say “fine, whatever,” or “it is all my fault,” or “I have to fix this.”
Using brainspotting, we access the deeper layers of your nervous system where so many of these patterns live. Instead of just talking about the same fights over and over, we work with how your brain and body are holding the hurt, the fear of abandonment, or the belief that you are “too much” or “not enough.” This can create shifts that are felt, not just thought.
With IFS-informed tools, we explore your inner system of parts. The part that wants to leave. The part that feels guilty. The part that believes you have to hold everything together for the kids. As you build a different relationship with these parts, you gain more choice. You are no longer on autopilot in the same stuck cycle.
When appropriate and when you are interested, ketamine-assisted therapy can support this work by softening rigid defenses and allowing you to access and process emotions in a different way. If this is something you want to explore, we will talk carefully about safety, medical collaboration, and whether it is a good fit for you. There is never pressure.
During the intensive process, we will map out the specific cycle you and your partner get stuck in, so you can see it clearly and recognize your entry points. From there, we build your capacity to stay present and centered in those moments. You learn how to self-regulate, set boundaries, and speak from a clearer place, rather than reacting from exhaustion or panic. We look at your values and what kind of relationship you actually want, not just what you are afraid of losing.
You do not have to decide right away whether you will stay or leave. Therapy can be the space where you get honest with yourself, gather information, and let the answer unfold as you become more connected to your own needs and truth.
Options and Investment
1 Day
$1,950
5 hour program
Pre-intensive interview (50 mins)
4 face-to-face hours
Resources, assessments and personalized treatment
Each intensive following your initial intensive is $1600 or $1400 for two 100 minute sessions per month
2 Days
$3,550
9 hour program
Pre-intensive interview (50 mins)
2 days of intensive sessions (total of 8 hours)
Resources, assessments and personalized treatment
Each intensive following your initial intensive is $1600 or $1400 for two 100 minute sessions per month
What if Healing Didn’t Have to Wait?
What If Healing Could Begin Now?
Imagine spending a full day — or two — not brushing the surface, not tiptoeing around your pain, not stopping the moment you finally start to feel something…
but diving in, gently, safely, deeply.
Imagine having the space to follow the threads of your story all the way through, to understand how you got here, to release what’s been weighing on your heart for so long.
Imagine the relief of not carrying this alone.
An intensive gives you:
uninterrupted time
steady support
deep therapeutic momentum
direction
clarity
emotional grounding
and space to actually finish the work you came to do
Instead of stretching four hours of deep work over two months…
You receive eight hours of healing in one concentrated, transformative experience, plus a grounding prep session that helps you begin healing before you even walk in.
It’s not rushed.
It’s not chaotic.
It’s not overwhelming.
It’s focused, compassionate, intentional, and deeply held.
It’s the kind of healing your heart has been asking for.
Cost comparison - Traditional Weekly Therapy vs Intensive Therapy
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Traditional Weekly Therapy (2 months)
8 weekly sessions (50 minutes each)
$250-$350 per session
Total cost: $2,000 - $2,800
~30 minutes of deep work per session → ~4 hours total
Stop–start rhythm slows progress
Momentum resets every week
Weekly setbacks and new conflicts derail progress
Total Deep-Work Hours: ~4 Hours
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Two-Day Intensive + Prep Sessions
8-hour intensive (4 hours each day)
One 50-minute prep session
Total cost: $3,550
8+ hours of uninterrupted deep work
Faster breakthroughs, deeper impact
Results in days, not months
Total Deep-Work Hours: 8+ Hours
You get double the deep work and significantly faster results with a two-day intensive.
It’s not just an investment in your relationship.
It’s an investment in you — in your future, in your peace, in your strength, and in the version of yourself who knows you deserve better than slow suffering.
FAQs
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Individual relationship therapy is counseling focused on your experience in the relationship, even if your partner is not in the room. We look at your patterns, triggers, and needs, and how you show up in the cycle between you and your partner. The goal is not to blame you, it is to help you feel more empowered and clear about what you want and how you respond.
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Yes. When one person in a relationship starts to shift, the dynamic often changes. Even if your partner’s behavior stays the same, you can feel less triggered, less stuck, and more grounded in your choices. Relationship therapy that focuses on you can reduce the constant tension inside, even when your partner is not ready for their own work.
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No. My role is not to decide that for you. We will explore what is happening, what you value, and what feels emotionally and physically safe for you. Over time, as you heal and get clearer, your own answer usually becomes more obvious, and I will support you in whatever you choose.
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Even though your partner is not in the room, I do not take sides. I hold your partner in the picture as a real person, and I care deeply about you and your experience. We look honestly at what is yours and what is not, so you can take responsibility without taking all the blame.
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Most people see me for a year. They find as they begin working on their relationship, they find other areas that need healing as well
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It makes sense to feel nervous. My office is a place where all of you is welcome. We will go at a pace that feels manageable, and you always get to say if something feels like too much, too fast. But the time we give in our intensives allows for you to actually feel safer and not rushed.