When the haze lifts, you can see each other clearly again.
Private couples therapy intensives in Southern California.
Worth traveling for—even from across the street.
Our Retreat
When the Distance Feels Unbridgeable
Once, a glance was enough.
You shared stories, laughter—even the quiet felt safe.
But something shifted.
Now, the silence feels like distance. Inches apart at the table, miles apart in meaning.
The connection that once felt effortless now feels out of reach.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
Some couples reach a point where weekly therapy can’t hold the urgency of their pain.
The hurt is too raw. The progress too slow.
What they need isn’t more time stretched out over months—it’s time held with focus, privacy, and real momentum.
That’s what our L.A. & San Diego intensive retreats offer:
Time. Focus. Privacy.
A way to begin again—together.
These private retreats don’t just help you talk differently. They help you live differently—while you’re still in it.
You’ll explore the roots of conflict, rebuild trust, and practice new patterns in real time. It’s immersive, powerful, and designed for couples who want change now—not someday.
Reconnect through a couples therapy intensive in Los Angeles or San Diego Experience deeper healing in less time.
Why a Retreat?
Because some things can’t wait a year to get better.
Weekly therapy can be helpful—until it isn’t.
When you’re in deep distress, one hour a week often feels like a drop in the ocean.
You barely scratch the surface before time runs out. You leave raw, unfinished.
Sometimes, even more disconnected than when you arrived.
A retreat is different.
It’s a concentrated space with no distractions, no interruptions, and no need to perform.
You’re not squeezing vulnerability into your lunch break.
You’re stepping into a protected space—where the only agenda is your relationship.
Don’t wait a year for things to get better.
More time = deeper work.
More focus = faster insight.
More privacy = fewer defenses.
This isn’t therapy as usual. It’s a reset.
One designed for couples who are ready to stop spiraling—and start rebuilding.
Weekly Therapy
1 hour per week
Weeks of getting-to-know-you talk
Starts and stops
Regular life distractions
Intensive Therapy
16 hours across 2.5 days
We start where it hurts.
Uninterrupted momentum
Complete focus and privacy
Meet Our Southern California Therapists
Dr. E. Nathaniel Chapman
Del Mar, CA
Practical, incisive, and deeply intentional, Dr. Nathaniel Chapman brings over 15 years of experience as a clinician, educator, veteran, and former teacher. Known for his calm presence and direct approach, he helps couples navigate betrayal, trauma, and disconnection with clarity and care. Dr. Chapman doesn’t offer quick fixes—he offers a structured space for honesty, insight, and lasting change. Couples ask for him by name, so feel free to.
Havi Kligfeld, LCSW
Beverlywood, Los Angeles, CA
Direct, compassionate, and quietly fierce, Havi Kligfeld believes in love—not just as an emotion, but as a life-shaping force. Trained at the Ackerman Institute and certified in the Gottman Method, she brings both clinical rigor and heartfelt intuition to her work. Whether you’re long-married, newly engaged, or still deciding whether to stay, Havi meets you with clarity, kindness, and the belief that imperfect families are worth fighting for.
Dr. Evelyn De Villiers
La Jolla, CA
Grounded, wise, and deeply empathetic, Dr. Evelyn De Villiers brings decades of life experience and clinical expertise to her work with couples. From raising seven children to working with Navy SEALs and survivors of trauma, her journey has been anything but ordinary. She offers a calm, oceanview space where high-conflict couples, military families, and longtime partners can do the deep work of rebuilding trust and connection.
Southern California Settings.
One Purpose.
Each of our Southern California locations offers a space where clarity, warmth, and restoration come naturally..
Los Angeles, CA
Creative Pulse, Private Haven
Tucked in a quiet neighborhood in Beverlywoods, our Los Angeles retreat blends warmth with edge—creative energy with quiet elegance. It’s close to the hum of Hollywood, but just far enough to disappear. After sessions, step into sunlight, find beauty in modern design, or explore a hillside trail hand in hand.
Stay at The Garland—a boutique hotel where retro glamour meets laid-back luxury.
San Diego, CA
Coastal Calm, Open Sky
Just north of downtown, our Del Mar location captures the easy grace of Southern California. Here, couples find stillness between ocean air and coastal cliffs. The pace is slower. The light is softer. After sessions, walk the beach, sip something strong, and feel the world gently widen again.
Stay at L’Auberge Del Mar—a peaceful, oceanview retreat that mirrors the work you’re doing inside.
La Jolla, CA
Elegance by the Sea
Perched above sculpted cliffs and crashing waves, our La Jolla retreat offers a breathtaking blend of natural beauty and understated luxury. This is where the Pacific meets clarity—where sea air clears the mind, and sunsets invite reflection. After sessions, stroll through art galleries, linger at oceanfront cafes, or let silence do its work beside the tide.
Stay at Estancia La Jolla—an hacienda-style haven designed for peace, privacy, and thoughtful pause.
The Unseen Cost of Relationship Distress
When your relationship is in crisis, everything else suffers. Conflict erodes your health, your work, your parenting. It isolates you—from friends, from yourself, from each other.
And when advice from loved ones feels shallow—or worse, judgmental—you may wonder if anyone truly understands what you’re going through.
You don’t need platitudes.
You need time. You need skill.
You need someone who sees what’s not being said.
When your relationship is in crisis, everything else suffers—health, work, parenting, even your sense of self.
You need more than advice. You need a way forward.
That’s why I created our intensive approach—because relationships deserve focused attention.
— Dr. Kathy McMahon, Founder, President of Couples Therapy Inc.
Is an Intensive Retreat Right for You?
Our retreats are designed for couples who are:
If you’re coping with untreated mental illness, active addiction, or domestic violence, those concerns deserve specialized care—and we’re happy to refer you to professionals who can help.
We are not a fit for every couple.
Healing takes courage. We work best with couples ready to show up with heart, honesty, and effort.
You don’t need perfect.
You need real.
After the Retreat: Carrying It Forward
The breakthroughs don’t end when your retreat does.
We offer structured follow-up to help you maintain the gains you’ve made, including:
We’re here for your growth.
We’re not just here for your crisis.
How is all of this done?
You’re not supposed to know.
That’s why we’ve mapped the path—step by step, human to human.
No guessing. No “choose from a list of strangers.”
Just a clear, guided process that starts with listening—really listening—and ends with a match that actually fits.
We’ll walk you through what working with us looks like, how we choose your therapist, and what to expect every step of the way. Whether you’re nervous, hopeful, or somewhere in between, you’ll come away knowing exactly where to begin.
Let’s Begin
Growth begins the moment you get moving.
You’re not just fixing your marriage. You’re reclaiming your life together