Focus on the Family Canada’s Hope Restored intensives offer marriage counselling for couples who are facing an extreme crisis in their marriage, and who may even feel they are headed for divorce. Hope Restored intensives are all-inclusive, extended periods of counselling over multiple days that allow our team of marriage counsellors to get to the root of the problem.
A Hope Restored intensive includes:
The 4-Day Group Intensive structure has proven to be the most powerful format for helping couples move past the barriers that keep them from experiencing the marriage of their dreams. While it’s common initially for many couples to be reluctant to discuss their relationship in front of others, our participants repeatedly offer high praise for the group format on post-intensive surveys.
The 4-day format includes:
The 3-Day Private Intensive utilizes the same powerful principles as the 4-Day Group Intensive, yet is perfectly designed to provide additional privacy during marriage counselling, enhanced individual care and greater scheduling flexibility.
The 3-day format includes:
See the programs page to learn more.
If you would like a longer intensive we suggest one of two options. First, consider 2 private intensives, with a space of 6 months or longer in between them. Alternately, consider asking us about a 5-Day Premier Intensive (which are not part of our regular schedule).
In the 5-Day Premier Intensive you will receive both individual and joint counselling over a period of five days from two therapists. The cost of this intensive is $9450. While all of our individual programs are tailored to couples’ specific needs, this longer format allows for much more flexibility as you determine, with the counsellors, the direction of each day’s sessions.
The 5-day format includes:
Please note that we only offer 5-Day Premier Intensives at our Alberta and Ontario location. We only schedule 5-Day Premier Intensives upon request, considering both our retreat centre schedule and our counsellors' availability. Not all requests are able to be accommodated.
The 4-Day Group Intensives and the 3-Day Private Intensives take place at Focus on the Family Canada's dedicated retreat centres. These centres are located just south of Calgary, Alberta; an hour east of Winnipeg, Manitoba; and about one hour outside of Toronto, Ontario.
Program schedules are posted on the website, along with availability.
The 5-Day Premier Intensives are available in Alberta and Ontario and are scheduled only upon request. Please call us (1.833.999.4673) if you have interest in this option.
There are several things that distinguish Hope Restored intensives from weekly marriage counselling:
These include:
We have researched other major programs across North America and found that they are similar only in that they are trying to help marriages. While we are encouraged by those efforts to minister to those in struggling relationships, we believe there are several things that set Hope Restored intensives apart:
A Hope Restored intensive addresses a variety of topics including communication, infidelity, intimacy and sexual issues, financial strains, blended families, children, and career conflicts. It offers a unique, holistic and scripturally based counselling approach that combines the heart, the mind and a couple’s faith. This approach has proven amazingly effective. In fact, Hope Restored in the U.S. routinely surveys intensive participants about their experience. Responses to the survey have shown that over 80 per cent of those who attended are still married two years later.
We understand there are unique circumstances in many situations. Please call 1.833.999.4673 for further help in this area.
We understand how intimidating it can be for many people to open up in a group setting. We hear this concern quite often. Many couples arrive dreading the group marriage counselling format, and yet by the end of their time at the intensive, they would not have it any other way! Even so, we are here to serve you, and in the end, we will work with you to determine which program is the best fit for you. In the group setting, Hope Restored marriage counsellors create a safe environment for individuals to express concerns and struggles and to help couples learn through observation and feedback. The group setting also helps facilitate relationships for continued support after the intensive. Each couple works specifically with the marriage counsellors on their issues within the group setting. The group setting does not utilize a cookie-cutter format, and is actually very customized and practical.
Many individuals who have concerns about affairs, pornography or childhood abuse have found it very therapeutic to let their “secret” out in the safe setting of the group intensives because it becomes less of a burden for them to bear alone. Often they find empathy and support from others with similar struggles. Again, the atmosphere of the location is very private, and the Hope Restored counsellors are specially trained to create a safe environment.
We recommend you call our intensive consultant at 1.833.999.4673 to discuss your options and find the program that's right for you and your spouse.
There are three circumstances when we may suggest that a couple seek an alternative route:
We realize that rooming arrangements might be a concern for some couples because they are currently separated or they simply don’t feel comfortable staying in the same room together. We are committed to making sure each couple’s stay is as safe and comfortable as possible. If additional rooms are needed, our team will be able to provide you with the necessary information to make these arrangements (the additional room cost will be the couple’s responsibility). Depending on our capacity, we may be able to provide an additional room onsite at an additional cost. Please discuss this requirement with our registrar.
4-Day Group Intensive:
$4,250*
3-Day Private Intensive:
$5,250*
5-Day Premier Intensive:
$9,450*
*Prices listed are per couple
Yes.
There are several ways to make an intensive more affordable:
*Please note that we do not offer financial assistance for 5-Day Premier Intensives
If you have extended health benefits, Focus on the Family Canada recommends that all clients contact their insurance company to ascertain if they will reimburse you for any fees associated with this experience. Typically, marriage counselling and/or group counselling is not covered by all Canadian insurance providers. You may be able to claim some of these costs on your income tax, however. Focus on the Family Canada does not submit to insurance companies on behalf of participants of Hope Restored intensives.
Alberta
For intensives in Alberta, we recommend Calgary International Airport as it is approximately an hour’s drive from our Calgary centre.
Manitoba
For intensives in Manitoba, we recommend Winnipeg International Airport as it is approximately 1½ hours’ drive from our Manitoba centre.
Ontario
For intensives in Ontario, we recommend Toronto Pearson International Airport as it is approximately an hour’s drive from our Ontario centre.
Unfortunately, we are over an hour drive from the airports and cannot pick up guests.
Yes, we do recommend guests to have their own transportation.
Taxi service is available to all centre locations, but you may want to check with cab companies regarding the fee.
A Hope Restored marriage intensive is more than just a one-time service – our goal is the long-term health of your marriage. With this goal in mind, we have put in place several resources for our alumni:
Yes, we do. Please find it here.
We want to assist you in getting all the information you need to make informed decisions about our programs. If you have additional questions: