Transform Your Relationship at Our Couples Retreat

Experience a powerful and rejuvenating Couples Retreat in the breathtaking beauty of Southern Colorado. Strengthen your bond, reconnect, and gain valuable tools for lasting relationship success.

This couples retreat is designed for deep connection and personal growth, offering an alternative to traditional therapy.

We are excited to invite you to a relaxing and transformative couples retreat in the breathtaking beauty of Southern Colorado!

Whether you’re seeking a marriage retreat, preparing for a lifetime partnership or premarital counseling, looking to deepen and revitalize your connection, a couples therapy retreat, or exploring an alternative to traditional weekly couples therapy, this romantic getaway offers powerful tools and insights to strengthen your relationship.

You’ll leave not only refreshed but equipped with practical skills and a renewed sense of connection that will enrich your partnership for years to come.

Join us for this unforgettable experience!

Experience the Journey: A Look Inside Our Couples Retreat

Why Choose Our Couples Retreat?

Escape the stress of daily life and invest in your relationship.
Expert-led sessions designed to deepen your connection.
A perfect alternative to traditional couples therapy.

What to Expect at Our Couples Retreat

A peaceful and scenic location for uninterrupted bonding.
Engaging workshops and relationship-strengthening exercises.
Guided sessions designed to build trust and communication.
Time for relaxation, reflection, and reconnection.

Couples Retreat Vacation Package Details

Included with your Tuition:

Arrival reception
3 breakfast, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
3 Happy Hours (alcohol included)
Personal retreat photographs
4 days of teaching modules and experiential activities
Evening optional activities

Lodging Details:

Lodging is paid separate from tuition. There are different price points for rooms and suites. Book directly with Blue Lake Ranch by calling 505-716-7995.

Reserve your accommodations within one week of registering and indicate that you are booking with The Better Together Couples Retreat.

Visit bluelakeranch.com for photos of accommodations, room details and pricing.

Testimonials

“The experientials were the best part of the retreat. We especially loved the “enjoy your partner enjoying themselves“ activity. That one really took us to a new place that we’ve never considered before. Telling us about the How We Feel app has really helped us to connect with all the diﬀerent emotions we can go through as humans. That is helped us to have deeper conversations after the retreat.”

Monica Leaming and Cecilia Taulbee

Married 24 years.

“We have applied many of the lessons from the retreat into our daily lives. It has allowed our relationship to move into a new phase”.

“We cannot express enough how much we loved the experience. The tool of effective communication has changed the dynamic in our relationship completely. We felt fully supported and safe. It was a nurturing environment and the experience was invaluable.”

“It can be difficult to carve out time from our busy schedules to work on our relationship. It was very fulfilling to spend time together under the guidance of the Manz team. They do a great job of synthesizing important and difficult concepts in practical and useful ways. It was a great opportunity to get back on track and work on “us” as a couple! “

Jason and Stacy Sandel

Married 27 years.

“Since the retreat we have noticed the new language of “the story I tell myself” finding its way into conversations. We are able to make it through the hard stuff pretty quickly now without the old fighting”.

“I was able to finally grow out of past traumas where I was harboring anger and bitterness from the past”.

“I would definitely love another retreat with Jean and recommend this retreat to a friend.”

“I longed to learn a better way to manage our disagreements and my husband was initially reluctant to do the Retreat. Jean quickly put his fears to rest of having to dredge up old hurts or share with strangers. She crafted digestible modules from her wealth of experience and her passion to help couples. We filled our relationship tool kit. The mantra, “keep it micro” really spoke to my husband. We have built a closer connection through this experience and overall feeling of optimism regarding our relationship. A Bonus- we had a nice break through with Jean’s individual coaching concerning a reoccurring argument.”

Retreat Agreement: Guidelines & Important Information

Please read the Retreat Agreement (and keep a copy for your records) before proceeding with

Registration.

Click to Read Agreement

Click to view Agreement

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Couples Retreat

Who is Jean?

I have been in the trenches with couples, offering couples therapy for the past 25 years. It all started when I became licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in 1998.

I received my Master’s degree at San Diego State University in 1993 and completed a two-year Marriage and Family Therapy post-graduate training program at Denver Family Institute in 1997. Over the years, I have studied in depth many modalities, including Terry Real’s Relational Life Therapy, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Pragmatic Experiential Couples Therapy, PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy), Energy Psychology, Gentle Reprocessing, Mindfulness-Based Practices, Somatic Experiencing, and EMDR.

Along the way, I have developed my own unique integration of theory and practice and am continually learning and challenging the limits of what therapy can offer to alleviate suffering and inspire thriving.

In my work, I emphasize the importance of people learning the ongoing skills they need to nurture and cherish their relationships long after their time in Retreat or Therapy is over.

With 2 adult sons and a marriage that had spanned 33 years, I understand the real dynamics of loving someone and the messiness of living life as two imperfect beings coupled together. My husband Julius will be alongside during the retreat. You can read much more about me and my approach at https://jeanmanz.com/partners/

Who makes up the Retreat Team?

Besides Jean. . . .

Charles Stacey, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, has been Jean’s colleague for the past 18 years and we currently practice together at Manz and Stacey Coaching and Counseling. Charles will be ever – present holding therapeutic space and offering support to couples.

Julius Manz, my trusted husband of 33 years will be my background admin support and jump in helping me to demonstrate concepts and share his perspective as we go.

Joan and her team at the Blue Lake Ranch and Ridgewood Event Center will be at the helm providing for all our comfort and hospitality needs: think homemade meals, cozy private and public spaces, Happy Hours and snacks, and attention to all the details that allow us to settle into vacation mode.

Can this Couples Retreat really improve my relationship?

Absolutely! Guided by Jean and the Retreat Team, this Wellness Retreat provides dedicated time over the course of 4 days to focus on your relationship. Jean will lead you through a series of exercises that are both meaningful and fun. You’ll learn how to identify you and your partner’s attachment styles, read each other’s body language, manage conflicts, develop lasting agreements and visions for your future, and incorporate mindfulness to amplify positive emotions and intimacy. You will take home practices that you can integrate into your lives that will transform your relationship for years to come. Get the benefit of hours of couples counseling by taking this meaningful vacation with your sweetheart.

What will we do during the Couples Retreat, is this therapy?

First, we will enjoy the setting and hospitality of the stunning Blue Lake Ranch located in the foothills of the San Juan Mountains near Durango Colorado: fabulous food, stunning views, and cozy and romantic accommodations. Consider this a romantic transformative relationship getaway. Jean has arranged the Retreat into modules based on the science of healthy
relationships and happiness. Each module will contain an opportunity to learn new information and then engage with your partner in a hands-on activity to help you create a secure – functioning relationship, deepening your connection. This isn’t traditional couples therapy but Jean will be on hand to offer support and guidance to your relationship based on her 25 years of working with couples in her private practice.

What do we gain by participating?

Clarity about our shared purpose and vision for our relationship.
Better understanding of the biology of relationship connection.
Ability to recognize and navigate both your own and your partner’s relationship and
attachment style.
Skills to read and respond to your partner’s emotions and nonverbal cues.
Specific relationship tools and strategies to manage conflict together
Greater intimacy and mindfulness skills to create a more sensual and safe sexual
relationship.
Practices to amplify the positives in life.
Intensive time to uplevel your relationship skills without the interruption of all of your
day to day responsibilities.

Will we have to talk about our issues in front of other people?

No. Not ever. There’s no public discussion or disclosure required. All of the work you do will be done privately as a couple. Jean and her colleague Charles Stacey (also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) will be available to support you during the modules.

Who is this for?

The Better Together Couples Retreat is for people in committed relationship and can benefit couples who have been partnered for decades as well as those preparing for marriage or looking for an option to premarital counseling. This retreat is inclusive and open to all couples.

This retreat is not suited for those currently dealing with untreated mental illness or active
addiction.

What is my next step in booking my reservation for the Couples Retreat?

Go to Jean’s website, https://jeanmanz.com/couples-retreat/ and complete the reservation.

What is included in the Tuition, is it all-inclusive?

A private optional hour meeting with Jean via Zoom or in person before the Retreat. Get your questions answered and arrive at the Retreat knowing that Jean understands who you are and has her eye on providing what you are seeking from the Retreat experience. ($180)
Arrival Reception.($30)
All meals during the Retreat time: 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners. ($400 Value)
3 Happy Hour Socials with both alcoholic and nonalcoholic offerings ($90)
Memorable photos and you and your sweetheart taken by my colleague Charles Stacey,
sent to you after the Retreat via a web link. ($150)
16 Hours of Retreat content offered through teaching modules and experiential activities

designed to transform your relationship. ($800 value)
The Ridgewood Event Center will be our home to gather for our Retreat Modules and

Experientials. Walking trails, living room nooks and intimate spaces provide the perfect

getaway vibe to shut out the world and focus on “Us”. ($300 value)

How do I reserve my room at the Blue Lake Ranch?

After you have purchased your Retreat tickets, the next step is for you to reserve your lodging
by calling the Blue Lake Ranch at (970) 385-4537. Let them know you are with the Better
Together Couples Retreat. Lodging is paid for separately and there are different price points for
the rooms and suites. View the rooms as well as checking availability by going to the website at
https://bluelakeranch.com/

Are travel arrangements and costs included in the tuition?

Participants are responsible for their own travel costs to and from the Retreat.

What happens If I need to cancel?

We understand that life can be unpredictable, and sometimes plans change. Our cancellation
policy is designed to be fair and considerate to both our guests and our team. If the retreat is
canceled by us you will receive a full refund for tuition. If the guest cancels:

Full refund for cancellations before Feb. 1, 2025.
50% refund for cancellations between Feb. 2-March 15, 2025.
No refunds for cancellations after March 16, 2025.
Exceptional circumstances may be considered but refunds are not guaranteed.

Can I call Jean and visit with her if I’m not quite sure the Retreat is for us?

Absolutely! Please feel free to reach out.
Phone: 505-716-7995
Email: jean@jeanmanz.com