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Our flagship destination, the Washington, DC Couples Therapy Retreat, is a transformational 4-day, 3-night experience designed to help high-achieving couples shift from disconnection to deeper emotional and sexual intimacy—without leaving the country.
Led by Marissa Nelson, LMFT, CST, CSE, this retreat blends the sophistication of DC with the soul-deep healing of expert couples therapy. Whether you're facing a crisis, navigating infidelity, living like roommates, or simply longing to reignite the spark, this retreat offers the reset you've been craving.
From the moment you book, your journey is personalized:
With its blend of sophistication, culture, and privacy, DC offers the perfect backdrop for deep emotional work. You’ll stay in a discreet luxury hotel in the city, enjoy gourmet experiences, and have everything arranged for you—so you can focus entirely on healing your relationship.
If you’re:
Then this private marriage therapy retreat in Washington, DC is for you.
Unlike group retreats or traditional therapy, our private model delivers:
Marissa Nelson is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT), AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) and Sexuality Educator (CSE), TEDx Speaker, Entrepreneur and Relationship Expert.
An internationally recognized expert, she is the creator of IntimacyMoons Couples Retreats, rated by Women’s Health, Fodor’s Travel, and Travel Curator Magazines as one of the top luxury couples retreats worldwide. She has also been featured in over 150 national and international media publications including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
She consolidated her expertise into the popular TEDx talk “We all experience sexual rejection - and it’s not about sex”, which has been selected by TED Conference as an editor's pick. In 2023, Marissa was selected as one of INNOVATE Washington’s Top 100 innovators. In 2024, Marissa is the 2024 recipient of the Award for Integrative Approaches to Sex Therapy from the American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). She was also award Businesswoman of the Year by G.I.R.L. Inc.
Marissa is the Washington DC facilitator of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton Women’s Circle.
Marissa is a proud graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a Masters in Education Entrepreneurship, and also possesses a Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy from Drexel University. Marissa also pursued post-graduate studies, receiving a Certificate in Sexual Health & Sex Therapy from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Your IntimacyMoons Washington, DC Couples Retreat will be hosted at a premier, hand-selected luxury hotel either in the city or in the Greater Washington DC Area (DC, Maryland, Virginia). Accommodations are included in the retreat pricing, offering a private and refined setting for your healing journey.
Your retreat will be tailored to your needs based upon your initial consultation with Marissa Nelson LMFT CST CSE.
Couples Therapy Retreat Package excludes airfare.
A full refund (less applicable taxes and fees) will be processed if requested prior to pre-retreat introductory session with instructor and at least 30 calendar days prior to the start of the Retreat.
A 90% refund (less applicable taxes and fees) will be processed if requested after pre-retreat introductory session with instructor has taken place, but at least 30 calendar days prior to the start of the Retreat.
A 50% refund (less applicable taxes and fees) will be processed if requested within 15-30 calendar days of the Retreat start date.
No refund will be processed 15 calendar days prior to the Retreat start date.
A private couples therapy retreat is an immersive, multi-day experience designed to help couples rebuild trust, intimacy, and emotional connection in a focused setting. Unlike weekly couples therapy sessions, a couples retreat offers concentrated time away from distractions with a licensed therapist guiding you through a customized healing journey. At IntimacyMoons, our luxury couples retreats are tailored to your relationship's unique needs, combining evidence-based methods with the intimacy of a private, retreat-style setting.
Our private couples retreats are designed for high-performing couples who feel disconnected, stuck, or on the brink of emotional separation. Whether you're recovering from infidelity, experiencing intimacy issues, or just feel more like roommates than lovers, our bespoke retreats help you reset your connection and deepen your emotional and physical bond. We also welcome engaged or newly married couples looking to build a strong relational foundation.
At an IntimacyMoons couples therapy retreat, we address a wide range of relational challenges including: communication breakdowns, sexual dissatisfaction, infidelity recovery, emotional withdrawal, loss of trust, mismatched libidos, and more. Each retreat is customized, so whether you're dealing with a crisis or seeking reconnection, our goal is to help you leave with a stronger, healthier partnership.
Our anchor retreat location is in Washington, DC, but we also host retreats in select luxury destinations like Miami, The Bahamas, St. Lucia, Barbados and online. Each location is carefully selected to provide an atmosphere of privacy, comfort, and intimacy. While specific hotels may vary, all accommodations meet our standards of luxury and discretion.
Each private couples retreat includes a personalized pre-retreat intake session, 6–8 hours of private couples therapy workshop over 3 days, a luxury 3-night stay at a high-end hotel, a welcome dinner, couples massage, and post-retreat virtual sessions. Additional inclusions vary by location, but always center on deep healing, relaxation, and renewal.
All IntimacyMoons retreats are private, one-on-one experiences for you and your partner. Unlike group retreats, you receive undivided attention and custom therapeutic support from your licensed therapist, ensuring privacy, tailored guidance, and a more profound impact.
If you’ve tried weekly therapy with little progress, feel like roommates instead of lovers, or simply need a safe, accelerated path to healing, a couples retreat can be transformative. The immersive nature allows for breakthroughs that often take months in traditional therapy. You don’t need to be in crisis — even strong couples come to tune-up their relationship in a luxurious, supportive environment.
Yes. We specialize in intimacy retreats, sex therapy retreats, and reconnection retreats for couples navigating desire discrepancy, emotional distance, or sexual shame. As a Certified Sex Therapist, Marissa Nelson uses trauma-informed, evidence-based tools to guide couples in reigniting passion and restoring a sense of closeness.
