Not at all! We realize you may have kids or other important matters at home that require you to keep your phone nearby. Although we recommend unplugging from any outside distractions so that you can be fully present with each other and get the most out of the weekend, we leave this entirely up to you.

This workshop has no religious affiliation whatsoever and welcomes people of all backgrounds. We include many research-backed concepts and techniques from pioneers in the field like Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Sue Johnson. These relationship essentials are applicable and invaluable to everyone.

The amount to which you interact with other couples is entirely up to you. There aren’t any group exercises, and, if you prefer, you can go the entire weekend without ever saying a word to anyone other than your partner. All of the processes we guide you through are done solely between the two of you, and you don’t need to share anything with anyone else. That being said, some couples enjoy raising their hands to share their experiences with the group, and others have fun interacting with other couples on the breaks. The extent to which you interact with others is completely up to you and, again, you can maintain total anonymity and privacy the entire weekend if you would feel more comfortable doing so.

Absolutely! We imagine you will find Bret and Christine to be warm, friendly, personable, and approachable. There will be ample time for questions, and couples are also invited to come up for demonstrations and to receive laser coaching in front of the group (completely optional but so powerful and life-changing for those who volunteer!). During exercises, Bret and Christine also mill around the room and are available for personal questions and support as you go through your process if and when you wish.

For lunch, we find that couples enjoy going off-site and enjoying a break and meal just the two of you. Therefore, no meals are included.

Yes! We take 20-minute breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon, as well as 90 minutes over lunch. We typically break for lunch sometime between 12:30 or 1:00. We value having a very comfortable environment, and you are welcome to take care of yourself in any ways you need.

Lodging is not included in the registration fee. However, we have discounted rooms available on a first come, first served basis.

The days are set up in such a way that we will teach and demonstrate a relationship concept. Then, we will guide you through a related exercise that the two of you will do on your own. We have lots of powerful tools to create amazing shifts and also some fun connecting exercises. We have been leading this one-of-a-kind retreat for nearly a decade and have carefully crafted every single exercise and step of the journey to help you experience the most profound results, connection, and positive growth. There is total privacy and confidentiality but also plenty of opportunities to ask questions if you wish. There is a break each morning and afternoon and 90 minutes for lunch. Lunch is not included, but there are lots of wonderful options nearby. We go from 9:00 to 6:00 each day, and it flies by because we keep it really positive and engaging!

We generally have 20-30 couples at each retreat. People tend to like this size because it gives you the opportunity to ask any personal questions you may have and be in close contact with Bret and Christine — while also giving you the anonymity of a group setting and the opportunity to witness other couples who volunteer for demonstrations. You can maintain privacy the entire weekend, or you can choose to actively raise your hand and engage. It’s completely up to you!

We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to us to create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. We support love in all its forms and have had many LGBTQ couples attend over the years, and all topics are relevant to every couple.

We’re so sorry to hear it is a more challenging and disconnected time, and our hearts go out to you fully. Many couples attend this retreat in a very similar spot, some of them already separated and truly on the edge of divorce. Perhaps you want to attend this retreat to “give it one last shot.” We just want to assure you that wherever you are is absolutely perfect. All you need to do is show up and open to the process, and we see extraordinary things unfold over these two days. We have very carefully designed this retreat for couples who are in difficult, fragile, and disconnected places. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to receive countless heartwarming emails from couples who say this retreat marked the defining moment that saved their marriage or relationship and turned things around. We are here for you fully, and there is absolutely hope! We can’t recommend this retreat highly enough. Chances are, you have vast untapped potential, and this workshop will help you see what’s truly possible for you.

Not in the least! We’ve had countless couples attend this retreat who were doing wonderfully already. In order to have a thriving relationship, it requires continual growth and nurturing. We’ve been together nearly 17 years and are in the marriage of our dreams, and yet we personally still attend couples retreats because we want to spend a lifetime deepening our love. At this Thrive in Love retreat, you will find the full range of couples together in one room – those who are newly together, those who have been married many decades, those in a challenging time, and those who are already happy and thriving. We have found this diversity to be incredibly special and beneficial, and couples learn so much from each other and from interacting with one another in different stages and ages. We celebrate that you are in a great relationship already, and we feel confident that this retreat will help you stay on an amazing upward trajectory into a fabulous and fulfilling future together!

We understand how important privacy is and how intimate, personal, and vulnerable many aspects of your relationship are. We totally get that you may not want anyone else to know anything about what’s going on within your partnership. We have taken this into careful account and have designed a retreat that can make a profound impact on your relationship and help you experience huge breakthroughs while never sharing anything with us or the larger group (unless, of course, you choose to do so!).

In fact, this retreat setting is perfect for those who may feel intimidated by or uncomfortable with couples therapy or counseling since you are able to maintain a level of anonymity. You get to create the comfiest spot for the two of you to learn and grow together, and we will never call on you unless your hand is raised.

The way the format works, in general, is that we will introduce and demonstrate a whole variety of scenarios and thriving relationship tools and concepts. Before you put the concepts into practice between the two of you, we will ask for volunteer couples to come up front for us to guide them through the process. This is completely optional, and most couples do not choose to volunteer for this (which is perfectly okay!). For the other participants, witnessing the volunteer couples is deeply moving and inspiring. After we’ve gone over everything, you then get to practice what we teach and share just between the two of you.

Again, you can truly stay in your own private connection the entire weekend, taking in the insights and tools we share and applying and practicing them in your own private space where nobody else at the retreat will hear you, and you never need to interact with anyone but each other. Yes, we are repeating ourselves a bit — only because we know how very important privacy is for people.

Everything will be kept completely confidential, and we will ask the entire group to agree to this at the start of Saturday.

We have all done and said things in our relationships that we aren’t especially proud of, and the important and most admirable thing is that you are open to growth. It’s not about where you have been – it’s where you are going. We didn’t come to this planet to get it perfect – we came here to learn and become ever better versions of ourselves.

Relationships are the most humbling part of the human experience because there is no place for our imperfections to hide. However, this is also the most phenomenal part of relationships, and they are the single greatest catalysts for our healing, growth, awakening, transformation, and overall life happiness.

Rest assured, this workshop will be a very safe space where everyone is fully honored. Nobody will be blamed, criticized, or shamed. Every challenge is embraced with utmost compassion and as a beautiful opportunity to learn and grow.

Avoiding these things, whatever they may be for you, is causing you much greater pain and suffering, and, when you lean into your fears, it is way easier and less scary than you think. In fact, it’s really fun and liberating!

We will go over many common relationship challenges, and the room will fill with knowing laughter and nodding heads. You will feel much less alone and will finally understand why you have fallen into certain patterns and how you can positively and effectively change them.

What we’ve found is this: oftentimes, the things we fear the most contain within them the greatest opportunities for growth and experiencing our potential. Rather than seeing your fears as stop signs, see them as green lights showing you exactly where to go. Life really does begin outside of our comfort zone, and the people who are the happiest and most successful are the ones who regularly stretch themselves. You’ve got this! The hardest part is signing up. After that, you will be amazed by how welcoming, comfortable, and ease-filled the retreat experience really is. We are fully here for you and will guide you through every step from the moment you register.

The registration fee includes the full retreat experience and all materials for both of you.

No problem! Although we don’t offer refunds, you have the opportunity to sell or gift your spot to someone else or have a credit for any future retreat you are able to attend within 24 months of original purchase. Please note that this also refers to payment plans, and they will continue after your cancellation.

Absolutely! You don’t at all need to be married. We have had many couples attend when they were newly together, not yet married, or engaged, and it’s absolutely perfect! You get to prevent challenges before they begin and can address others before they become more entrenched patterns. You will learn the whole roadmap for what it takes to create a healthy, conscious, thriving relationship, and we wish every couple on the planet could join us in their earlier years of being together! We can’t recommend it highly enough.

You will receive a welcome letter with all the necessary details delivered right to your inbox (lodging, directions, items to bring, what to wear, etc.).

You are welcome to call us anytime at 812-223-7186 or email us at info@centerthrive.com. You can also schedule a free 20-minute consultation at this link here to make sure we answer all your questions. We recognize that signing up for a couples retreat can feel like a big deal, and we are here to do everything we can to help make it a warm, welcoming, supportive, ease-filled, and positive experience — every step of the way.