Maintaining a long-term relationship is kind of like keeping a house clean: If you do light cleaning on a regular basis, you’ll rarely have a giant mess to fix. In fact, studies have shown that couples willing to tackle little problems on an ongoing basis are better equipped to weather storms for the long haul.
That idea inspired Denver-based therapist Sarah Tie to give the old dinner-and-a-movie idea a millennial makeover. Her new twist, which offers couples a one-hour therapy session and dinner gift card, is called Counseling Date Night.
“By the time most couples go to counseling, it’s like counseling ER,” says Tie. “They’re so distressed that it’s a lot harder to bring the relationship back.” Counseling Date Night is a chance to do a quick relationship check-in with a pro and enjoy a nice dinner.
The package costs $100 and includes a $50 gift card to Max’s Wine Dive, located across the street from Tie’s Winding Path Counseling office. Tie encourages couples to go to dinner immediately after therapy and continue the conversation over a glass of wine.
New to counseling? That’s OK. “This package is especially good if you haven’t tried counseling yet, or if one partner is interested, and the other isn’t,” says Tie.
