Couples Alive: Foundation

Designed for couples who want more from their primary relationship, this 4-day retreat offers a chance to move beyond familiar patterns and explore what becomes possible when love is met with honesty, curiosity, and skill. Couples Alive: Foundation is the core program for people in a primary relationship, and it draws on the same transformative approach that underpins Haven’s individual program, while keeping the focus firmly on partnership.

“I went with a laundry list of grievances and doubts about my partner and left reminded of the huge range of options available to ground myself, see my role, be more boundaried and loving. I feel so much love, and understood.”

– Andrew, Couples Alive

With guidance from highly skilled leaders, couples learn and practice Haven’s proprietary models for communication and relating. The learning is experiential, supported by discussion, group activities, and coaching whenever possible. Couples spend the day and evenings together, with time built in for relaxation, connection, or adventure. One of the program’s strengths is the diversity of the couples present, creating a rich environment for learning from one another while also receiving feedback tailored to your relationship.

“It was a pivotal moment in our relationship – we went to The Haven as the last straw before separation. We are now so much more connected and very, very hopeful about a happier future together. Such an amazing experience.”

-J., Couples Alive

For couples who have completed Couples Alive: Foundation and want to continue, Couples Alive: Living and Loving offers the next step in Haven’s core series for primary relationships.

At the heart of this work is a simple but powerful question: how do you keep love alive when real life begins to settle in? The early thrill of falling in love can gradually be replaced by routine, responsibility, and the pressures of daily life. This program invites couples to rediscover aliveness by expressing desire more directly, risking honesty and play, renewing embodied connection, and allowing everyday moments to open the door to intimacy.

In a thoughtful and caring setting, partners explore how to move from common challenges into shared ground that feels real, vibrant, and uniquely their own. From there, new possibilities for tenderness, pleasure, edge, and growth can emerge.

This program is for couples who want to:

• Discover the deeper richness already present in their relationship
• Bring more authenticity, vitality, and edge into daily contact
• Create a climate of kindness, generosity, and curiosity
• Use difficult moments as fuel for growth rather than distance
• Transform familiarity into freshness and novelty
• Rekindle spark through fun, touch, charge, and sex
• See how ordinary moments can lead to something new and unexpected

Living and loving do not need to be separate. When couples learn to meet each other fully, again and again, love becomes something they live—not just something they fall into.

Please note: Couples Alive: Foundation is a prerequisite for Couples Alive: Living and Loving.

Program highlights:

• 4 focused days together to improve, revitalize, and expand your relationship
• A chance to visit Gabriola, one of BC’s most accessible gulf islands
• In-depth exploration of Haven’s Communication Model from a couples perspective
• Proven success with hundreds of diverse couples over many years
• A relationship approach developed and lived by founders Dr. Ben Wong and Dr. Jock McKeen
• Breathwork and body-awareness experiences to take home and continue using
• Support in discovering boundaries and expressing wishes, wants, and needs
• Opportunities for self-care or quality time together with the oceanfront hot tub, seasonal pool, onsite bodyworkers, gym, meditation room, forest trails, pool table, games, and more
• The richness of learning alongside a diverse group of couples
• A different experience from traditional couples counseling, with many couples reporting accelerated outcomes
• Coaching and feedback from experienced, professionally trained leaders
• Ongoing opportunities to keep learning and growing together

“We are modeling a healthier relationship for our children. What a legacy!”

– Lori Appleton, Couples Alive: Foundation

FAQ:

• We welcome all people in a primary relationship, whether they identify as male, female, non-binary, or any other gender expression
• Participants are invited, but never required, to share with the larger group. As with all Haven programs, participation is always your choice

Register:

Couples Alive: Foundation May 1-5, 2026 with Susan Clarke and CrisMarie Campbell

Couples Alive: Foundation Oct 16-20, 2026 with Susan Clarke and CrisMarie Campbell

Couples Alive: Living and Loving Oct 21-25, 2026 with Susan Clarke and CrisMarie Campbell

Investment:

Package pricing starts at $3470 per couple and includes tuition, basic room, and meals in the low season.

Schedule:

Your program begins with dinner at 5:45pm, followed by the first session at 7:00pm.

• Breakfast 8:00am – 8:45am
• Morning session 9:00am to 11:45am
• Lunch 11:45am to 12:30pm
• Afternoon session 2:45pm – 5:45pm
• Dinner 5:45pm – 6:30pm
• Evening session 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Afternoon and evening sessions may vary. The program ends with lunch on the final day.

Transportation:

If you are traveling to Gabriola as a foot passenger on the Gabriola Ferry, a shuttle to The Haven can be requested. Details will be included in your pre-arrival email.

Recommended resources:

• The Beauty of Conflict for Couples: Igniting Passion, Intimacy and Connection in your Relationship by CrisMarie Campbell & Susan Clarke
• Joining: The Relationship Garden by Bennet Wong & Jock McKeen