IFS TRAINED -INDIVIDUAL AND COUPLE THERAPIST

Couples Crisis Intensive · Zurich

When you can't afford to wait.

Something has happened. The ground has shifted beneath your relationship and weekly therapy feels impossibly slow. A private 2–3 day intensive in Zurich gives you the concentrated time and space to face what's happened — and find out if there's a way through.

Book an Urgent consultation call

The crisis moment

You know something has to change. Now.

An affair has come to light. Or one of you has said the word divorce and meant it. The arguments are escalating. The silence is getting longer. You're both terrified of what happens next.

You've sent the kids to relatives. You've cleared your schedules. You're willing to do whatever it takes — but you need something more than fifty minutes a week while the wound is still open.

That's what the intensive is for.

Two or three days of focused, private work.

Not a retreat. Not a workshop. A therapeutic intensive, built around the two of you.


In real time

What takes 2–3 months in weekly therapy can shift in a concentrated two days. The continuity changes everything — no losing momentum between sessions, no week of stewing before you can return.

Individually and together

We work with each of you separately — to understand your own inner landscape, what you're carrying, what's been driving your behaviour — and then together, where the real repair happens.

IFS-informed

I use Internal Family Systems therapy as my primary lens. It helps each of you understand the parts of yourself that are activated in crisis — and find the calm, clear Self beneath them that can actually hear your partner.

Held, not managed

This is not crisis management or a communication skills course. It's deep therapeutic work — at pace, in depth, with someone who has seen this before and knows the way through.

how it works

The structure.

Step 1.

Consultation call

We start with a free 30-minute call — both of you, together. I want to understand what's happened, what you're hoping for, and whether an intensive is the right fit. There's no obligation and no pressure.

Step 2.

Individual pre-work

Before we meet in Zurich, I spend an hour with each of you separately. This maps your history, your inner world, and what's most alive for you right now. I review this carefully before your intensive begins.

Step 3.

The intensive — two or three days in Zurich

Four 90-minute blocks per day, with generous breaks between each. We alternate between individual work with each partner and joint relational sessions. Each day builds on the last — nothing is rushed, nothing is skipped.

Step 4.

Follow-up integration

One follow-up session is included, held two to three weeks after the intensive. Many couples choose to continue with monthly integration sessions for the following three months — that option is there if you want it.

This works best when —

  • Something significant has happened: an affair, a major betrayal, a breaking point you can't ignore.
  • Both of you are willing to be in the room — even if one of you is hurt, angry, or uncertain.
  • You're ready to look honestly at your own part in what's happened, not just your partner's.
  • You want real change, not just to stop the bleeding.
  • You're willing to invest time, money, and emotional energy in your relationship rather than in a divorce.


This may not be right for you if —

One partner is entirely unwilling to engage, there is ongoing domestic abuse or coercive control, or one person has already made a final decision to leave and is not open to any other outcome. We'll discuss this honestly on the consultation call.

Transparent pricing.

All fees cover pre-work, the intensive itself, and one follow-up session. Your accommodation in Zurich is arranged separately.

2-Day Intensive

€3,900

Pre-intensive individual sessions, two full days in Zurich (six hours daily), and one follow-up integration session.

3-Day Intensive

€5,200

Recommended for infidelity and complex rupture. Includes all of the above with an additional day for deeper unburdening and integration.

A 50% deposit is required to secure your dates, payable by bank transfer or Stripe. The remaining balance is due 14 days before the intensive begins. The deposit is non-refundable. If you need to cancel within 14 days of your start date, the full fee is retained. One reschedule with more than 14 days notice is permitted at no charge. Dates are limited — I hold no more than two to three intensives per month. Full terms and conditions are provided before booking and must be accepted before the deposit is processed.

What my clients say...

"Before starting with Alister, I felt like our communication wasn’t lining up and I was often reacting from past experiences and trauma rather than responding in a way that felt helpful. He gave me a safe space to understand myself better, reflect differently, and build healthier ways of communicating.

I feel a lot better now, communication style has improved, I’m trying to implement the exercises from our sessions into everyday life, and focusing more on myself has had a really positive impact on my relationship."

Couple therapy client - online

I've sat with couples in crisis many times.

I'm a therapist based in Zurich, working with individuals and couples internationally. Couples in genuine crisis — facing infidelity, the edge of divorce, profound disconnection — are the people I do my most important work with.

I trained in Internal Family Systems therapy and the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy. I bring both rigour and warmth to this work. I won't take sides. I won't panic. I'll hold the two of you while you find out what's actually possible.

ALISTER GATES

IFS COUPLES THERAPIST - ZURICH (ENG ONLY)

Let's talk about whether this is right for you.

BOOK YOUR CONSULTATION CALL

A free 30-minute consultation call — both of you, together. No commitment, no pressure. Just an honest conversation about where you are and whether an intensive can help.