Bring back the happy.

MarriageWorks is a two-day, private couples retreat infused with the wisdom of Internal Family Systems to help empty-nesters repair their relationship and restore their connection.

Fight less.

Feel loved.

Laugh more.

It's just the two of you now.

And that's kind of a problem, because you don't even like each other anymore.  It feels like you only talk about the kids and somewhere along the way stopped having anything in common.

So what do you do?

Blow up everything you've worked so hard for and start all over again? (The kids will be devastated.) Grin and bear it for the next few decades? (That sounds freaking terrible.)

Escape the binary choices of divorce or despair. Our intensive is a third way – a path to rejuvenation. Reconnect with the essence of who you are and who you want to become as a couple.

Launch your kids.
Keep your partner.

MarriageWorks is a completely personalized marriage retreat to help you find your way forward—together to a renewed and resilient relationship.

It's like doing a year's worth of couples therapy in just two days.

  • Learn how to talk about hard things without arguing or disconnecting.

  • Feel loved, seen, and heard by one another.

  • Actually enjoy each other's company again.

  • Guided by Internal Family Systems (IFS) principles, get big "aha" moments that unlock a more hopeful future.

  • Know true intimacy by understanding your different facets and have the safety to share them. (And enjoy better sex, too, if that's what you're after.)

  • Model a healthy relationship for your kids.

Turnaround is possible

  • Tami’s MarriageWorks intensive changed our lives. We now know what keeps us arguing and have tools to stop it. Even after almost 10 years together, working with Tami allowed us to finally hear one another and effectively communicate. She gave us the resources and support to do the work that would help restore our connection, rekindle our relationship, and keep our marriage on track. We got more out of two days than we had in years of traditional therapy, and we are growing stronger, together, every day.

    LAURA, California

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Especially for, and only for, the two of you.

When you think “marriage retreat” you might picture a room full of couples listening to a bunch of pie-in-the-sky ideas that may or may not apply to your relationship. This is not that.

MarriageWorks is:

→ PERSONALIZED

I gather information about each of you and your relationship ahead of time, so I can tailor the sessions to your exact challenges.

→ PRODUCTIVE

Other retreats tend to bring the heat in the moment then leave you cold a week later. Embrace self-compassion and mutual understanding, and leave with proven skills you will learn and practice to use for the long haul.

→ PRIVATE

Working through your sh*t is hard enough alone, let alone in front of a dozen other couples. That’s why MarriageWorks is just for you two.

→ TRANSFORMATIVE

Experience the transformative approach of IFS that acknowledges and honors the diverse facets within each of you. Allow self-compassion and mutual understanding to bring life to your relationship.

Marriage doesn't have to be—shouldn't be— miserable.

I've met a lot of empty-nesters who are all the way fed up with their marriage—or what's left of it.
Although many have kicked around the idea of splitting up, they have so much skin in the game that divorce feels like an impossible move.
So they stay stuck in "should-we-or-shouldn't-we?" (And I probably don't have to tell you that's not a healthy environment for people to spend the last half of their life.)

You and your partner deserve better.

I am passionate about working with couples going through the empty nest transition to help them find their way back to each other again. 
In my long time marriage, I have seen the power of reconnecting during this transition and how it can bring you closer than you could ever imagine.

I've helped dozens of couples step back from the ledge and into a happy future together. I'd be honored to help you, too.

Tami Zak

Certified Relationship Coach
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist

TAMI HAS BEEN FEATURED IN…

Your MarriageWorks Experience

The Venue & Retreat Dates

2024 Retreats in Tucson, AZ

Friday check-in with Saturday & Sunday as the 2-day intensive

  • June 7-9

  • September 13-15

  • November 1-3

  • November 22-24

2024 Retreats in Carlsbad, CA

Thursday check-in with Friday & Saturday as the 2-day intensive

  • April 18-20

  • May 2-4

“Gray divorce” is on the rise.

And the cost (financial and otherwise) is devastating.

When people leave decades-long marriages, there's more than households and retirement accounts to divide…


MarriageWorks is a $6,497 investment that could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of heartache.

• Relationships with children and grandchildren get strained
• Celebrating holidays gets more complicated
• Social circles get split up
• And attorneys get a huge paycheck


A better marriage is closer than you think.

It took a long time to get here. It'll take only two days to begin finding your way out. And your first step can happen today.

1

CHAT

Complete the MarriageWorks application so I can learn a bit about your relationship and see if you're a good match for the retreat. If so, I'll invite you to a private consultation.

2

COMMIT

Pay your deposit, schedule your personalized retreat, and do your pre-retreat homework so I can best prepare for our time together.

3

CONNECT

Restore your connection and get back to a happy, healthy relationship. (Imagine your kids' reaction!)

How is this different from couples counseling?

And other smart questions.


Remember why you fell in love.