Queer Relationship Immersions

One day tailor-made relationship intensives designed for couples and polycules to cultivate queer joy

Question?

Has your partnership constellation been ignored or overlooked by the mental health field? Are you turned off by the prospect of relational counseling because you can't trust that you and your partner(s) will be embraced by your provider? Are you tired of dealing with providers turning you away because "they aren't specialized" in nurturing your delight in each other?

Or maybe you're fed up with providers implementing worn out therapeutic techniques that were designed with only cis-het couples in mind?

Us too.

Answer?

One-day tailor-made relationship intensives just for queer folx and their partner(s)

Queer Relationship Immersions

What You Get:

An initial "vibe check" video call with Marley Toben, LCSW, wherein you and your partner(s) get to decide whether or not a QRI is right for you before you invest.

A preparatory 90-minute clarifying conversation with Marley Toben, LCSW, to identify exactly what it is you and your partner(s) are looking for from this experience and to customize a process for collaboratively assessing progress towards your specific goals. This will ensure that your time will be focused, intentional, and ultimately well-spent.

Six hours of deep and purposeful therapeutic work with Marley, a qualified queer therapist devoted to offering a tailored and affirming approach. You will be guided to deeply learn each other's stories and how they influence present-day, identify pain points and unhelpful patterns that arise within the relationship(s), create safety for one another to emotionally explore and expand out of limiting beliefs, implement positive change, and learn how to courageously commit to integration and maintenance.

A customized experiential practice to put intention into action over your lunch hour. This unique experience will be designed to cultivate deeper intimacy, tap into joy, and get to know your partner(s) in a new and exciting way- all while getting some good, peace and privacy together with your partner or partners.

An intentional closing conversation to ensure that each person feels safe, seen, and equipped to harness the strengths you've refined during the day's work.

A relationship-specific "Aftercare" letter from Marley Toben, LCSW, to round out the experience and provide you and your partner(s) with a helpful frame of reference for continued exploration and deepening of the work in your own time.

Bonus:

The first 5 couples/polycules who book will receive one 55-minute follow up session within the first 60 days post-QRI to check in about how it’s going and to make sure you’re set up to thrive long-term.

Who is Marley Toben, LCSW?

Marley is a quirky, queer, 30-something who is also a kink-, trans-, poly-, nonconformist-affirming therapist with years of specialized training in supporting queer folx of all relationship configurations in getting the love they want.

Marley understands the universally experienced doldrums of partnership, as well as the gender- and sexuality-specific challenges that can arise when facing down minority stress, deconstructing internalized -isms, managing complex family of origin dynamics, and discovering the expansiveness of love, intimacy, and connection out beyond the cis-het stories society attaches to us.

If anyone has ever made you feel excluded from the systems that are meant to care for you, the shame is on them, not you!

Marley sees Queer Relationship Immersions as her part, however small, in beginning to right this wrong.

With capitalism and hustle culture biting at our heels, our time has never been more precious. These one-day intensives are for those of you who don't want to wait to experience profound and lasting change in your relationship(s). QRIs can also be an excellent accelerator to the relationship therapy you may already be doing or planning to do.

If it's a "hell yeah, sign me up!" click here now to schedule an interest call with Marley

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How will I know that the investment is worth it?

After submitting an interest form, either our Office Oracle, Eva, or Marley herself will be reaching out to you to set up a free 15-20 minute consultation call to assess goodness of fit. Marley will share about their approach and you and your partner(s) will share briefly about yourselves and your relationship. Marley commits to offering honest clinical impressions about whether or not she believes a QRI with her will get you the results you're looking for. If we decide to move forward, we will spend 5 minutes going over administrative matters - including scheduling.
When are QRIs offered?

The 90-minute in-person preparatory conversation will be scheduled for a few days prior to the QRI. QRIs are offered on Fridays and Sundays to promote accessibility for those of you with busy schedules.
What will the day look like?

QRIs will be held in-person at our downtown Raleigh office. The day will be broken up into two parts (unless otherwise decided): 3 hours of exploration in the morning and 3 hours of implementation in the afternoon, with an hour for experiential lunch in between. Breaks will be offered as necessary.
Will Half Moon be providing lunch?

Coffee and snacks are available, but lunch will not be provided. You may store your lunch in our refrigerator and use our common spaces during the break, or you are more than welcome to go to one of the many lovely restaurants that are within walking distance of our office.
Do I need to prepare anything for my QRI?

Not at all! Just come curious and ready to explore.
Wait, I'm straight... is this offering for me?

Yes! The practice of queering is for everyone. Queering means re-evaluating societal norms, identities, and structures related to how we were taught to do things (which has generally been from a cis-gendered, heterosexual, patriarchal, and white centric lens). Many people, not just queer people, can feel that this lens is limiting and uninspired.
What if I have more questions?

You can set up a free consultation call with Marley to discuss any/all aspects of the QRI by emailing them at marley@halfmoonmentalhealth.com
Six hours of therapy in one day…isn’t that intense?

While you’ll be encouraged to challenge yourself, there will be plenty of opportunities for joy, laughter, creativity, and play.

We get it.

The mental health field wasn't built for us. If you and your partner(s) haven't been understood and celebrated through "traditional" therapy, QRI was made for you. Don't pour any more of your time, energy, and soul into those normy, one-size-fits-all approaches. Your relationship matters.

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