The Connecting Couple

The Connecting Couple Emotional connection and intimacy will feel like the beginning, though now with the wisdom and contentment of a re-romanticized relationship.

We are couple therapists trained in multiple modalities who bring connection, emotional attunement, and intimacy to relationships - and we are over the moon excited to announce our first couples retreat! The Connecting Couple Retreat will be held March 8-10, 2024 (two nights & three days) at Wild Rice Retreat nestled amongst the hugging pines and lapping waters of Lake Superior outside Bayfield, WI. A little about our retreat:

E X P E R I E N C E R E - E N C H A N T M E N T
Oriented in current research and clinical interventions in couple therapy and relationship building, the focus of our retreat will be relationship re-enchantment. We will learn the fundamentals of relational communication, the qualities of emotional safeness with the possibility of vulnerability, authenticity, and deep intimacy. With us, you will be able to experience the results of current neuroscience and clinical research without having to wade through the science and academia (unless you’re geeky like us and want to). E X P E R I E N C E C O N N E C T I O N
Connection is our fundamental yearning and our partner is ideally our most important adult connection. Too often this connection, over time, lessens, even dissolves into disconnection and emotional isolation. Our retreat, again based in science and clinical research, is designed to help couples reconnect and deepen their connection. Instead of seeing two separate selves entering into relationship as a transactional exchange of needs, what if our relationship was that through which we learned fully about ourselves and was our primary source of validation and acceptance? Experience connection and re-romanticize your relationship. T H E A M E N I T I E S
The Wild Rice Retreat is such a beautiful retreat center, rated 'One of the 23 Best Places to Go in the U.S. in 2023' by Conde Nast Traveler. Wild Rice Retreat creates a space for healing the mind, body, and spirit. Rooted in the idea of exploring and supporting expression in nature, there are ample opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, movement, and nourishment. During your downtime, you may relax in the SaunaHaus, participate in a yoga class, hike through the woods, and enjoy farm-to-table dishes with locally sourced ingredients and regional beverages. Join us and begin your relationship again.

✨Inspiration Spotlight✨
12/22/2025

✨Inspiration Spotlight✨

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dina Clabaugh. Hi Dina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.Michael and I are married and co-own Insight Counseling in Duluth, Virginia, Ely, and Bloomington. Both couple therapists, about two years ago we started of...

12/17/2025

Exciting retreat updates with Dina & Michael 🤍

Our Valentine’s Day Weekend 2026 Couples Retreat is officially booked up — and we are beyond grateful.Thank you to every...
12/03/2025

Our Valentine’s Day Weekend 2026 Couples Retreat is officially booked up — and we are beyond grateful.

Thank you to every couple who secured their spot for this unforgettable weekend of connection, intention, and growth. We can’t wait to pour into you, create meaningful moments, and help you strengthen your relationship in the most beautiful setting.

If you missed out this time, don’t worry — more opportunities will come in 2026. We will also maintain a waitlist for our Valentine’s Weekend retreat, so please complete the registration form on our website if you would like to be added to the waitlist.

theconnectingcouple.com

Here’s to love, commitment, and choosing each other—again and again. 🤍

A special curated playlist for all you lovebirds. 😚🎸The excitement is ramping up for our Valentine's weekend couple retr...
11/19/2025

A special curated playlist for all you lovebirds. 😚🎸The excitement is ramping up for our Valentine's weekend couple retreat at Wild Rice Retreat! One more spot available. 😍

For our first weekend couple retreat in March 2024, Michael and I curated a playlist for the experience. I kept thinking about the drive to Bayfield, WI that our couples, and we, would be making that Friday afternoon and we felt inspired to share a relationship-themed playlist for them to enjoy befo

11/19/2025

Is a quiet, peaceful, avoidant marriage better than an intense, emotional marriage?

💌 Love is in the air… and spots are almost gone! Our Valentine’s Day Weekend Couple Retreat at Wild Rice is filling up f...
11/10/2025

💌 Love is in the air… and spots are almost gone! Our Valentine’s Day Weekend Couple Retreat at Wild Rice is filling up fast—and we only have one spot left. 🌹

Reconnect, unwind, and celebrate your love with:
💑 Meaningful workshops + downtime with The Connecting Couple
🍷 Private food + wine pairing led by The Savvy Nomad, David Devere
🍽️ Farm-to-table meals + daily yoga + sauna access
🎁 A curated welcome bundle (valued at $200)
✅ All taxes + fees included

Don’t miss your chance to create an unforgettable weekend together.

📅 February 13-15, 2026
📍 Bayfield, WI

Tag a friend below who might be interested, and reserve this spot now at theconnectingcouple.com

11/07/2025

One spot remains 🤍💫

Only 2 spots remain ✨ Looking for the ultimate Valentine’s gift — one that brings you closer than ever?Join us for a one...
10/13/2025

Only 2 spots remain ✨ Looking for the ultimate Valentine’s gift — one that brings you closer than ever?

Join us for a one-of-a-kind Couple Retreat at Wild Rice Retreat, February 13–15, 2026.

You’ll enjoy:
🌿 Luxurious lodging in The Nest
💬 Meaningful workshops + downtime with The Connecting Couple
🥂 A private food + wine pairing with David Devere (Savvy Nomad)
🍴 Farm-to-table meals + daily yoga + sauna access
🎁 A curated welcome bundle (valued at $200)
✅ All taxes + fees included

Two spots remain for this unforgettable experience. Tag a friend below who might be interested, and reserve your spot now at theconnectingcouple.com

Only 3 Spots Remain ✨💞Dreaming of the perfect Valentine’s getaway for you and your partner? A gift so much richer than a...
09/15/2025

Only 3 Spots Remain ✨💞
Dreaming of the perfect Valentine’s getaway for you and your partner? A gift so much richer than a box of chocolates? Join us for a one-of-a-kind Couple Retreat at Wild Rice Retreat next Valentine’s Day Weekend 2026 — designed to help you reconnect, recharge, and create lasting memories together.

Your weekend includes:
🌿 Luxurious lodging in The Nest
💬 Transformative programming + meaningful education from The Connecting Couple (with plenty of downtime, too)
🥂 A food + wine pairing experience with David Devere, The Savvy Nomad
🍴 All locally sourced meals — absolutely delicious
🧘 Access to Wild Rice amenities: 24/7 sauna + daily yoga
🎁 A curated welcome bundle for you and your partner (valued at $200)
✅ All taxes + fees included

February 13, 14, and 15, 2026 Wild Rice Retreat
Don’t wait. Make this Valentine’s one to remember.

Reserve your place now at theconnectingcouple.com

Meet Michael. We’re honored to also introduce Michael Clabaugh, LICSW, MA, MSW, a deeply thoughtful and skilled couple t...
09/04/2025

Meet Michael. We’re honored to also introduce Michael Clabaugh, LICSW, MA, MSW, a deeply thoughtful and skilled couple therapist who will be co-leading our Valentine’s Day Couples Retreat 2026 alongside his wife, Dina.

As a couple therapist at Insight Counseling in Duluth, MN, his work is rooted in understanding the relationship as both a sanctuary and a crucible—a place where love can be healing and challenging. A starting point in working with couples is the realization that quality of the space between you and your partner will determine the quality of your life more than any other factor. And working within that space and opening to vulnerability, relationships either break, stagnate, or bloom—pushing us toward the growth love truly asks of us.

Michael holds degrees from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Harvard, and the College of St. Scholastica. He’s trained in:
- Internal Family Systems (IFS – Level 1)
- Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH – Level 1)
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
- IMAGO Therapy and the work of David Schnarch

He brings a presence that is both intellectually rich and emotionally grounded. Expect depth, clarity, and the kind of conversations that open doors inside your relationship.

📍 Wild Rice Retreat | Bayfield, WI
📆 Valentine’s Weekend 2026

🗝️ Join us for a weekend designed to reawaken connection, deepen intimacy, and remind you why your relationship is worth every bit of your heart.

Register today at theconnectingcouple.com

Address

Wild Rice Retreat 84860 Old San Road
Bayfield, WI
54814

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