Couples Counseling

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If you’re wondering whether couples counseling is right for you, chances are you already have your answer. Seeking help doesn’t mean your relationship is failing, it can be one of the most loving and courageous steps you take together.

Many couples wait until things feel unbearable before reaching out. By then, hurt and resentment may have built up over years, making decisions feel urgent and overwhelming. 

I understand that starting couples counseling can feel intimidating, but the earlier you begin this work, the better. You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from counseling. In fact, research shows couples often wait too long to seek support, sometimes until it’s too late. Don’t let that be your story.

Therapy gives you tools to:

• Communicate more clearly and openly
• Handle conflict with respect and understanding
• Understand each other’s needs, values, and feelings
• Build emotional and physical intimacy
• Navigate life challenges together with teamwork

Couples counseling is often more affordable and less emotionally taxing than separation or divorce. Even if your relationship feels uncertain, I can help you find clarity and understanding, one step at a time.

While I can’t guarantee outcomes, my priority is helping you both feel clearer and more grounded in your decisions. Whether you stay together or part ways, therapy equips you with tools and insight to move forward with confidence.

My approach is curious, reflective, and direct. I create a safe, supportive space where both partners can explore sensitive topics honestly and without judgment. The work can be intense, but it’s often deeply rewarding.

• Communication patterns and listening skills
• Conflict resolution techniques
• Emotional and physical intimacy
• Family background and childhood influences
• Finances and shared responsibilities
• Parenting and coparenting
• Spirituality, religion, and core values
• In-laws and boundary setting
• Monogamy, non monogamy, and sexual expectations
• Daily routines and how free time is spent
• Gender roles and cultural differences

Many couples I work with have been together for years or decades. Often, pain arises when one partner feels unseen, still treated like the person they were years ago, rather than who they are now. When emotional connection breaks down, intimacy suffers. This includes all forms of closeness: sharing feelings, expressing needs, discussing fears, and rebuilding trust.

Whether you face repeated conflict, growing distance, or a major rupture like an affair, if you both commit to the work, I can help you repair, rebuild, or thoughtfully move forward.

I have experience working with heterosexual couples, same sex couples, trans couples, multicultural and bi racial partnerships, and neurodiverse relationships. Every couple is unique, and I tailor my approach with respect for your history, strengths, and challenges.

• One or both partners refuse to change, take accountability, or fully engage beyond “checking a box” for the other person
• There is ongoing physical abuse (I do not work with past physical abuse cases either)
• One partner is actively having an affair and unwilling to end it or be transparent
• A clear power imbalance exists, rooted in coercion, financial control, or emotional manipulation
• One or both partners consistently resist completing therapy work between sessions or fail to follow through on agreed tasks
• One partner exhibits narcissistic or antagonistic traits (in these cases, I work individually with the non narcissistic partner and may include the other as a guest if appropriate)

• Isolation from friends and family
• Dictating your clothing or appearance
• Controlling access to money or resources
• Regular criticism or demeaning behavior
• Monitoring your phone, devices, or car (including spyware or GPS tracking)
• Threatening harm to you, your pets, or others
• Accusing you of cheating without cause
• Controlling your food intake or sleep
• Sexual coercion or manipulation
• Having firearms in the home as a form of threat or control

If you are in a relationship marked by coercive control, manipulation, or emotional abuse, couples counseling is not the right next step, and can be dangerous. In these situations, I strongly encourage you to visit my Narcissistic Abuse page to learn about safer, more supportive options for healing and guidance.

Effective couples counseling needs genuine investment from both partners. When that’s not possible, there are still meaningful ways to support yourself. 

I’m honored to work with individuals navigating these difficult situations, providing guidance, healing, and empowerment.