Couples Therapy
Every relationship gets stuck. You don’t have to stay there.
When you feel unhappy in your relationship, it’s easy to focus on what’s not working and lose sight of the positive things your partner does. Over time, this can shift how you see each other and the relationship itself.​
The problem isn’t conflict, it’s the negative cycle you get pulled into when emotions run high.
As Sue Johnson writes, “Negative cycles are the enemy — not your partner.” When we slow these moments down together, you begin to see the cycle more clearly. Once you can see it, you can begin to step out of it.
Often, beneath criticism is something more tender, a longing to feel valued, chosen, or understood. Dr. John Gottman reminds us, “Behind every criticism is a longing.” When those deeper needs are expressed in ways that invite connection rather than defensiveness, something begins to shift.
This work is active and hopeful. We interrupt unhelpful patterns, practice new ways of responding, and rebuild trust through small, consistent moments of turning toward each other.
Change doesn’t happen overnight — but it does happen.
What to Expect​​
It’s possible to move from survival mode back to connection
Our work together will follow a thoughtful, structured process designed to help you understand your patterns, rebuild trust, and find your way back to each other.
01
Begin Together
We start with a joint session to explore the history of your relationship, current concerns, recurring patterns, and what each of you hopes to gain from therapy. This helps us understand how you connect, where you feel stuck, and what you most want to build together.
02
Individual Perspectives
Each partner then meets with me individually for one session. These conversations provide space to share personal history, perspectives, and experiences, and help me understand the dynamics each of you brings into the relationship.
03
Relationship Assessment
You’ll have the option to complete a comprehensive online relationship assessment through the Gottman Institute. This research-based tool highlights both strengths and areas for growth, helping us focus our work where it will be most meaningful.
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Create a Shared Plan
Using what we’ve learned together, we’ll develop a personalized treatment plan aligned with your goals. Therapy typically ranges from 8–20 sessions, depending on your needs, pace, and what you’d like to focus on.
"The goal is not to eliminate conflict but to learn to manage it."
— Dr. John Gottman
In our work together, the focus is not on avoiding difficult moments, but on navigating them with greater awareness, care, and skill.
Couples therapy is about more than resolving conflict
It creates space for something deeper. Through our work together, couples often begin to experience:​
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​Greater awareness of patterns and cycles
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Healthier communication that reduces conflict
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The ability to listen and respond without defensiveness
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Tools to turn toward each other during difficult moments
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Increased emotional safety, trust, and connection
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Renewed intimacy and a stronger sense of partnership
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Clarity about next steps—together or apart
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Unsure About Your Relationship’s Future?
Couples therapy is not about convincing anyone to stay or go. It’s about slowing down, deepening understanding, and creating clarity. It’s common to begin therapy feeling unsure about the future of your relationship. Therapy does not require a commitment to a specific outcome, just a willingness to begin.
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We can approach the work as a collaborative process, checking in along the way as you gain clarity about what you want and need.
Support at Every Stage
Dating & Early Relationships
Explore patterns, clarify needs and boundaries, and date with intention by focusing on how you feel with someone, not just whether they like you.
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When It Gets Hard: All Relationships Struggle at Times
All relationships go through difficult periods. Therapy helps you seek support early, listen to understand rather than defend, and turn toward each other, especially under stress.
When One Becomes Two: Building Partnership & Commitment
Strengthen your partnership and improve communication as you navigate shared space, finances, and responsibilities.
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“Should I Stay or Should I Go?”: Feeling Unsure About the Relationship
Ambivalence can feel paralyzing. Therapy offers a neutral space to gain clarity and move forward at your own pace, without pressure.
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When Two Become Three (and More): Parenthood & Life Transitions
Navigate parenthood and the transitions that come with it while protecting your connection, redefining roles, and staying close through it all.
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Divorce & Discernment: Moving Forward With Clarity & Intention
With the right support, you can move through fear and uncertainty thoughtfully, making decisions about what comes next with greater clarity, confidence, and care.
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