Couples Therapy

Couples Therapy

Rebuild Connection, Strengthen Your Relationship

Couples therapy provides a supportive, judgment-free environment where you and your partner can address challenges, improve communication, and rediscover the joy in your relationship. Whether you're navigating conflict, rebuilding trust, or simply wanting to deepen your connection, we help couples at every stage find their way back to each other.

What is Couples Therapy?

Couples therapy is a specialized form of counseling designed to help partners improve their relationship by addressing patterns of conflict, communication breakdowns, and emotional disconnection. Through evidence-based approaches like Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and the Gottman Method, couples learn to understand each other's needs, express emotions constructively, and build a stronger foundation for their future together.

Research shows that couples therapy can significantly improve relationship satisfaction, reduce conflict, and help partners develop skills for long-term success. Many couples find that therapy not only resolves immediate issues but also equips them with tools to navigate future challenges with confidence and compassion.

How is couples therapy different from individual therapy?

Unlike individual therapy, couples therapy focuses on the relationship as the client, not just one person's experience. The therapist works as a neutral facilitator, helping both partners communicate more effectively and understand each other's perspectives without taking sides.

Key differences include:

  • Focus on relationship patterns: We examine how you interact with each other, not just individual behaviors

  • Communication skills: Learn practical techniques to express needs, listen actively, and resolve conflicts constructively

  • Shared goals: Both partners work together toward common relationship objectives

  • Safe space for difficult conversations: Address sensitive topics like intimacy, finances, parenting, and trust in a structured, supportive environment

Couples therapy helps you move from blame and defensiveness to curiosity and connection.

Who can benefit from couples therapy?

ECouples therapy can help partners at any stage of their relationship—whether you're dating, engaged, newlyweds, or have been together for decades. Common reasons couples seek therapy include:

  • Communication problems: Frequent misunderstandings, arguments, or shutting down during conflict

  • Trust and betrayal: Rebuilding after infidelity or broken promises

  • Intimacy issues: Physical or emotional disconnection

  • Life transitions: Adjusting to parenthood, career changes, relocation, or empty nest

  • Financial stress: Managing money conflicts and differing values around spending

  • Blended family challenges: Navigating stepparenting and co-parenting dynamics

  • Pre-marital counseling: Building a strong foundation before marriage

  • Considering separation: Making informed decisions about the future of your relationship

You don't have to be in crisis to benefit from couples therapy. Many couples seek support to maintain a healthy relationship or enhance an already strong connection.

Can EMDR therapy be done without a trained EMDR therapist?

EMDR therapy is a mental health intervention. As such, it should only be offered by properly trained and licensed mental health clinicians. EMDRIA does not condone or support indiscriminate uses of EMDR therapy such as "do-it-yourself" virtual therapy.

How did EMDR therapy start?

In the late 1980s, Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., discovered a link between eye movement and persistent, distressing memories. This personal insight led her to embark on a lifelong journey of studying and developing Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.

Despite initial skepticism, Dr. Shapiro's work evolved from a hypothesis into a structured therapy process. EMDR therapy has since been shown to be effective for treating trauma through randomized clinical trials, case studies, and millions of clinical hours worldwide. Numerous organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USVA) and Department of Defense (USDOD), the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the World Health Organization (WHO), now recognize the effectiveness of EMDR therapy.

The growing public acceptance of EMDR therapy is evidenced by figures such as Prince Harry, who reported using EMDR to address childhood trauma, and Sandra Bullock, who shared her experience with EMDR therapy following a traumatic break-in at her home.

Dr. Shapiro played a key role in establishing the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), which includes over 15,000 mental health professionals utilizing EMDR therapy in their clinical practice to address various mental health conditions. Although Dr. Shapiro passed away in 2019, her legacy in trauma-informed mental health care continues through the work of EMDR therapists, researchers, and the many patients who find healing through EMDR therapy.