About The Couples Center

We offer relationship counseling to individuals and couples and also give lectures and workshops. We also offer sliding-scale therapy to those with limited financial resources. We honor people from all cultures, gender identities, and sexual orientations.

For more information, read our counseling FAQs page.

What Makes Us Unique?

Coming to counseling is an investment of time, energy and money; usually, by the time you are considering counseling, the stakes are already high. To make sure you get the results you want from this investment, you need to work with an expert.

Our therapists have extensive training in the latest methods of marriage and couples counseling and are all experienced in working with couples. We work together to ensure that we are using the most effective tools and techniques to help you have the relationship you desire.

Relationship specialists: While most therapists work with both couples and individuals, only a fraction of them actually specialize in couples counseling. In fact, psychologists and marriage and family therapists are only required to take one class in marriage counseling, and most choose to focus on working with individuals. At the Couples Center, our therapists have advanced training in the field of couples therapy and specialize in helping individuals and couples improve their relationships.

Short-Term Results: It’s a common misconception that counseling takes a long time. At The Couples Center, we focus on practical methods and skills that will help you achieve results in a short time. For every relationship, there are a few underlying issues that cause most of our difficulties. By first identifying them and then learning how to transform them, change can happen quickly and effectively.

Direct Feedback: We are not the kind of therapists that just sit back and listen. To make effective change, you need to know what is causing difficulties in your relationship and how to change it. We offer interactive sessions in a warm, supportive environment, providing you with direct feedback so that you know what needs to be done to change things for the better.

Up-to-Date Knowledge: We stay current on relationship research and methodologies and regularly collaborate with each other to generate new ideas and approaches.

Compatible Counseling: Therapy is not one-size-fits-all. It’s important that you feel comfortable with your therapist and that they are a good fit for you. We try to match you with the right person and use the treatment approaches that are relevant to your issues. In addition, we work based on the goals you set for counseling, engaging you in every step of the process.

Ongoing Learning: There are many ways to learn about and improve your relationship. In addition to counseling, we offer articles, videos, talks and workshops. To receive our latest updates and tips, join our email list.

What to Expect from Your Sessions:

In the first session, we will gather details about each one of you as individuals as well as about you as a couple. We will discuss the challenges in your relationship and the history of those challenges. We will also explore what it is you want to get out of counseling, and how we can get you there.

The process of counseling will be described in more detail, and you may receive some initial feedback from the therapist in terms of the patterns or challenges that he or she has identified.

In subsequent sessions, we will help you identify and understand the underlying issues that cause difficulty in your relationship. Then, we will work with you to change those patterns.

While Each Couple is Different, Many Times the Process of Therapy Goes Through Three Main Stages:

Identifying Patterns: The challenges that couples face are usually the result of only a few patterns between them. In this stage, the therapist will help you recognize the negative patterns that are underneath the surface, and how they manifest in different ways in your relationship. This new understanding will enable you to take a step back from conflicts as they occur, preventing further escalation. You will also identify the strengths and resources in your relationship and learn how to nourish them.

Changing the Underlying Causes: Once you’ve identified the negative patterns that are affecting your relationship, your therapist will help you recognize why they are happening and assist you in changing them. Many times, it only takes small, specific adjustments to really change your relationship for the better.

Strengthening Intimacy: At this stage, your therapist will help you practice and integrate the changes you’ve made. You may focus on understanding each other’s styles of connection and what makes you feel closer to each other. You will deepen your understanding of each other and learn to interact in a way that meets each other needs and desires.