If you’re here, I want to first honor the possibility that you’re here under painful circumstances and your need may feel urgent. I’ve had that conversation many times. The purpose of this page is to give you an idea of who I am before you decide to call.
From one perspective, the decision to get married can seem kind of absurd. Two people meet in the world, and after an overwhelming cascade of brain chemistry and youthful energy, make a decision — a genuinely difficult one — to walk a path together. The problems that emerge as the early intensity of a relationship fades aren’t signs that you chose wrong. They’re mostly just the problems that come with the territory: two distinct people, different histories, different fears, sharing a life. Most of those problems don’t get resolved. They get managed — with compassion, patience, skill, and real effort. That’s not pessimism. That’s what decades of research show, and it matches what I’ve observed in my clinical work.
What couples therapy can do is help you manage these inevitable conflicts more skillfully while also — and this part is often neglected — deliberately building the friendship, affection, and trust that sustain the relationship over time. Genuine connection doesn’t maintain itself. It requires kindness, compassion, attention, presence, and intention.
I use the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy, developed by Dr. John and Dr. Julie Gottman over more than four decades of research and clinical work. It’s among the most rigorously studied approaches in the field: thousands of hours of direct observation, longitudinal data, and statistical models that identified the specific patterns — both destructive and constructive — that predict whether relationships thrive or fail.
What I find compelling about the Gottman approach is its honesty. It doesn’t promise to fix your relationship or eliminate conflict — it helps you understand your relationship clearly, manage conflict without it becoming corrosive, and actively cultivate what sustains the connection between you. That aligns closely with the way I approach all my clinical work: grounded in research, respectful of your autonomy, and built around the relationship in the room. Love, maybe … I don’t claim to know the future for you and your significant other — but I’m betting it’s worth it.
Couples work follows a structured five-phase process.
We begin with a joint session to discuss your relationship history, what’s brought you in, and what you’re hoping for. From there, each partner completes the Gottman Relationship Checkup — a comprehensive, HIPAA-compliant online assessment that maps the specific strengths and vulnerabilities in your relationship (one-time fee: $38.00). I then meet with each of you individually for a personal history session. We reconvene to review findings together, discuss my recommendations, and define shared treatment goals.
The heart of the work. Sessions typically involve both partners together, with individual sessions recommended when they would support the couples work. Structured exercises between sessions are a regular part of the process.
As we approach your goals, we’ll reduce session frequency — giving you room to practice what you’ve built without a therapist in the room every week.
A planned, intentional ending. I consider a thoughtful conclusion an important part of the clinical process — not just trailing off when things feel better.
I offer optional follow-up sessions at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-termination, consistent with Gottman research protocol. The data on relapse prevention supports it strongly. I’ll always mention it — I won’t pressure you.
I take the safety and integrity of the therapeutic process seriously. Couples counseling is not appropriate in all situations — including where there is ongoing physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, active domestic violence, or an active addiction that is not being addressed. If I come to believe the couples context is not safe or clinically appropriate, I will be direct about that and offer referrals to individual or other services as needed.
Coverage for couples or relational therapy varies considerably by insurance plan. Many insurers do not reimburse for couples-focused treatment under CPT code 90847 unless one partner carries a covered mental health diagnosis and the relational work is documented as treatment for that diagnosis. I will verify your benefits before we begin and walk you through your options — including self-pay — so you can make a fully informed decision.
For self-pay clients, fees are set collaboratively. Your fee will be documented in a Good Faith Estimate as required by federal law.
When possible, both partners reach out together. I offer a free 15-minute consultation to answer questions and discuss fit before we begin.