What Couples Therapy Looks Like
At Private Matters Psychotherapy, couples therapy isn’t about assigning blame or choosing sides, it’s about helping both partners feel heard, understood, and emotionally safe enough to try something new. Our therapists work collaboratively with you to understand what’s underneath the conflict, what’s keeping you stuck, and what might help shift the pattern.
Some of our therapists are trained in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, which focuses on communication, conflict management, trust-building, and emotional connection. This approach is grounded in decades of research and offers practical tools for navigating difficult moments more effectively.
Others draw from different frameworks, like emotionally focused therapy (EFT), narrative therapy, or trauma-informed relational work, tailored to your unique dynamic and needs. You don’t have to know what method is right for you. We’ll help you find a path that fits.
What We Can Work on Together
Couples therapy isn’t just about resolving arguments, it’s about deepening understanding, rebuilding trust, and learning how to stay connected even when things are hard. Whether you’re dating, living together, married, or somewhere in between, we support couples navigating:
- Communication breakdowns
- Frequent conflict or silent tension
- Emotional distance or disconnection
- Trust issues or betrayal
- Parenting stress or role strain
- Intimacy challenges (emotional or physical)
- Life transitions (moving, career change, grief)
- Different conflict styles or emotional needs
- Considering separation or struggling to reconnect
Therapy can help you move from criticism to curiosity, from shutdown to repair.
Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is learn a new way to listen.
What to Expect in Sessions
Couples sessions at Private Matters Psychotherapy are structured, collaborative, and rooted in emotional safety. Your therapist will begin by getting to know both of you, your individual stories, shared history, and current concerns. From there, you’ll start learning new ways to communicate, listen, and respond, even when things feel tense or tender.
Sessions are typically 60 minutes, though extended sessions may be available depending on your needs. Some couples come weekly, others bi-weekly. Sometimes your therapist will suggest to see you separately for a session before coming back together in a joint session. We’ll work with you to find a rhythm that feels supportive.
You won’t be put on the spot, and you won’t be left to argue in the room. Your therapist is there to guide the conversation, help you notice patterns, and support moments of repair as they emerge.
Not Just Conflict, Also Connection
Couples therapy isn’t only about fixing what’s broken. It’s also about rebuilding connection, intimacy, and trust, especially when those things feel distant or hard to access.
You might come in hoping to fight less, but leave feeling more understood. You might begin by focusing on what’s going wrong, and discover what’s still strong between you. We help couples not just manage conflict, but also rediscover closeness, friendship, and a sense of shared purpose.
Whether you’re working through a rough patch or reimagining your future together, this is a space to reconnect, on purpose, with support.
Did you know? One of the strongest predictors of long-term connection is how couples reconnect after conflict.
