Couples Therapy: Reconnecting Through the Gottman Method
From Defensive Disconnect to Shared Meaning
When your relationship feels like a series of "sideways" conversations, it’s easy to feel like you’re on opposing teams. You might be stuck in cycles of defensiveness, or perhaps you’ve simply stopped sharing the deeper parts of yourselves to avoid the "flood" of conflict.
I provide a structured, evidence-based approach to couples counseling for partners who are ready to stop just "getting through the week" and start building a relationship that feels like a secure base.
The goal is to move from survival—where you are simply managing each other—to a life where you feel genuinely present together.
My Approach: Skills, Science, and Soul
My work with couples is deeply informed by Attachment Theory and Interpersonal Neurobiology. We don't just talk about your problems; we look at the mechanics of how you connect. The Gottman Method: Having completed Levels 1 and 2 training plus the Seven Principles Leadership Training, I utilize the "Gold Standard" of research-based interventions to help you dismantle verbal conflict and increase intimacy. Somatic Tools: We incorporate nervous system regulation to identify and reduce flooding. When you can stay physically calm, you can stay emotionally connected. Hearing the Need: We work to translate "attacks" into expressions of need, allowing you to respond with curiosity instead of a shield. Values-Centered Connection: We clarify your individual and shared values to ensure you are moving toward the same horizon.
Precision Insights: The Gottman Relationship Checkup
Many couples come to therapy feeling like they are "circling the drain" of the same set of arguments. To get us out of the cycle and into the repair, I utilize the Gottman Relationship Checkup—a breakthrough clinical assessment that helps us focus in on the areas that matter most to you in our first sessions.
Why This Matters for You:
No More "Talking in Circles": We skip the months of "getting to know you" and dive straight into the heart of what’s actually happening.
Total Confidentiality: You each complete a private, HIPAA-compliant questionnaire at your own pace. While openness is encourage, individual answers are not shared with your partner, allowing for total honesty while we work towards greater emotional intimacy in sessions.
A Data-Driven Roadmap: Instead of a "one-size-fits-all" approach, we get a clinical deep-dive into your connection, conflict patterns, and shared values to help see your specific strengths and areas of growth.
How We Use It:
The Invitation: You’ll each receive a private link to create your individual profile.
The Assessment: You’ll answer questions covering everything from intimacy and finances to trust and parenting.
The Strategy: I analyze the data to pinpoint exactly where your relationship is thriving and where it’s leaking energy. We then co-create a treatment plan tailored specifically to your unique dynamics.
By using this technology, we move more efficiently toward the life you want to live together.
Initial Intake & Assessment: $200
Our work begins with a comprehensive 75-minute deep dive. This fee includes your formal clinical assessment through the Gottman Relationship Checkup, providing us with a data-driven roadmap of your relationship’s unique strengths and challenges from day one.
Ongoing Sessions: $165
Subsequent sessions focus on active repair, skill-building, and deepening your emotional connection.
A Note on Insurance & Ethics I do not accept insurance for couples therapy, and this is a deliberate clinical and ethical decision. To bill insurance, a provider must provide a mental health diagnosis for one individual and document that every session is primarily treating that person's specific illness.
In my practice, the "client" is the relationship itself. By working outside the insurance model, we ensure:
Clinical Integrity: We focus on the "we," not a diagnosis of one person in the relationship.
Privacy: Your relationship dynamics are not part of a permanent medical record accessible by insurers.
Transparency: We avoid the ethical "gray area" of justifying relationship growth through the lens of individual pathology.