At Inside Passage, couples therapy involves meeting with a licensed therapist who has specialty, post-graduate training specifically in evidence-based couples therapy models such as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Your therapist will create a safe and non-judgmental space for you and your partner to focus on your relationship, as well as each of your unique concerns, feelings, and needs in the relationship.

Couples therapy is typically scheduled weekly to help the couple build momentum and make steady gains and progress toward their goals. Your first one to two sessions will be held conjointly, followed by individual meetings in the second or third sessions. After the individual meetings, all sessions are typically held conjointly for the duration of therapy with break out individual meetings scheduled as-needed. Your therapist will continue to assess your progress and collaborate with you in knowing when you’ve met your goals and it’s time to graduate from couples therapy. Once a couple has graduated from couples therapy, they can rest assured that they are always welcome to come back for a tune-up in the future if needed.

The timeframe for seeing results in couples therapy can vary based on the nature of the issues, the commitment of both partners, and the effectiveness of the therapy. At Inside Passage, our therapists are dedicated to their clients and practicing their craft at the highest level, and our clients typically are dedicated to working on their relationship. Some couples may experience positive changes within a few sessions, while others may require more time to see significant improvement. Consistent effort, openness and honesty, and a willingness to explore and implement the therapist’s guidance can contribute to the speed and extent of progress in couples therapy.

Common issues addressed in couples therapy include communication problems, conflicts and disagreements, intimacy issues, infidelity, financial stress, parenting differences, trust issues, and navigating major life transitions such as moving, career changes, health issues, or grief and loss. Additionally, couples therapy is a great place to explore issues of sexuality, questions around relationship structure such as consensual non-monogamy, and how to end your relationship in a healthy, conscious way.

All of the therapists at Inside Passage are held to the highest ethical and clinical standards and are hand-picked by our founder for their dedication, skill, and character. The fees for each therapist depends on their years of experience and training, ranging from $160 for newer couples therapists to $225 for couples therapy with our founder. The average fee is $175 for 50 minutes.

We are sorry, we do not bill insurance or provide superbills for couples therapy services.

Starting couples therapy can be beneficial, even if you aren’t sure whether you want to stay together. While our specialty at Inside Passage is helping couples improve and strengthen their relationship to each other, our therapists can guide you in exploring different options for how to move forward. For example, your therapist can help you and your partner discern if you want to keep your relationship as it is, commit to 3 months of working on your relationship in couples therapy, or move towards ending your relationship.

Starting couples therapy can be beneficial, even if you aren’t sure whether you want to stay together. While our specialty at Inside Passage is helping couples improve and strengthen their relationship to each other, our therapists can guide you in exploring different options for how to move forward. For example, your therapist can help you and your partner discern if you want to keep your relationship as it is, commit to 3 months of working on your relationship in couples therapy, or move towards ending your relationship.

Research shows that couples therapy is the best format to improve relationship problems. However, if one person is not ready to try couples therapy, the other partner can still benefit from participating in individual therapy. While relationship improvement is limited in an individual format, individual therapy can help one partner clarify their own feelings, needs, and heal from past traumas. Sometimes, after one person participates in individual therapy, the other partner witnesses the benefits and becomes open to trying couples therapy.

Couples therapy can be effective in addressing and resolving the underlying issues that are contributing to the strain on a marriage. For example, couples therapy can heal and transform negative communication dynamics that erode trust, happiness, and connection, leading couples to consider divorce. Once these dynamics change, couples feel closer and able to resolve conflicts and differences on their own and no longer need to consider divorce.

At Inside Passage, we offer a special service for couples on the brink of divorce: Intensive Couples Therapy. If your relationship is in crisis, Intensive Couples Therapy can help stabilize your relationship, find hope, and start the healing process quickly.