Couples Therapy
Couples Therapy in Austin
When the same argument keeps coming back, it is rarely about the dishes or the calendar. Couples therapy here is a place to rebuild connection, improve communication, work through parenting tension and heal destructive patterns before they cause more pain.
The argument underneath the argument
You might be fighting about money, chores or how late someone got home. Underneath, there is often something more tender: a fear of not mattering, of being alone inside the relationship, of never being enough for the person you chose. When that fear goes unspoken, it tends to come out sideways as criticism, defensiveness or silence. The other person reacts to the sideways version, and the cycle repeats with new details every time.
- The same fight with different details
- Talking about logistics but rarely about the two of you
- One of you gets louder while the other goes quiet
- Parenting disagreements that quickly turn personal
- Trust that has been bruised or broken
Emotionally Focused ideas, in plain language
I draw on Emotionally Focused Therapy ideas in this work: move beneath the recurring argument to the need and fear underneath it. Instead of deciding who is right, we trace the moment each of you stops feeling safe or understood. We slow that moment way down, name what each of you felt and needed, and practice reaching toward each other instead of bracing against each other. The page on Emotionally Focused couples work explains more.
I am direct in the room. If I notice a pattern, I will name it, kindly and clearly, and I will not take sides in a way that leaves one of you holding all the blame. Both of you need the room to feel safe enough to say the true thing, and keeping it that way is part of my job, especially in the sessions where things get heated.
Communication that does not end in the same place
Better communication is less about scripts and more about staying steady enough to listen. We work on how to start a hard conversation gently, how to notice when your body is flooding, how to pause without abandoning the conversation, and how to come back and repair afterward. Mindfulness practice can help each of you come back into the body when the mind has raced ahead. What you practice in session, you take home, try in real life and bring back.
Parenting tension and the wider family
Children change a marriage, and parenting disagreements can turn personal fast. One of you may lean toward structure and the other toward flexibility, and each of you may feel undermined. The systemic lens I bring as an LMFT takes in the two of you, your children, extended family and the pressures you are carrying. Incredible Years parenting ideas can help you get on the same page, and family therapy sessions are available if the whole household needs room.
When trust has been broken
If an affair, hidden spending or a long-running secret has come to light, the hurt partner's nervous system may be on high alert, and ordinary conversations can feel dangerous. That changes how couples work begins. Steadiness comes first, then a careful look at whether repair is what you both want. The page on betrayal trauma therapy explains that process, and if you decide the marriage cannot continue, divorce care is here for that road too.
Fees, formats and getting started
Couples sessions are $215 for 50 minutes or $300 for 80 minutes. Like every service here, the work begins with an 80-minute initial assessment at $275. In that first appointment we look at your history as a couple, the context you are living in and what each of you wants to be different. Nobody is required to air every grievance on day one. From there we choose a rhythm, usually weekly at first and easing off later.
You can meet in person at the Southwest Austin office on Fridays and select other times and days as schedules allow, or by telehealth anywhere in Texas, as long as you are both located in Texas during the session. Walk-and-talk is not suitable for couples counseling. This is a self-pay practice with monthly superbills for possible out-of-network reimbursement, and the rates page lays out every fee and policy.
Common Questions
Can we do couples therapy as a walk-and-talk?
No. Walk-and-talk is not suitable for couples counseling. Couples sessions happen in person at the Southwest Austin office or by telehealth anywhere in Texas.
How much does couples therapy cost?
Couples sessions are $215 for 50 minutes or $300 for 80 minutes, after an 80-minute initial assessment at $275. This is a self-pay practice, payment is due at the time of service, and monthly superbills are available for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
What is your background with couples?
I have almost two decades of experience with couples, especially communication and EFT work. The free consultation is a good place to ask anything else about fit.
Do we both have to be in Texas for telehealth?
Yes. Therapy here is Texas only, so each of you should be located in Texas during the session. Secure video works from anywhere in the state.
The consultation is free and there is no obligation on either side.
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