Online couples counseling
A More Constructive Way Forward Together
Practical, focused support for couples who are tired of repeating the same hurt and want a clearer way forward together.
Request a couples therapy fit call
For the relationship you are living in
You do not need to solve every disagreement to feel close again.
Most couples do not start looking for counseling because of one bad conversation. They start because the same conflict, distance, disappointment, or silence keeps returning. You may know exactly what you wish your partner understood, while they feel equally certain that you are missing their point. Over time, even small concerns can begin carrying the weight of every unresolved argument that came before.
Couples counseling gives you a place to slow that pattern down. Instead of trying to settle everything in the kitchen after a long day, or putting a difficult topic off until the next argument forces it back into the room, you can look at what is happening between you with support and a clear plan.
I work exclusively with couples. My approach is practical, direct, and focused on helping both of you understand the cycle you get caught in, then practice a different response when it matters. The work is not about deciding who is right or asking one person to carry the blame. It is about helping the relationship become a place where both people can be honest, heard, and more able to work together.
Sessions are held securely by video for couples throughout Michigan. You can meet from a private space that works for both of you, without adding a drive across town to a week that may already feel crowded.
A useful place to begin
Couples counseling may help when you are:
- Having the same argument without reaching a real resolution.
- Feeling more like roommates, opponents, or co-managers than partners.
- Trying to talk about money, parenting, intimacy, family, or the future without a fight taking over.
- Stuck in criticism, defensiveness, withdrawal, or long stretches of silence.
- Carrying hurt from broken trust, secrecy, or an affair.
- Wanting to feel more connected but unsure how to change the pattern on your own.
Structured, practical work
Get clearer about the pattern before trying to fix it.
When a relationship has been under strain for a while, each person usually has a detailed case for what the other is doing wrong. The more urgently you try to make that case, the easier it is for the other person to feel criticized, overwhelmed, or pushed away. That reaction then becomes more evidence that you cannot get through to each other.
We start by looking beneath that sequence. One partner may pursue a conversation because they feel lonely or frightened. The other may shut down because they expect blame, failure, or another conversation that goes nowhere. Neither response has to come from bad intentions to create real pain. Once you can see the pattern, both of you have more choice about what to do next.
I use Gottman-informed assessment and teaching to help couples recognize their strengths, identify the pressure points in the relationship, and practice skills that fit real life. That can include bringing up a concern without blame, listening without preparing a defense, taking a useful break when emotions run high, repairing after a hard moment, and making more room for friendship and connection.
Learn about my Gottman-informed approach →What progress can look like
A different response can change the whole tone of a relationship.
Progress is rarely one dramatic conversation that fixes everything. It often begins with smaller changes: a hard subject stays on one topic, a request sounds less like an attack, or a pause protects the conversation instead of feeling like abandonment.
Those shifts matter because they give you evidence that the relationship can respond differently under pressure. Over time, difficult conversations can feel less threatening, repair can happen sooner, and both people can feel less alone in the work of the relationship.
Talk about what is underneath the fight
Many arguments begin with a practical complaint but are really about feeling dismissed, unimportant, alone, or overwhelmed. Naming the deeper concern gives your partner something real to understand and respond to.
Handle conflict without losing one another
You can learn to notice when a conversation is going off course, pause before it becomes cruel, and return to the issue with more clarity and care.
Build connection alongside problem-solving
Resolving conflict matters, but a relationship also needs warmth, appreciation, curiosity, and shared purpose. Counseling makes room for those everyday experiences too.
Online sessions across Michigan
Make room for the relationship without making the week harder.
Online couples counseling can make it easier to protect time for the relationship. You can meet from home, a private office, or another quiet place without adding a long drive to a week already full of work, parenting, and other responsibilities. It can also be a practical option when you live in different parts of Michigan.
You will need reliable internet, a private place to speak openly, and a device with a camera and microphone. A computer or tablet is usually easiest when I am sharing something on screen. Both partners must be physically in Michigan at the time of the session.
The setting may be online, but the work remains personal and focused. You will have time to slow down, hear one another more fully, and stay with conversations that are difficult to have alone.
Choosing the right kind of help
Start with the support that fits where you are now.
When you both want to work on the relationship
Couples counseling is a strong fit when both of you are willing to understand the pattern and try a more constructive way forward, even if you feel discouraged or uncertain about how long change may take.
When trust has been broken
If an affair, secrecy, or a major breach of trust is the immediate concern, infidelity counseling offers a focused path for the questions and repair work that follow betrayal.
When one partner is unsure about staying
If one of you cannot honestly commit to trying to repair the relationship right now, discernment counseling can provide a more appropriate place to sort through that decision without pressure to stay or leave.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between couples counseling and couples therapy?
People often use the terms interchangeably. The work focuses on the relationship between you, including communication, conflict, trust, intimacy, and the patterns that keep bringing you back to the same painful place.
Do we both need to be ready to begin?
Couples counseling works best when both partners are willing to look honestly at the relationship and try a different approach. If one partner is seriously unsure about staying, discernment counseling may be a better place to begin.
How do online sessions work in Michigan?
Sessions are held by secure video. Both partners need to be physically in Michigan when we meet, with a private place to talk, reliable internet, and a device with a camera and microphone.
What happens in the first three sessions?
The first three sessions are 90 minutes. We begin with your relationship story, include individual time in the second session, and use the third session to review the assessment and create a focused treatment plan.
What does couples counseling cost?
Couples counseling is private pay. The first session is $375, sessions two and three are $300 for 90 minutes, and later sessions are $300 for 60 minutes. View current rates and payment details.
Your next step
Start with a conversation about your relationship.
A free fit call gives you a chance to ask questions, share what is happening, and decide whether working together feels like the right next step.