At CARE Counseling, Inc., we understand that relationships are at the heart of human well-being. Whether you are navigating communication issues, disconnection, conflict, or major life transitions, couples therapy can be a powerful tool to help partners grow, heal, and reconnect.

Why Couples Therapy?

Relationships face numerous stressors—from parenting and finances to career shifts and cultural expectations. Additionally, changing gender roles, mental health awareness, and evolving family structures have added new complexities to how couples function.

Recent research highlights that:

• Conflict is not the issue—how couples manage conflict is. Unresolved emotional ruptures, criticism, and avoidance erode trust and intimacy over time.

• Most couples wait 6 years after problems begin before seeking help (Gottman Institute, 2015).

• Therapy significantly improves relational satisfaction, especially when both partners are engaged and motivated (American Psychological Association, 2022).

The Science Behind Healthy Relationships

Psychological research has identified key traits in successful, resilient couples:

• Emotional attunement: understanding and validating each other’s inner experiences.

• Secure attachment: a sense of safety and emotional availability between partners.

• Constructive conflict resolution: using empathy and compromise rather than criticism and contempt.

• Shared meaning: cultivating values, goals, rituals, and purpose together.

Our therapy integrates evidence-based models to promote these strengths.

Our Therapeutic Approaches

At CARE Counseling, Inc., we customize treatment using approaches that are backed by decades of clinical research:

1. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

• Based on attachment theory, EFT helps partners identify and shift negative patterns of interaction.

• Focuses on building secure emotional bonds and expressing unmet attachment needs.

• One of the most empirically supported models for couples work.

2. Gottman Method Couples Therapy

• Derived from longitudinal studies of real couples.

• Teaches tools for conflict management, enhancing friendship, and building shared meaning.

• Emphasizes the “Four Horsemen” of relationship distress and how to replace them with healthy behaviors.

3. Relational Life Therapy (RLT)

• Encourages direct, honest communication and emotional responsibility.

• Helps dismantle gender role expectations that inhibit intimacy.

4. Integrative and Culturally Responsive Frameworks

• Every couple is unique. We work within the cultural, spiritual, sexual, and relational values of each couple.

• We affirm heterosexual, LGBTQ+ couples, non-monogamous partnerships, and families of all structures.

Common Reasons Couples Seek Therapy

Couples come to CARE Counseling, Inc. for many reasons, including:

• Communication difficulties

• Infidelity and trust breaches

• Emotional disconnection

• Life transitions (e.g., marriage, children, retirement)

• Sexual dissatisfaction

• Parenting conflicts

• Recovery from trauma or loss

• Identity changes (e.g., gender, faith, values)
  

No concern is too small. If it matters to you, it matters to us.

What to Expect in Couples Therapy

Therapy begins with a comprehensive intake session to understand each partner’s perspective and the relational dynamic. We collaborate with you to develop goals such as:

• Reducing conflict and reactivity

• Increasing empathy and emotional safety

• Strengthening intimacy and shared meaning

• Improving communication and boundary-setting

Sessions typically include:

• Joint sessions with both partners

• Occasional individual sessions (as needed and agreed upon)

• Between-session practices to reinforce new patterns

Therapy is a process—not a quick fix—but most couples begin to feel relief and clarity within a few sessions.

Social Context and Inclusive Care

Couples do not live in a vacuum. Our therapists are trained to explore the impact of:

• Cultural backgrounds and intergenerational patterns

• Power dynamics (race, gender, socioeconomic status)

• Religion, sexuality, and systemic stressors
  

We hold space for all forms of partnership and honor the social forces that shape your relationship.

Our Commitment to You

At CARE Counseling, Inc., we believe that every couple has the capacity for meaningful transformation. Whether you are seeking repair, growth, or clarity, we will walk with you toward deeper understanding and stronger connection.