Couples Counseling in Bethesda

About Couples Counseling

Couples counseling — also called couples therapy or relationship therapy — is a form of psychotherapy in which two partners work with a licensed therapist to address relationship challenges, improve communication, and strengthen their connection. Common presenting concerns include conflict patterns, intimacy difficulties, infidelity, life transitions, parenting disagreements, and the strain that individual mental health or substance use issues place on the relationship.

Widely used evidence-based approaches include the Gottman Method, which focuses on building friendship and managing conflict, and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which targets attachment patterns and emotional responsiveness. Sessions are typically held weekly, and both partners attend together, though some formats include occasional individual sessions as part of the process. Couples counseling can be beneficial at any relationship stage — from early difficulty to crisis — and does not require a commitment to stay together.