Couples & Family Therapy in Mesa, AZ
Therapy for couples, families, and partners who keep having the same fight and want something different. We use Emotionally Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method, in person in Mesa or by video across Arizona.
Serving Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, and the greater Phoenix East Valley. Telehealth available in Arizona, Florida, Wisconsin, and Oregon.
When couples and families come to us
Usually it is a pattern. One of you reaches, the other pulls back, and it ends the same way every time. Or it is the silence after the kids go to bed, and the sense that you are roommates managing a household. Some couples come after an affair or a betrayal of trust. Some come before the wedding because they have watched other marriages fall apart and want to do this on purpose.
Families come when a teenager has shut down and nobody knows how to reach them, when parents disagree about how to handle things and the disagreement itself has become the problem, or when a divorce, a move, a death, or an illness has knocked everyone off balance. Adult children and their parents come too, often to work on things that have gone unsaid for decades.
You do not need to be on the brink to start. The couples who do best in therapy tend to be the ones who come in while there is still goodwill to work with.
How we work with couples and families
Our couples work is grounded in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and the Gottman Method, two of the most thoroughly researched approaches to relationships. EFT focuses on the cycle underneath your arguments, the needs and fears that drive it, and how to reach each other differently. The Gottman Method adds concrete tools for conflict, repair, and staying connected day to day.
Your therapist will not take sides and will not decide for you whether to stay together. The job is to help you both feel safe enough to say the true thing, and then to help you hear it. Many couples are surprised by how quickly the tone changes once the cycle is named.
With families, we work with whoever is willing to show up, and that can shift from session to session. We are trauma-informed, which means we pay attention to how each person's history shapes how they react, and we move at a pace that does not push anyone past what they can handle. Relationship patterns often trace back to earlier attachment wounds. When they do, our therapists can work with that directly, including with EMDR, rather than only coaching communication.
Therapists who work with couples and family
2 of these therapists are currently taking new clients. Not sure who to pick? Tell us what is going on and we will match you.
What to expect
Couples therapy usually starts with a joint session, then one individual session with each partner, then back to joint work. Sessions are 45 to 90 minutes. Most couples meet weekly or every other week for a few months. Premarital work is shorter and more structured. Family sessions are arranged around who needs to be in the room. Our couples therapists offer a free consultation call so you can ask questions before committing.
Cost and insurance
We are in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United/Optum, Aetna, Humana, and TriWest VA Community Care Network. Self-pay sessions are $150 for 45 minutes, and the first intake visit is $175. We can verify your benefits before you come in.
Common questions about couples and family therapy
My partner does not want to come. Can I start alone?
Yes. Individual therapy focused on your relationship can change the pattern even when only one person is in the room, and partners often join later once they see it is not about blame. Several of our therapists work on relationship issues in individual sessions.
Does insurance cover couples therapy?
Sometimes. Many plans cover family therapy sessions when one partner has a covered diagnosis, and some do not cover couples counseling at all. We can check your specific benefits before you start. If it is not covered, self-pay sessions are $150 for 45 minutes and $285 for 90 minutes. Details are on our rates page.
What is the difference between EFT and the Gottman Method?
Emotionally Focused Therapy works on the emotional cycle between partners and the attachment needs underneath it. The Gottman Method is built on decades of research into what makes relationships last and offers specific skills for handling conflict and building friendship. Our couples therapists are trained in both and use whichever fits your situation, often together.
Do you offer premarital counseling?
Yes. Premarital work covers the things couples tend to avoid until they become problems: money, family, sex, kids, faith, and how you fight. It is shorter than ongoing couples therapy, and most couples finish in six to ten sessions.
We are not married. Is that a problem?
No. We work with dating couples, engaged couples, married couples, and couples in non-monogamous or polyamorous relationships. Our practice is LGBTQ+ affirming and does not assume what your relationship should look like.
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Ready to stop having the same fight?
Book a first session, or contact us to request a free consultation call with one of our couples therapists.