Couples Therapy in Whitefish Bay, WI

Couples Therapy is a specific form of psychotherapy that can help you and your partner improve your relationship. At ERA, clinicians are trained via the Gottman Method which works to improve communication in the relationship, increase intimacy and respect, resolve and repair conflict, and increase understanding in the relationship.

Couples Therapy starts with an intake session with both partners and your therapist. Next, each partner will meet individually with your therapist. These appointments are important to get to know each other, discuss concerns, and start to formulate goals. After the individual appointments, most appointments going forward will be conjoint sessions with both partners being present. It is in these sessions that we get to work on improving your relationship, working toward your goals, and feeling better in your relationship.

If you are here considering it as an option, it’s probably a sign that couples counseling may be a good idea. Generally speaking, couples wait a really long time to get help. At ERA, we are big believers in getting help sooner rather than later. It’s never too early. It’s never too late.

If you are considering it, that in itself can be a sign that couples therapy is needed. Other indicators include frequent arguments, frequent arguments that don’t get resolved, silent treatments, lack of intimacy, lack of respect for each other, along with a heightened sense of stress within the home. Couples therapy is also effective when used as a wellness check-in, or in a proactive state. Premarital couples therapy is important. Couples therapy can help you when you are considering a change such as moving in together, becoming exclusive with each other, considering engagement, marriage, or union. Couples therapy is also beneficial when family planning, facing fertility challenges, adoption, or choosing to be child-free.

Couples therapy is not appropriate if there is active domestic violence. If you are in this situation, please seek help and get yourself safe.

Step one: free consult call. This is our time to determine if couples counseling is appropriate, and if we will all be a good fit together.

Step two: assessment session all together.

Step three: at least one individual session with each partner.

Step four: come back together to discuss treatment goals and get working on those goals!

Treatment will vary from couple to couple, so this is how we start. Next steps after this assessment and intake process will be unique to your relationship and your goals. Generally, we meet weekly for some time, then fade to every other week.

That happens. Next best step is to schedule your free consult call to discuss your concerns with us, then based on your unique situation, we can suggest the following step.

The list is endless, but here are some of the main reasons couples come to counseling: recurring arguments, “fell out of love” but want to fall back into love, parenting disagreements, intimacy concerns, unable to manage stress together, communication concerns, stress within infertility, constantly at each others’ nerves.

Yep! Even when things are “well” or “fine,” couples come to couples counseling as a relationship check-up. Think of it as preventative maintenance. This type of counseling starts the same with joint sessions and individual sessions, but the path and cadence of treatment looks a little lighter in comparison to a couple needing help navigating a relationship that is on the rocks.

At ERA, we do couples counseling which is aimed at keeping the relationship intact. If you are going down the path of co-parenting by way of divorce or separation, there is specific counseling called “co-parenting counseling” that would be what you are looking for.

Couples counseling is not initiated if there is current domestic violence. If you are in this situation, please seek help and get yourself safe.

Yep! Studies have shown that couples counseling is effective. The important piece is all parties need to be honest, need to be ready to do the work, need to be open to change, and need to be invested in the process. It may not be easy, but it can be worth it.

Yes, it can! You can join the virtual session together, or from separate locations.

The short version is that is a super well researched and validated method of couples therapy with a high rate of success in improving and preserving relationships.

The long version:

ERA Wellness staff are trained in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy based on Drs. John and Julie Gottman. Research contributing to this method of therapy focused on what makes relationships succeed or fail. This method is designed to help teach specific tools to deepen friendship and intimacy in your relationship, to help you productively manage conflicts and “resolve problems,” show appreciation to each other, and continue to navigate life together. This method of therapy is aimed to reconcile, maintain, and/or improve the relationship, keeping it intact.

Gottman Method Couples Therapy consists of five parts: assessment, treatment, “phasing out” of therapy, termination, outcome evaluation.

Early in the assessment phase, you will be given some written materials to complete that will help us better understand your relationship. In the assessment sessions, we will talk about the history of your relationship, areas of concern, and goals for treatment. There will also be times where you meet individually with your couples therapist. This will allow time to discuss your personal history, along with each having an opportunity to share thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. After the assessment sessions, your therapist will recommend treatment goals and your therapist is open to your feedback in relation to these therapy goals.

Most of the sessions with your couples therapist will be joint sessions, though there may be times outside of the assessment phase where individual sessions are clinically appropriate. There will likely be “homework” to do together and/or individually outside of sessions.

The length of therapy will be determined by your specific needs and goals. In the course of therapy, we will establish points to evaluate progress, satisfaction, and if there is any feedback you may have for your therapist.

“Phasing out” will occur when clinically appropriate, discussed, and agreed upon. “Phasing out” looks like going longer periods of time between sessions, while you maintain progress, and continue doing the “homework.” You may terminate therapy at any time, though it is highly recommended to have a discharge session to allow time and space to summarize progress, define work that remains, and discuss when it may be appropriate to return to therapy.

Following termination from couples therapy, outcome evaluation sessions are an option, upon request, at four regular intervals of six months, twelve months, eighteen months, and twenty-four months after successful discharge. These sessions have been shown through research to significantly decrease the chances of relapse into previous, unhelpful patterns. 

At ERA, we have several tiers of clinician pricing. You can find our full fee schedule here: https://www.erawellnesstherapy.com/fees

Our couples session rates range from $150-$175 depending on the clinician. At times, we do have some sliding scale spots available. If this is needed, please ask your clinician during the consultation call.

Couples therapy is tailored to each couple, so there is no one-way to reach goals and no specific timeline. In general, couples in our practice meet bi-weekly for couples therapy for approximately 3 months. These are the sessions where a lot of ‘work’ is done both in and out of the session. From there, appointments tend to space out on the calendar, and check-ins look more like celebrating the wins, discussing anything that has come up, and revisiting how progress toward your goals are going.

If something in your relationship isn’t feeling quite ‘right,’ that’s a good indicator that couples therapy is right for you. If you are ready and willing to have some tougher conversations, make changes, and ultimately feel better, then couples therapy is right for you. A great first step is to schedule a free consult call with one of our therapists.