Couples Therapy FAQ: What to Expect, Costs, and How It Works

Office sessions are available in Vienna at 243 Church St NW.

At this time, most of my couples prefer to see me virtually. I see couples across the entire state of Virginia.

If you prefer to meet in person, limited appointments are available in Vienna. See below for details.

My current 2026 rates for individual and couples sessions are below:

I am not an in-network provider with any health insurance companies.

Credit, debit, FSA, and HSA cards are accepted for payment.

In most cases, couples therapy is not covered by insurance companies because it is not considered “medically necessary treatment.”

However, some clients use their out-of-network mental health provider benefits to work with me and seek partial reimbursement. This depends on your specific plan’s mental health benefits and if you or your partner have a qualifying mental health diagnosis.

Click below to find out more about my insurance policy at Decision Point Therapy.

No, the first session is billed the same as all subsequent sessions.

However, you may contact me for a free phone consultation prior to the first session to help determine if therapy with me is a good fit.

A free consultation is a 15-minute call where you briefly describe your situation, ask questions, and get a recommendation for next steps.

During the call:

• You share what’s been happening in your relationship
• I ask a few focused questions
• I recommend the type of support that fits best (if any)
• You can ask about the process, structure, and cost

This call is designed to help you decide what to do next. It is not a therapy session.

You may benefit from therapy if your relationship feels stuck, painful, or uncertain – and your usual ways of handling it aren’t working.

Common signs include:

• The same arguments keep happening without resolution
• Communication breaks down or escalates quickly
• You feel emotionally disconnected, resentful, or alone in the relationship
• Trust has been damaged and hasn’t repaired
• You’re questioning whether to stay or leave

You don’t have to be in crisis to seek help. Many people come to therapy because they’re tired of repeating the same patterns and want a different way forward.

If your partner is not willing to attend, you can still start individually. Individual relationship therapy can help you understand the dynamic, change how you respond, and get clearer about your options.

Choosing a couples therapist is less about finding someone you “like” and more about finding someone who is a strong fit for your specific situation.

The most important factors to consider are:

1. Do they specialize in your situation?

Not all therapists are trained to work with high-conflict couples or relationships on the brink of divorce.

In fact, most therapists (except for Licensed MFTs) aren’t trained to work with couples at all.

If your relationship involves frequent arguments, emotional distance, or uncertainty about staying together, look for a therapist who specifically works with those dynamics – not just “couples” in general.

2. Are they clear about their approach?

A good therapist should be able to explain how they work and what you can expect from the process.

For example:

• Some therapists focus mostly on communication skills
• Others focus on deeper patterns and emotional dynamics
• Discernment counseling is a different approach entirely, designed for couples unsure about whether to stay or separate

Clarity here helps you avoid wasting time and money in the wrong type of therapy.

3. Do you feel comfortable but also challenged?

Feeling comfortable matters, but it’s not the only factor.

Effective therapy often involves difficult conversations and honest feedback. A good fit means you feel respected and understood but also guided and challenged when needed.

4. Can you start even if your partner won’t join?

If your partner is unwilling to attend, look for a therapist who provides Individual Relationship Therapy.

You don’t have to wait for your partner to begin. Individual work can help you better understand the dynamic, shift patterns, and decide what to do next.

5. Are they licensed and qualified?

Make sure your therapist is licensed in your state and has experience working with relationship issues.

My license number in Virginia is 0717001389. You may use the below link for online therapist verification.

A practical tip:

It’s okay to speak with more than one therapist before deciding. A brief consultation can help you get a sense of their style, approach, and whether they feel like the right fit for your situation.

If you’re not sure where to start:

If you’re deciding between couples therapy, individual therapy, discernment counseling, or premarital counseling, a consultation can help you sort through your options and choose a direction that makes sense.

MFTs are licensed mental health professionals specifically trained in psychotherapy pertaining to family systems.

Unlike other mental health professionals, all Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs) have specialized training in providing therapy for couples and families.

See here for detailed info on MFTs:

The length of couples therapy depends on:

• Your goals
• The challenges you’re facing
• How consistently you’re able to apply what we discuss between sessions

While every couple is different, I generally recommend planning for at least 8-12 sessions to give the therapeutic process enough time to create meaningful change.

Some couples achieve their goals in fewer sessions, while others benefit from longer-term work, particularly when addressing longstanding patterns, high conflict, or rebuilding trust after a betrayal.

We’ll regularly evaluate your progress together and adjust our plan as your relationship evolves.

See my blog post to help get the most out of your therapy:

5 Ways to Maximize Your Time in Couples Therapy

For most couples, I recommend meeting once per week at the beginning of therapy.

Weekly sessions help build momentum, allow us to address problems before too much time passes, and give you consistent opportunities to practice new skills between appointments.

As your relationship improves and you begin meeting your goals, many couples transition to sessions every 2-4 weeks for continued support and maintenance.

While I’ll recommend a treatment schedule based on your specific needs, the decision is always yours.

Consistency is one of the biggest predictors of progress, so I encourage couples to attend sessions regularly, especially during the early stages of therapy.

In many cases, you can begin therapy within a few days, depending on availability.

If you’re feeling ready – or there’s urgency in your relationship – it’s often helpful to start as soon as possible. Early momentum can make a difference, especially for high-conflict couples or those considering separation.

The first step is a free consultation, where we briefly discuss your situation and determine the best next step. After that, your first session is scheduled based on availability.

If you’re hoping to start quickly, please mention that when you reach out. I do my best to offer timely appointments when possible!

You can expect a response within 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays).

My approach focuses on helping couples understand and change the patterns that keep them stuck – especially in high-conflict relationships or when the future of the relationship is uncertain.

Rather than only teaching communication skills, I look at the deeper emotional and behavioral patterns between you. This includes how you respond to conflict, how disconnection develops, and how each partner contributes to the dynamic.

In our work together, you can expect:

• Clear feedback about patterns that are not working
• Practical tools to improve communication and reduce conflict
• Guidance in slowing down reactive cycles and responding differently
• Support in rebuilding trust and emotional connection when possible

If one or both of you are unsure about staying in the relationship, we may shift the focus toward clarity and decision-making rather than trying to fix the relationship right away.

What I Believe About Change

Change in relationships happens when both insight and action are present.

Understanding your patterns is important but lasting change comes from actively responding differently in real time.

This means:

• Taking responsibility for your role in the dynamic
• Being willing to try new ways of communicating and responding
• Staying engaged even when conversations are difficult

At the same time, you are not starting from scratch. Every client brings strengths into therapy, and part of the process is building on what is already working.

My role is to provide a structured, respectful environment where you feel supported – but also challenged to make meaningful changes.

Therapy Models I Draw From

My work is informed by established, research-based approaches, including:

• Gottman Method Couples Therapy
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for couples
• Bowen Family Systems Theory
• Solution-Focused Therapy

For premarital couples, I also use the Prepare/Enrich program.

These models guide the work but the focus is always on what will be most effective for your specific situation.

See below for the main issues I help clients resolve:

See here for specific FAQs about couples therapy:

See here for specific FAQs about premarital couples therapy:

See here for specific FAQs about discernment counseling:

See here for specific FAQs about individual relationship therapy:

This is one of the most common concerns I hear, and you’re certainly not alone. It’s not unusual for one partner to be ready for therapy while the other feels hesitant, skeptical, or isn’t convinced counseling will help.

Rather than pressuring your partner, I recommend having an open conversation about their concerns. Sometimes people:

• Simply don’t know what to expect
• Worry they’ll be blamed
• Have had a negative experience with therapy in the past

Understanding their concerns is often the first step.

If your partner is unsure, consider asking them to attend just the first session. The goal isn’t to solve everything in one appointment, but to give them an opportunity to see how the process works before deciding whether to continue.

If your partner is completely unwilling to participate at all, you don’t have to put your own growth on hold. Individual Relationship Therapy can help you better understand your relationship dynamics, improve the way you respond to conflict, and make thoughtful decisions about what comes next.

It can but like any form of therapy, its success depends on factors such as:

• Each partner’s willingness to participate
• Each partner’s capacity for self-reflection and change
• The nature of the issues you’re facing
• Your commitment to the process and making changes outside of sessions

Many couples experience meaningful improvements in communication, conflict management, emotional connection, and overall relationship satisfaction.

Even when couples ultimately decide not to stay together, therapy can still help them make that decision with greater clarity, understanding, and respect.

My goal isn’t simply to keep couples together.

It’s to help you better understand your relationship, address the patterns that are keeping you stuck, and move toward the outcome that’s healthiest for both of you.

When one partner is leaning toward leaving and the other wants to stay, traditional couples therapy is often not the best first step.

Discernment Counseling is specifically designed for this situation. It helps couples slow things down, gain clarity, and decide whether to:

• Work on the relationship
• Move toward separation
• Or take more time to decide

This process focuses on decision-making, not fixing the relationship right away.

High-conflict couples often bring the same patterns into the therapy room and that’s expected.

Part of the work is slowing those patterns down, helping both partners feel heard, and creating a different way of responding to each other.

You don’t need to “fix” your conflict before starting therapy. That’s what therapy is for.

Many couples come to me after a previous experience with therapy that felt disappointing or unsuccessful. That doesn’t necessarily mean your relationship can’t improve.

There are many reasons therapy may not have been effective, including differences in timing, goals, therapeutic approach, or the specific challenges your relationship was facing.

My first priority is understanding what you hoped to gain from therapy, what felt unhelpful, and how we can take a different approach moving forward.

Because I specialize in high-conflict relationships and couples on the brink of divorce, I often work with couples who have tried therapy before and are looking for a more structured, focused approach.