Therapy for couples
A systemic, mind-body approach to couples therapy
One of my favorite couples therapists is Terry Real — and he explains that we don’t just stumble upon a great relationship, instead we build it together. But in order to build great relationships, we have to learn essential skills to step past our individualism and become more relational. My expertise is helping couples deepen relationships through inner child, attachment, nervous system work — and developing a relational skillset.
Relational skills are for everyone
I think about couples therapy in several different categories: 1) Preventative, 2) Maintenance, 3) Early warning signs, 4) The house is on fire. I enjoy working with couples in each of these categories — but engaging in therapy WELL BEFORE the house is on fire will be most effective.
At present, we expect our partnerships to be love matches that fulfill myriad needs, yet we receive little to no education on going the distance with another person. Then toss in expected (children) and unexpected (loss of a loved one) stressors, and our relationships can really struggle. My expertise is helping couples to expand their self-awareness, develop more healthy styles of communication, become more resilient to stress, practice co-regulation, and ultimately heal inner child wounds to build great relationships together.
Some challenges my clients face:
I take a root-cause approach that blends:
Family systems therapy — understanding that family that shaped both you and your partner
Attachment theory — helping you and your partner understand the degree to which you are securely or insecurely attached in the relationship, and how that factors into the relationship dynamics
Emotionally Focused Therapy — building upon Attachment Theory, this approach helps couples to identify their specific “relationship dance” to understand what unmet attachment needs drive patterns of behavior
Gottman Couples Therapy — practical, actionable approaches to couples work that are evidence-based from 40+ years of research on the science of what makes relationships thrive
Relational Life Therapy — inner child work done in the presence of both partners, plus developing a paradigm shift to embrace a relational approach (vs individualistic)
Nervous system awareness & mindfulness — education on how the nervous system works, and how it can be hijacked during stressful interactions between partners; mindfulness approaches help couples to develop more skills around regulation, as well as increasing physical and emotional intimacy
Ready to get started?
I am too! I am ready to make you feel heard & understood so we can do great work together.
On the blog
Investment Fees
My current rates:
Couples therapy is $160 per 50-minute session
Pay-what-you-can — I have a few of these slots for those in financial need. If interested, contact me directly!
Frequently Asked Questions
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My current hours are as follows:
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 10am-4pm
Most of my clients see me weekly or biweekly, and we meet at the same time each week. I have limited floating appointments for those who have less predictable schedules.
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At this time, I am only taking on clients who can meet virtually. I use Simple Practice as my platform, and it has a great HIPPAA-compliant and easy-to-use telehealth component.
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Virtual therapy can be a great option for many clients.
Here are some benefits:
Convenience — attend a session from work or home.
Access — clients can have much broader access to specialized care when they aren’t limited by distance.
Cost — therapists that offer virtual care often charge less because they have less overhead. They also may have more sliding scale or pay-what-you-can spots (both of these are true for my practice!).
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In order to ensure we are a good fit, I start things off with a free 15-minute video consultation. During this consultation, we'll explore the goals of therapy and whether they align with my approach. It's important that we interview each other, as research shows that the "rightness of fit" of the therapeutic relationship has a huge impact on progress! Work with me.
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This is a very common question! Generally speaking, no. I don’t do both couples and individual work simultaneously. This is because I need to stay impartial for couples therapy for balance and trust. It’s also important that I don’t become a “secret keeper” if I’m seeing one member of the couple much more often.
However, I do have individual clients invite their partner in periodically when there is a focus on the relationship in the work.
In my work with couples, I also periodically do individual sessions (typically, one for each partner to create balance).
If you have more specific questions, feel free to reach out to me directly.
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My clients pay directly for therapy services (my client portal keeps your credit card on file, which makes it easy).
I accept all major credit cards and debit cards, plus HSA and FSA cards.
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No, but many of my clients do seek insurance reimbursement since I am considered an out-of-network provider.
First, find out if you qualify for out-of-network benefits. If you do, our client portal automatically creates a superbill of the previous month’s invoices, which is what you will forward to your insurance company for reimbursement.
How to find out if you have out-of-network benefits:
Clients reach out directly to their insurance provider to find out if they have out-of-network benefits. You’ll call your insurance provider and ask the following questions:
• Do I have out-of-network benefits for mental or behavioral health with this policy?
• Do I have an out-of-network deductible?
• If yes:
• What is my out-of-network deductible?
• How much of my out-of-network deductible has been met?
• What is the start date of the calendar year my out-of-network policy is based on?
Ask the representative what percentage does the policy cover for the following services:
90791 - Intake Session
90834 - Individual psychotherapy
90847 - Couples Therapy
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I have a 24-hour cancellation policy. If clients cancel within that window, they are charged a full session fee.
Our client portal sends out appointment reminders 48 and 24 hours ahead of time, plus 15 minutes before appointments.
Jenny Barone, LAMFT
