Couples Therapy
for parents
Jaclyn Zeal, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in attachment-based therapy for women, mothers, and couples. She has completed over 2,000 clinical hours and trained at the Council for Relationships. Her work integrates Emotionally Focused Therapy, family systems theory, and mindful attunement to help clients build more secure and connected relationships.
You’re looking for couples therapy that actually works
You want to stop feeling stuck in the same painful cycles. You’re ready to heal from past experiences and finally feel secure in your relationship. You’ve been searching for a highly skilled therapist who can help — someone who understands attachment wounds, trauma, and the complexity of real-life relationships.
Whether you’re navigating conflict, feeling distant from your partner, or trying to repair after betrayal, you don’t want a therapist who just listens — you want someone who will actively guide you toward meaningful, lasting change.
Research shows that nearly 70% of parents experience a dip in relationship satisfaction within three years of having a baby.
I help couples who are ready to:
Break unhealthy relationship patterns
Heal attachment trauma and childhood wounds
Improve communication and rebuild trust
Develop emotional security and deeper connection
Feel more whole, worthy, and grounded in their relationships
I offer trauma-informed, attachment-based therapy that goes beyond surface-level guidance. My approach combines depth and practicality — helping you understand the “why” behind your patterns and giving you tools to change them.
If you’re searching for effective couples counseling, I’m here to help.
What couples therapy with me actually looks like:
We start by understanding your unique relationship patterns — the cycles you get stuck in, the triggers that set you off, and the unmet needs driving your conflicts.
In our sessions, I won't just sit back and nod. I'll help you slow down those heated moments, identify what's really happening beneath the surface, and give you practical tools to respond differently. You'll learn to hear each other without defensiveness, repair ruptures effectively, and rebuild emotional and physical intimacy.
This isn't about assigning blame or picking sides. It's about understanding how both of your histories, attachment styles, and nervous systems interact — and creating new patterns that actually work.
Some challenges my clients face:
Patterns of conflict
difficulty resolving conflict in a healthy way, instead finding a pattern of feeling stuck — either fighting more or distancing
Communication issues
trouble with feeling heard in the relationship, finding it challenging to effectively communicate wants, needs, expectations
Dissatisfaction around intimacy:
this can be physical or emotional intimacy — or both; couples struggle to feel connected and intimate
Coparenting challenges
this can be around specific parenting styles, as well as struggles to feel that parenting roles are balanced
Inability to heal from past wounds
instead of feeling resolve around past hurts, couples struggle to move on and feel that the present interactions are overshadowed by the past
Big life transitions:
whether getting married, having a baby, navigating a big loss, or shifting to a new stage together — the stress of transitions can create distress for many couples
My approach combines:
Understanding your family legacies — We'll explore how the relationships you witnessed growing up shaped your expectations and behaviors in your partnership today
Attachment-based healing — You'll discover your attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, or secure) and learn how they drive your "relationship dance" — especially during conflict or stress
Breaking the cycle — Using Emotionally Focused Therapy, we'll identify your specific patterns: the pursue-withdraw cycle, the demand-defend spiral, or the mutual shutdown. Once you see the pattern, you can change it
Evidence-based tools — I draw from 40+ years of research on successful relationships (Gottman Method) to give you concrete communication skills, conflict resolution strategies, and ways to rebuild trust
Healing past wounds together — Sometimes individual pain from childhood or past relationships shows up in your partnership. We'll address these wounds in a way that brings you closer, not further apart
Nervous system regulation — Learn to recognize when you're triggered, calm your stress response, and stay present with your partner even during difficult conversations
Investment Fees
My current rates:
Couples therapy is $180 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
I’ve just opened limited evening hours for couples — inquire for days/times
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 exclusively meet with clients 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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Unfortunately, no. I am only licensed by the state of PA to treat clients. I can meet with clients across Pennsylvania online with my virtual platform, but clients must reside in the state of PA.
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In order to ensure we are a good fit, I start things off with a free 20-minute consult call. 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!
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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.
On the blog
Jenny Barone, LAMFT
“Jaclyn and I were colleagues at Council for Relationships, where I witnessed her phenomenal clinical skills. Jaclyn can take her clients’ therapeutic journey to a deeper level of understanding for themselves through her use of compassion and mindfulness.”
