Couples & Marriage Counseling in Vancouver, WA
What couples counseling can help with
Couples come to therapy for all kinds of reasons, including:
Communication that keeps breaking down or escalating
The same recurring conflict that never resolves
Feeling distant, disconnected, or like you've grown apart
Rebuilding trust after a betrayal or breach
Navigating a major transition — parenthood, a move, blending families, illness
Differences in intimacy, parenting, finances, or expectations
Deciding whether and how to stay together
Strengthening an already-healthy relationship, including before marriage
I work with couples and partners of all kinds and at all stages — married or not, together for decades or just beginning to build a life.
What to expect
We usually begin with a period of getting to know your relationship: its history, its strengths, and the specific places it gets stuck. From there, we set goals together so the work is pointed at what matters to you, not a generic checklist.
In sessions, you can expect to do more than vent. We'll slow down the moments where things go sideways, look at what's happening underneath the surface for each of you, and practice new ways of responding — often right there in the room. You'll both have space to be heard. My role isn't to take sides or decide who's right; it's to help the two of you understand each other more fully and treat each other more kindly, even in disagreement.
You don't have to be in crisis
Many couples wait years before reaching out, often until resentment has piled high. You're welcome to come in long before that point. Couples counseling can be just as valuable for partners who are doing well and want to deepen their connection, or who are approaching a big step like marriage and want to build on solid ground. Coming in early often makes the work shorter and easier — there's simply less to untangle.
My approach
I'm a Marriage and Family Therapy Associate and Mental Health Counselor Associate, and I view relationship struggles in the context of the whole system between two people rather than as one person's fault. I bring a warm, balanced, and nonjudgmental presence, and I'm careful to make sure both partners feel respected and understood. Alongside the Gottman Method, I integrate person- and couple-centered approaches, tailoring our work to your relationship rather than running you through a script. My aim is to help you communicate, repair, and reconnect in ways that last beyond our time together.
Frequently asked questions
Do both partners need to come to every session? Most of the work happens with both of you present, and that's ideal. There are times an individual session can be useful, and we can talk about what makes sense for your situation.
What if my partner is reluctant to start therapy? That's common — often one person reaches out first. It can help to frame it as a shared investment rather than a sign that something is broken. You're welcome to reach out with your questions, and we can talk through how to approach it together.
Do you offer couples therapy online? Yes. I offer couples counseling via teletherapy to clients across Washington, as well as in the Vancouver area. Many couples find online sessions easier to fit around work and childcare.
What is the Gottman Method? It's an approach to couples therapy built on decades of research into what helps relationships thrive. It focuses on strengthening friendship and connection, managing conflict constructively, and creating shared meaning together.
Is it too late for us? It's rarely too late to reach out, even when things feel stuck. Whether the goal is to rebuild, to find more peace, or to gain clarity about your path forward, couples counseling gives you a place to do that thoughtfully.
Take the next step
If any of this sounds like what you've been carrying, reach out to schedule a free consultation. We'll talk about what's bringing you in and whether we're a good fit to work together.
Maybe you're having the same argument on a loop, just in different clothes. Maybe the conflict has quieted into distance, and you feel more like roommates than partners. Or maybe things are mostly good, and you want to protect what you have. Wherever you are, couples counseling offers a space to understand what's really happening between you — and to build something steadier together. I work with couples in Vancouver, Washington, and via teletherapy across the state, using approaches grounded in decades of relationship research.
A research-based approach to couples therapy
Much of my couples work draws on the Gottman Method, developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman have studied for over forty years what actually makes relationships succeed or fail. Rather than guessing, the Gottmans observed thousands of couples and identified specific, changeable patterns that predict how a relationship will fare.
That research gives us a practical map. We can look at the communication habits that quietly corrode connection — criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and withdrawing or shutting down — and replace them with ways of speaking and repairing that actually land. We can rebuild the friendship and mutual understanding that long-term partnerships tend to erode. And we can learn to handle conflict without it becoming a threat to the whole relationship, because the goal isn't to eliminate disagreement — every couple has perpetual differences — but to manage it in a way that keeps you on the same team.