Couples Therapy in San Francisco and Online in California
At The Marina Counseling Center, we provide a supportive and inclusive environment where you and your partner can find healing, growth, and connection.
Couples Therapy (also known as couples' counseling or marriage therapy) is a specialized form of psychotherapy designed to help people in an intimate relationship gain insight into their relational patterns, resolve conflict, and improve overall relationship satisfaction. Whether you are facing recurring arguments, struggling with communication, working through issues like infidelity or a loss of intimacy, or simply seeking to strengthen your bond before marriage, couples therapy provides a neutral and safe space. By working with a trained therapist, you and your partner can identify negative cycles, learn healthier communication skills, develop empathy for each other's experiences, and ultimately achieve a deeper, more secure emotional connection.
Couples therapy can help with:
Communication Breakdown
Therapy provides practical tools to help partners listen effectively, express needs without blame, and truly understand each other's perspective.
Conflict Resolution
Therapy teaches constructive ways to manage disagreements, reduce the frequency and intensity of arguments and explores ways to limit conflicts from escalating into resentment.
Restoring Intimacy
Therapy helps identify barriers to emotional and physical closeness, fostering greater vulnerability, trust, and a renewed sense of connection.
Healing
From Infidelity
Therapy creates a safe space to navigate the complex emotions of betrayal, address the root causes, and determine a path toward repair or amicable separation.
Navigating
Transitions
Therapy supports couples through significant life changes such as parenthood, retirement, or career shifts, ensuring the relationship remains a source of strength rather than stress.
Pre-marital Preparation
Therapy helps partners proactively discuss essential topics, align on core values, and establish strong, healthy patterns before getting married.
Addressing
Financial Stress
Counselors can mediate conversations about money, helping couples create shared financial goals and reduce anxiety caused by differing spending habits.
Rebuilding Trust
For couples where trust has been eroded, therapy provides a structured, step-by-step approach to establishing reliability and accountability.
Emotional Disconnection
Therapy can help couples move beyond feeling like "roommates" by reigniting emotional responsiveness and bringing back affection and appreciation into daily interactions.
Why Choose The Marina Counseling Center?
Affordable
Sliding scale fees to fit
your budget.
Culturally Sensitive Care
Our diverse team provides therapy that honors your values and experience.
Personalized Matching
You will be matched with a therapist who is able to respond to your goals for therapy.
Diversity of Support
We work with families, children, couples, and individuals.
Start Quickly
We aim to match you
within a week.
Flexible Meeting Options
Meet with your therapist in person in San Francisco or virtually throughout California.
1 / Phone Consult
Prospective clients can schedule a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation. Clients should plan to be in a quiet, private space where they feel comfortable answering questions about themselves. Fees and scheduling are also discussed in this call.
2 / Therapist Matching
Our intake manager then reviews multiple factors to find a therapist who will best match the couple's needs.
3 / Setting Up The First Appointment
The assigned therapist will reach out to the couple to introduce themselves and set up the first appointment within approximately one week.
4 / Begin Sessions
The couple will meet with their therapist in person or virtually (depending on their preference) and will begin their work together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is couples therapy right for my partner and me?
Couples therapy can be beneficial for almost any partnership, from those experiencing major communication breakdowns to those simply feeling "stuck." If you are ready to gain new insights, deepen your understanding of each other's needs, and restore intimacy, therapy provides the framework for meaningful growth. We focus on building a stronger, more resilient connection.
How do we choose a therapist?The process of choosing a therapist is deeply personal, and the most important factor is finding a professional you feel safe and comfortable with. At The Marina Counseling Center (MCC), we match you with a therapist whose specialty and approach align with your needs. However, it's normal and encouraged to explore your options. You should feel empowered to have initial calls, not just with our team, but with other therapists or centers as well.
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How long does couples therapy take?Therapy at The MCC is a highly individualized process that is tailored to your needs and concerns, and so the time it takes can vary by person. That said, we believe therapy should be effective and helpful, and so if you have concerns about progress or fit, we invite you to bring these to your work with your therapist.
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What can we expect in a typical session?
Sessions are 50-90 minutes and happen on a weekly basis. Our therapists work from a range of orientations, modalities, and interventions, including psychodynamic, somatic, client-centered, relational, CBT, and more. A typical session will depend on your therapist, the work you’re focusing on, and your individual relationship with them.
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I want to start couples therapy, but my partner doesn't. What do you recommend?
Couples therapy works best when both partners are committed to participating. One option is to let your partner know about our intake process. There is no commitment required, you can explore what it might be like to engage in this process together. Alternatively, you could begin individual therapy. You don't need your partner's participation to begin working on the relationship. In individual sessions, you can gain clarity, learn new communication and boundary-setting skills, and explore how your own patterns affect the relationship dynamics. This self-work often has a positive ripple effect, sometimes inspiring your partner to join you later for couples sessions, or simply improving the relationship from your side.
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We've tried couples counseling in the past, but it didn't work/wasn't a good experience. How will this experience be different?
Often this happens because it wasn’t the right time, therapist, or modality. We recognize it’s difficult to take the step to be vulnerable and seek help through therapy and to not find the support you’re looking for. We are committed to helping you find what you’re seeking. At The MCC, we have a range of therapists specializing in a variety of orientations and modalities and would be honored to work with you to explore if we can find the right fit for you here. Please let your therapist know what didn’t work well for you when you tried therapy previously.
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How much is each session?
Fees are offered on a sliding scale based on financial need. Please see our Fee page (link) for more information.
Some therapists on the website are listed as "trainees" or "associates," what's the difference?
Both Trainees and Associates are pre-licensed and work under the supervision of a licensed therapist. They are completing their required hours to become fully licensed. Associates have completed the education requirement while Trainees are in the final year of graduate school.