Do you feel like you and your partner have the same arguments over and over? Do you feel stuck, hopeless, and alone in your relationship? Is it difficult for you to get your needs met? Does it feel like you give more than you get in return? Do you struggle to communicate your needs and feelings to your partner? If so, Then couples therapy can help.
By the time partners seek out couples counseling and therapy, they often feel so overwhelmed that they believe their problems are impossible to manage or repair. Couples get stuck in lose/lose communication when they focus on the immediate conflict rather than their underlying needs. Often their conflicts grow out of core beliefs or main themes in relationships, which we call “schemas.” You may be totally unaware of your schemas, but they shape not only your thoughts, actions, and life choices but also your relationships. Once we identify these themes or schemas in your relationship, your problems don’t seem so large. We can help you recognize and break these painful patterns in your relationship and learn new skills to resolve conflict and build intimacy.
These challenges stymie all types of couples—same-sex and heterosexual as well as couples where one partner (or both) is transgendered. We have ample experience working with a wide variety of couples, and are dedicated to helping you rebuild and maintain a healthy relationship.
At the Bay Area CBT Center, we help you overcome the obstacles that prevent you from having the relationship you desire. Our approach to couples therapy is active and directive and offers practical skills for couples such as Nonviolent Communication, mindfulness, polyvagal regulation, and assertiveness training. We integrate interventions from Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), IMAGO Couples Therapy, Gottman Couples Therapy, Polyvagal Theory, Attachment Theory, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Schema Therapy. For your convenience, we offer online cognitive behavioral couples therapy through video or phone and have offices in San Francisco and Oakland.