31 Panoramic Way, STE 202, Walnut Creek, CA 94595 &
21 Tamal Vista Blvd, Ste 203, Corte Madera, CA 94925
Couples Therapy in Walnut Creek, CA
Couples therapy provides partners with a structured and supportive space to discuss concerns, understand recurring patterns, and work toward a healthier relationship.
At AgapeHealth Psychological Services, couples therapy is collaborative rather than blame-focused.
The goal is to help each partner communicate more clearly, better understand the other person’s experience, and make thoughtful decisions about the relationship.
Couples do not need to wait until their relationship is in crisis to seek support. Therapy may also be helpful when partners want to strengthen an important relationship, prepare for a major transition, or address a pattern before it becomes more difficult.
Reasons Couples Seek Therapy
Every relationship is different. Couples may reach out because of one significant concern or because they have gradually begun to feel less connected.
Couples therapy may help partners address:
Recurring disagreements
Communication difficulties
Emotional distance
Difficulty expressing needs
Unresolved hurt or resentment
Trust concerns
Stress affecting the relationship
Concerns about the future of the relationship
Differences in expectations
Family-related strain
Parenting concerns
Major life transitions
Cultural or intergenerational differences
Difficulty working together as a team
A desire to strengthen emotional connection
The therapist does not decide which partner is right. Instead, therapy helps both people examine the interaction patterns affecting the relationship and consider healthier ways of responding.
Couples Therapy Approaches
AgapeHealth clinicians have extensive experience using established couples and family therapy approaches.
The treatment approach will depend on the couple’s concerns, relationship patterns, cultural experiences, goals, and the clinician providing care.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) helps couples explore the emotions, attachment needs, and interaction patterns beneath recurring disagreements or feelings of disconnection.
Couples may begin to recognize how each person responds during difficult moments and how those reactions can unintentionally reinforce the same painful cycle.
EFT may help partners communicate important emotions and needs more clearly while working toward greater emotional safety and connection.
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Gottman Method Couples Therapy uses structured relationship assessment and targeted interventions to help couples better understand both their strengths and their areas of concern.
Depending on the couple’s goals, therapy may focus on:
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Communication
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Conflict management
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Friendship and connection
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Emotional responsiveness
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Trust
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Shared meaning
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Repair after difficult interactions
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The ways partners respond to stress
The approach helps couples identify specific patterns and develop practical skills that can be used outside the therapy session.
Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT)
Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) combines strategies for meaningful behavioral change with greater understanding and acceptance of differences between partners.
The approach may help couples examine the emotions, reactions, and recurring behaviors contributing to relationship distress.
Partners can work toward changing harmful interaction patterns while also developing greater empathy for the experiences and vulnerabilities influencing each person’s behavior.
Family Therapy
Relationships are often affected by more than the experiences of the two partners.
Parenting responsibilities, family roles, cultural expectations, intergenerational patterns, caregiving demands, separation, divorce, and other family changes can all influence a couple’s relationship.
Family Therapy can help couples and family members better understand those dynamics, improve communication, and develop healthier ways of addressing concerns together.
Individualized Care for Every Couple
A clinician may use one primary treatment model or incorporate elements from multiple approaches.
During the initial sessions, the clinician will learn about:
The concerns bringing the couple to therapy
The relationship’s current strengths
Recurring patterns of conflict or disconnection
Significant stressors and life changes
Each partner’s understanding of the concern
Cultural, family, and relational experiences
What each partner hopes to accomplish
The clinician can then explain the recommended approach and how it relates to the couple’s goals.
Building Healthier Communication
Many couples become stuck in cycles where the same disagreement happens repeatedly, even when both partners want the situation to improve.
Therapy can help partners slow those interactions down and understand what is happening beneath the surface.
This may involve learning how to:
Communicate concerns without escalating conflict
Listen with greater attention and openness
Express needs more clearly
Recognize defensive reactions
Respond more thoughtfully during difficult conversations
Repair after conflict
Develop greater empathy
Strengthen friendship and emotional connection
Progress does not necessarily mean that a couple stops disagreeing completely.
It may be reflected in the ability to discuss difficult subjects more safely, understand one another more clearly, recover from conflict more effectively, or make thoughtful decisions together.
A Respectful and Culturally Responsive Approach
Relationships are shaped by family history, culture, identity, expectations, community, and lived experience.
Couples therapy should make space for those factors rather than assuming that every relationship should function in the same way.
AgapeHealth provides individualized and culturally responsive care that values the perspectives and experiences of both partners.
Meet Our Couples Therapy Provider
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Couples Therapy in Walnut Creek and Online
Couples therapy is available through AgapeHealth’s main office:
Walnut Creek Main Office
31 Panoramic Way, Suite 202
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
Catherine Herbert provides in-person services through AgapeHealth’s Walnut Creek office.
Telehealth Couples Therapy
Telehealth couples therapy is also available, depending on provider availability, client location, and whether remote sessions are appropriate for the couple’s needs.
AgapeHealth also has an office in Corte Madera. Dr. Karen Egu is currently the only clinician providing in-person services at that location. Contact the practice directly if you have questions about future couples therapy availability in Corte Madera.
Couples Therapy Fees and Insurance
Couple and family therapy is currently listed at $350 per 90-minute session.
Insurance and Employee Assistance Program participation may vary by clinician and service.
AgapeHealth is in-network with Aetna, and select clinicians participate with Lyra Health and Modern Health. For out-of-network services, a superbill may be available, but reimbursement depends on the client’s insurance plan and is not guaranteed.
Visit the Frequently Asked Questions page for additional fee and insurance information.
Frequently Asked Questions About Couples Therapy
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Take the Next Step Together
Seeking couples therapy does not mean that a relationship has failed.
It means the relationship is important enough to examine with care and intention.
Call 669-295-8226 or contact AgapeHealth Psychological Services to ask about couples therapy availability.