What is Couples Counseling?
Couples counseling is a type of counseling for people who are in a relationship, living together, dating or married. Couples who have trouble resolving their differences come to couples counseling. But couples counseling doesn’t have to be just for relationships that are on the brink of ending. In fact, if you wait that long, it may be too late to repair the damage.
If your car starts making a weird noise, do you wait until it breaks down to take it to a repairman? Of course not. You know if you wait that long, the engine might blow. In fact, you probably take it to the shop long before you even hear a weird noise. Responsible car owners want their car to last a long time. They get their oil changed, have their tires rotated and get it tuned up every 6 months. Relationships need maintenance too.
You have to talk about your relationship to keep it healthy. A counselor can help facilitate these conversations. Couples counseling can help you discover what areas of the relationship need work. You can set goals to work toward and try exercises that will bring you closer together.
If you feel like your relationship is in need of some maintenance, couples counseling might be right for you.
How Do I Help Couples?
I use The Gottman Method in couples counseling. Couples complete an assessment called The Gottman Relationship Check-up. The assessment is very detailed and covers many areas of a relationship. It helps me know which areas of your relationship need worked on and what will help in your situation. Before the first session, each partner completes the assessment, which takes 1 to 2 hours to complete.
The assessment is available for an additional fee of $29. I also charge a fee of $120 to evaluate the assessment’s findings and prepare an individualized plan of action for your counseling sessions. These are both one time fees that are not covered by insurance.
Using Insurance for Couples Counseling
Insurance won’t always pay for couples counseling. But I’m willing to help you get your couples counseling covered by insurance if it is ethically possible. I understand that couples counseling is important and can help your overall mental health.
Call Anna at (724) 812-9895 and ask for a free phone consultation. During this call, I can look up your insurance to see if it covers couples counseling.
I accept the following insurances:
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Highmark (BCBS, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Independence)
- Optum
- PA Medicaid (Beacon Health, Value Behavioral Health, Gateway, UPMC for You, UnitedHealthCare)
- Tricare (Military Insurance)
- The Health Plan (West Virginia)