Couples Coaching for Parents

“I feel like we’re just roommates…”

I hear this phrase all the time in my therapy practice. And it makes sense. You’ve welcomed a baby into your family or you’re chasing around a toddler (or two), and life is exhausting. It is hard to find time for your partner when you are barely able to keep your own life afloat.

Many couples struggle with the transition to parenting.

Although the research has been mixed over the years, the consensus among experts and studies suggests that having children represents a significant and challenging shift in a couple's relationship dynamics. Studies have shown that marital satisfaction is more likely to decline during the childbearing and child-raising years compared to other stages of a relationship (Bogdan, Turluic, & Candel, 2022). The adjustment to parenthood brings about notable changes to a couple's daily routine, including a reduction in available time and energy, decreased shared quality time, heightened emotions, decreased frustration tolerance, changes in sleep patterns, difficulties in dividing household responsibilities, and a decrease in sexual intimacy.

You may….

  • find it hard connecting to your partner

  • find yourself feeling resentful

  • find yourself managing all the tasks of running a home, leaving no time for your partner

  • find it difficult to feel motivated to engage in physical intimacy

  • feel that you and your partner are simply co-existing to take care of your kids

  • find that you are replicating difficult dynamics of your parents’ marriage or your partner’s parents’ marriage

Let’s work together.

Through coaching, we can identify the main areas of difficulty for you and you partner. We can work together to improve communication, manage responsibilities more equally, find way to connect again, and leave the “roommate” stage.

What is the difference between therapy and coaching?

Although therapy and coaching are similar, it is important to highlight the differences.

  • Therapy and coaching are similar in that they focus on setting goals to change behavior or motivation. They both take place in an interactive way (e.g. therapist and client, coach and client).

  • Therapy is designed for individuals experiencing mental health difficulties or couples with long-standing, deep-rooted relationship difficulties. Coaching is for concerns that arise due to changes in your family or life. Coaching is focused on finding solutions to difficulties related to life transitions.

    Coaching is primarily solutions-focused. Couples therapy is primarily emotion- and process-focused.

    • couples struggling with the transition to parenthood

    • couples struggling with balancing roles and responsibilities

    • couples struggling to approach parenting in the same way

    • couples struggling to find quality time or connection as parents

    • couples with long-term, significant conflict/tension

    • couples hoping to work through infidelity

    • couples with abuse history

  • No. If you are already a therapy client, I cannot see you for couples coaching (although I can include your partner in some therapy sessions). Since I have already built a relationship with you in individual therapy, it would be a conflict of interest to then see you and you partner in a coaching capacity.

    If you are already a couples coaching client, I cannot see you for individual therapy. Being a coach requires more problem-solving, self-disclosure, and direct homework. This is different from my role as a therapist. Therefore, making the switch to therapy would likely lead to role confusion.

  • Great question! When you are considering your current concerns, what feels the most significant? Is it your own mental health and well-being, your stress or lack of fulfillment, or difficulty coping? Then therapy would be a good fit. Or is it the difficulties within your partnership that are leading to the stress you’re experiencing? Then coaching would be a good fit. I’m happy to provide referrals for additional services.

  • YES! I can see anyone across the country for coaching.

Couples Coaching Services

One-Time Session

90 minutes

  • One-time video session aimed to identify your needs as a couple and recommendations related to your specific concerns.

  • This session is a good fit for a couple that has already begun to have conversations about best ways to improve their relationship, but that need a bit more guidance and direction on tangible ways to move forward.

  • Includes email summary of session

    $250

Couples Check-up

3 sessions, 75 minutes each

  • These sessions are aimed to identify the concerns you are having and barriers to intimacy/connection.

  • Format:

    Session 1 is an intake - We focus on learning more about you as individuals and as a couple. We will identify what your goals are together.

    Session 2 is solutions-focused - We focus on ways to increase communication, discuss roles and responsibilities as a couple, and discuss any other concerns or goals you may have.

    Session 3 is maintenance - We check in on how things are going and address barriers to solutions we discussed in session 2.

  • This option is a good fit for a couple that is just beginning to discuss changes to their relationship or who don’t know where to start when it comes to improvement.

  • Includes email summary of each session

    starting at $200/session

    (option to extend)

You-Pick-Coaching

Sessions as needed, 75 minutes each

  • We complete sessions and determine as we go if we have achieved previously decided on goals

  • Aims to identify needs and goals as a couple and as individuals, increase connection and intimacy, identify barriers to improvement, and discuss specific, solutions-focused recommendations for your main concerns.

  • This option is a good fit for a couple that wants to have a longer-term support and flexibility to determine how long coaching will last

  • Includes email summary of each session

    starting at $200/session

Coaching Intensive

1 day, 5-6 hours of coaching

  • One day intensive coaching sessions, including an intake hour, two hours of individual coaching, and 1-3 hours of combined coaching (exact scheduling can be determined at time of booking)

  • Aims to identify needs and goals as a couple and as individuals, increase connection and intimacy, identify barriers to improvement, and discuss specific, solutions-focused recommendations for your main concerns.

  • This option is a good fit for a couple that wants to see fast improvement in their relationship, is worried about the time commitment of weekly sessions, has an upcoming event quickly approaching (e.g. baby’s due date, vacation, etc.). This option is cost-effective compared to weekly sessions.

  • Includes email summary of the day

    $999