Couples we work with are often navigating
- Recurring arguments and communication breakdowns
- Emotional distance and feeling disconnected from your partner
- Infidelity or breaches of trust
- Differences in parenting styles or family expectations
- Intimacy and sexual concerns
- Life transitions such as having children, job changes, or relocation
- Differing values, goals, or visions for the future
- Considering separation or divorce and wanting to explore all options first
Our Approach to Couples Therapy
At Palo Alto Therapy, we use evidence-based methods that have been shown to produce real, lasting improvements in relationship satisfaction, communication, and connection. Our therapists are experienced in working with couples at all stages — from newlyweds navigating their first major conflicts to long-term partners rebuilding after years of disconnection.
Taking the first step toward couples therapy can feel daunting, but it’s one of the most important investments you can make in your relationship. Our care coordinators are available Monday through Friday to answer your questions, learn about your situation, and match you with the therapist who is the best fit for you both. Call, text, or book online — we’re here to help.
Other therapeutic approaches may also be incorporated based on individual needs, including:
The Gottman Method
The Gottman Method is one of the most extensively researched approaches to couples therapy available. We use it to help partners identify the negative patterns eroding their connection — criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling — and replace them with practical skills for managing conflict, deepening friendship, and building a relationship that feels secure and meaningful for both people.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Emotionally Focused Therapy helps couples go beneath the surface of their arguments to understand the deeper emotional needs and attachment patterns driving their conflicts. When both partners can identify and express what they are truly feeling — and feel safe enough to hear each other — real connection becomes possible again. EFT is particularly effective for couples dealing with distance, disconnection, and cycles of conflict that never seem to fully resolve.
Flexible In-Person & Telehealth Options
We offer couples therapy at our Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and San Jose offices, as well as secure video sessions for couples who prefer to meet remotely or have busy schedules. Evening and Saturday appointments are available to make it easier to prioritize your relationship without adding more stress to your week.
With convenient office locations in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and San Jose, we proudly serve the entire Silicon Valley community – from Stanford University and the Peninsula to the South Bay, offering easy access for tech professionals, students, and families.
Frequently Asked Questions about Couples Therapy
If you and your partner are experiencing recurring conflict, feeling disconnected, struggling to communicate, or navigating a major breach of trust, couples therapy can help. You don’t need to be on the verge of separation to benefit — in fact, the earlier you seek support, the more options you have. Many couples also come to therapy simply to strengthen a relationship that’s already good.
The first session is a chance for your therapist to meet both of you, hear each of your perspectives, and understand what’s been happening in the relationship. You’ll discuss your goals for therapy and what you’d each like to see change. By the end of the session, your therapist will have a clear picture of your situation and a plan for moving forward.
Ideally yes, but it’s very common for one partner to be more hesitant than the other at first. Our therapists are experienced at working with couples where one person is uncertain, and often the hesitant partner becomes more engaged once they experience the process firsthand. What matters most is that both people are willing to show up and give it a genuine effort.
It depends on what you’re working through and what your goals are. Some couples see significant improvement in as few as 8 to 12 sessions, while others benefit from longer-term support. We’ll give you an honest sense of the timeline early on and check in on progress regularly so the plan always reflects where you are as a couple.
Yes. Recovering from infidelity is one of the most challenging things a couple can face, but it is possible with the right support. Our therapists are experienced in helping couples navigate the aftermath of a breach of trust — processing what happened, rebuilding safety and honesty, and deciding together what kind of future you want to build.
Couples therapy can still be valuable even if you’re not sure the relationship can be saved. Sometimes therapy helps couples rediscover what brought them together and find a path forward. Other times it helps both partners arrive at a decision with greater clarity and mutual respect. Either way, having professional support during this process makes a significant difference.
Yes. We offer secure video sessions alongside in-person appointments at all three of our Bay Area locations. Evening and Saturday appointments are available to fit around your work and family schedule — for both of you.
Our Palo Alto office is convenient for those near downtown or Stanford. Our Menlo Park office is easily accessible from Sand Hill Road and the Meta campus. And our San Jose office serves couples throughout the South Bay. All locations offer free parking and easy access from major highways and Caltrain.
Recognizing Good Therapy
Evidence-Based
Specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, we provide effective & caring counseling. Our therapists are passionate in delivering high-quality therapy & enhance their skills through the latest trainings.
Strong Relationships
Our relationship with you is valued & of highest importance. We are compassionate, respectful, & honest. Our professional counseling includes working side by side with you towards YOUR goals.
Short-Term & Focused
Our active therapists use tailored homework exercises to help you find relief in a timely manner. By keeping our meetings on track & targeting specific concerns we help you enjoy life again, usually in a matter of months not years.
Client Convenience
Appointments after 5pm & Saturdays, friendly administrative staff, & three locations: Palo Alto, Menlo Park, & San Jose. We help children, teens & adults, couples, & families. Video therapy available!
What Our Clients Are Saying…
Palo Alto Therapy does not just provide talk therapy, but focuses on teaching skills to maintain therapy. You have a genuine interest in the client’s well-being and you offered a new way of thinking about or means of addressing my issues.
What Our Clients Are Saying…
I liked the emphasis on doing concrete things to get results-writing down negative thoughts, trying to say things to counter those thoughts…Thank you for helping me make my life better.
What Our Clients Are Saying…
I found the homework exercises to be very helpful to me. I’ve been able to use techniques I have learned from those exercises to slow down my thoughts when problems arise and work through whatever the issue may be, OCD or otherwise.
Our team offers couples therapy counseling in San Jose, Menlo Park, Palo Alto and online
Sarah Chelew, AMFT
