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872 people sought couples therapy help at Providence in the last year

Discover how starting therapy with a couples can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

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Elizabeth Westmoreland

Hear from Elizabeth Westmoreland, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

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What is your go-to approach for couples/marriage counseling?

My go-to approach to helping people in couples/marriage counseling is EFT (emotion-focused therapy). I find the most benefit in using EFT because it gets to the root of the problem. I've learned that tools and techniques don't work as well as really getting to the root of feelings and exploring the communication cycles that couples get stuck in. There's almost always something from their childhoods or earlier lives that contributes to how they handle their own emotions and those of their partner.

What tools do you teach in couples/marriage counseling?

I don't usually teach any tools in couples/marriage counseling other than reminding couples not to talk over each other and to focus on their own feelings by utilizing “I” statements rather than blaming language.

How do you know when a client is making meaningful progress in couples/marriage counseling?

I know clients are making meaningful progress in couples/marriage counseling when they can recognize their communication patterns and each make an effort to hear each other out more. Oftentimes, I can tell progress is being made when they are less defensive and don't feel the need to put walls up anymore, but rather want to better understand one another.

What can clients do in their personal time to supplement couples/marriage counseling?

Clients can supplement their time in couples/marriage counseling by reading “Hold Me Tight” by Sue Johnson, the pioneer of EFT. This book was written for couples to better understand attachment and how it relates to our relationships as well as how to identify and change communication patterns.

What should someone do to prepare for starting couples/marriage counseling?

To prepare for your first couples/marriage counseling, couples can try to look at it as an opportunity to better understand their partner, rather than try to prove that they are right or try to “fix” the other person.

Starting Couples therapy

What is couples therapy?

Thriveworks Couples therapy helps couples work through their specific relationship issues. It is led by licensed professionals — often licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) — who are experts in their field and best-equipped to help couples. Some examples of common focuses within couples therapy include:

  • Jealousy
  • Trust issues
  • Infidelity
  • Opposing values
  • Different visions for the future
  • Disagreements in parenting
  • Lack of trust
  • Financial distress
  • Sex issues

How does couples therapy work?

Couples therapy works by helping couples identify and better navigate their unique challenges. Following an initial assessment of the couple in terms of strengths and needs, the therapist would then discuss their therapeutic goals and any possible approaches or ways of working together as therapist and couple.
Couples attend sessions together, whether they meet in person or by video. In addition to regular couples therapy sessions, each partner may also be asked to attend a few individual sessions to supplement their progress. This will allow their counselor to get to know each individual better, assess each of their personal needs, and develop the very best treatment plan moving forward.

Is couples therapy conducted in person or online?

Couples therapy at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and via Online therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you and your partner.

How long does couples therapy last?

On average, couples attend couples therapy for 12 weeks. However, couples therapy may last longer or shorter, dependent on the couples’ needs, the challenges they’d like to work through, and the pace of their progress.

Need more help deciding?

Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling in Providence, RI

Is there a rift between you and your partner? Is stress at home sapping your happiness? These matters aren’t uncommon in relationships, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to deal with.

If you’d like to pursue couples therapy or marriage counseling, you’re in the right place. Thriveworks Counseling in Providence, RI has a team of dedicated relationship counselors who can lead you and your partner in the right direction, based on your specific needs and goals for your relationship. Reach out today for help.

Common Relationship Issues Discussed in Couples and Marriage Counseling

Of course, you and your partner aren’t going to see eye to eye all the time. It’s normal for even the happiest of couples to have disagreements every now and then. Common challenges can include, but aren’t limited to:

  • Deciding how to handle finances
  • Agreeing on how to raise the children
  • Worrying about infidelity or intimacy issues
  • Communicating ineffectively
  • Having different views on the future

Of course, while similar themes emerge in couples counseling, every couple is different. A Providence couples counselor at Thriveworks can recognize this and work to address your specific relationship issues.

How Does Couples Counseling Work?

As we’ve already stated, every couple has unique challenges and needs that need to be considered. The marriage counselors and couples therapists at Thriveworks in Providence, RI know this well. This is exactly why they work to know the couple and their relationship before making any major decisions regarding treatment.

Once the therapist better understands their clients and how each partner feels, they can design a plan for treatment, which might involve therapeutic techniques from:

  • The Gottman Method
  • Emotionally-focused therapy (EFT)
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Narrative therapy

Do We Need Professional Relationship Help?

Some couples hesitate to see a couples therapist or marriage counselor because in the past they have been able to solve problems themselves. Others might not think it’s necessary for one issue when their relationship is otherwise great. 

But why stay stuck? Or why wait until one matter can make an otherwise great partnership feel terrible? Deciding to pursue couples therapy or seek marriage counseling can strengthen your bond and give you effective tools for resolving issues or miscommunication.

Schedule Couples Therapy or Marriage Counseling at Thriveworks in Providence, RI

Most couples that try therapy state afterward that they feel better equipped to handle any problems that occur in the future. 

Contact a couples therapist at Thriveworks in Providence today and we can facilitate a respectful environment and guidance to help you and your spouse or partner with what’s really troubling you. We offer evening and weekend sessions, online counseling opportunities, and more to make the couples counseling experience that much better. Reach out today to get started. 

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our Providence therapists and counselors accept 24 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island | BCBS

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island Medicare Advantage

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

  • Harvard Pilgrim

  • Humana Exchange

  • Humana HMO/POS

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Self-pay costs at Providence
Talk therapy

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Talk therapy

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

5.0 Learn about verified reviews
★★★★★
Rasheed Is my therapist and he really helps me a lot . I would recommend coming here. It’s a really nice place and Rasheed is a really good therapist.!!
Read more Rasheed Is my therapist and he really helps me a lot . I would recommend coming here. It’s a really nice place and Rasheed is a really good therapist.!!
Riley Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Vivian provides a welcoming conversational space for exchange. She is able to listen with genuine care and when the time is right give feedback that is both empathetic and constructive. If I have to share a problem with her that might be difficult to share with even a close friend, I feel she is able to help coach me along with a patient reassurance that my thoughts and feelings will be considered without judgment. There may not always be a direct or immediate answer to what I’m working through but she is able to encourage healthy thought-habits and emotional strategies which help me to progress. I really appreciate her respectful frame of mind and down-to-earth personality, they make talking with her worthwhile.
Read more Vivian provides a welcoming conversational space for exchange. She is able to listen with genuine care and when the time is right give feedback that is both empathetic and constructive. If I have to share a problem with her that might be difficult to share with even a close friend, I feel she is able to help coach me along with a patient reassurance that my thoughts and feelings will be considered without judgment. There may not always be a direct or immediate answer to what I’m working through but she is able to encourage healthy thought-habits and emotional strategies which help me to progress. I really appreciate her respectful frame of mind and down-to-earth personality, they make talking with her worthwhile.
Providence Apr 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Therapy Providence is located at 245 Waterman St Suite 504A, Providence, RI 02906, between Wayland Ave. and Butler Ave.

Phone number

(401) 235-4170

Languages spoken by RI providers

  • English
  • Filipino
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm

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Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Monday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm

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