Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

9,721 people sought couples & marriage counseling help in California in the last year

Discover how starting couples & marriage counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

No current openings

All CA providers are fully booked, but check back tomorrow — sessions become available daily!

Starting Couples & marriage counseling

What is couples & marriage counseling?

Couples therapy and marriage counseling, also known as relationship counseling, helps couples work through their specific relationship issues. Some examples of common focuses within couples therapy and marriage counseling include:

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

What type of therapy is used in couples therapy?

The types of therapy used in couples and marriage counseling include:

  • The Gottman Method
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Emotionally-focused therapy (EFT)
  • Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)
  • Strength-based therapy

What kind of therapist is best for couples?

At Thriveworks, Couples & marriage counseling is led by licensed professionals — often licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) — who are experts in their field and best-equipped to help couples.

What is the Gottman Method of couples therapy?

The Gottman Method of couples therapy is a research-supported approach designed to enhance relationships by bolstering the bond between partners, resolving conflicts, and fostering shared meaning in their relationship through comprehensive assessments and tailored interventions that improve communication, trust, and the overall health of the partnership.

How to tell if I need couples therapy?

If you’re facing persistent relationship problems, communication breakdowns, or unresolved conflicts that are impacting your emotional well-being and happiness, Couples & marriage counseling may be beneficial for you.

Should every couple go to couples therapy?

While marriage and couple’s counseling is typically recommended for couples who are experiencing persistent or severe relationship issues, any relationship can benefit from attending these sessions.

Is couples & marriage counseling conducted in person or online?

Marriage and couples counseling at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you and your partner.

How long does couples & marriage counseling last?

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

How much does couples & marriage counseling cost?

At Thriveworks, we take most major forms of insurance, which means that many of our clients only pay $0-$50 co-pay per session. However, there are also self-pay options that sit around $200 per session, depending on the service and location, for those who are out-of-network.

Need more help deciding?

The playwright George Bernard Shaw once stated, “Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can’t sleep with the window shut, and a woman who can’t sleep with the window open.” This is an oversimplification for the sake of comedy, of course, but the quote gets at a universal truth: people who sleep in the same bed can be very different! The preferences, communication styles, and habits of people who love each can vary widely. This makes human love lives interesting, but it can also create static in intimate relationships. 

Fortunately, couples therapy and marriage counseling at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA can help. Sometimes partners are too emotionally involved in a situation to see it clearly without the insights of an unbiased outsider. The licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) at Thriveworks can facilitate honest communication between spouses in a safe zone where different perspectives are heard and valued. Couples therapy can lead to deeper emotional bonds, fewer misunderstandings, and more resilience in the face of adversity.

Can Couples Therapy Resolve Conflict?

Couples therapy and marriage counseling doesn’t eliminate conflicts, but it can teach couples how to argue better. For example, some couples find that they have the same conflict over and over without ever getting anywhere. In couples therapy at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA spouses have an open forum in which to explore the roots of the conflict and why they can’t advance their understanding. Couples therapy can also work on the following relationship elements: 

  • Communication skills
  • Emotional management
  • Addiction or substance abuse issues
  • Sexual cycles
  • Mutual support during difficult times, especially during serious life changes like marriage, illness, and aging

Do Marriage Counselors Take Sides?

Marriage counselors are highly trained to see issues from the perspective of each party. That means they don’t take sides or assign blame. Instead, they look for practical solutions and compromises. They also teach partners to see problems from the other person’s point of view. In relationship counseling, the therapist wants to help spouses achieve their goals. Clients may come to couples therapy at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA with any of these valuable objectives in mind:

  • To feel more loved.
  • To feel more appreciated.
  • To model a healthier intimacy for children.
  • To reconnect as friends.
  • To reignite a spark.
  • To reduce tension at home.
  • To blend families after a second marriage. 
  • To stop repeating the same fight.
  • To improve one’s sex life.
  • To identify where a partner may need individual support (perhaps through therapy for a mental health condition like depression or anxiety).
  • To learn how to create boundaries.
  • To learn to express needs and desires
  • To heal from an affair.
  • To become unstuck.
  • To cope with empty nest syndrome.

What Does Premarital Counseling Accomplish?

Premarital counseling at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA is a way for couples to work through issues that will inevitably come up in marriage. Talking about goals in advance can help prevent conflicts later on. For example, premarital counseling may cover the following topics:

  • Where a couple’s core values overlap and where they differ
  • The expectations for what roles each partner should play in the marriage 
  • Notions about children and parenting
  • Financial objectives
  • Communication styles
  • Coping strategies
  • Family backgrounds
  • Family baggage
  • Strengths and weaknesses
  • Wedding stress
  • Expectations for sex and quality time together

What to Look for in a Couples Therapist or Marriage Counselor

Couples may not agree on every attribute they’re looking for in a couples therapist or marriage counselor, but they can probably agree on the following critical criteria: 

  1. The counselor should be fully licensed in California. At Thriveworks, all mental health providers are fully licensed, nationwide.
  2. The therapist should be affordable. At Thriveworks, marriage counselors accept most major health insurance plans and offer fair self-pay rates.
  3. Sessions with the therapist should be convenient and comfortable. At Thriveworks, marriage counselors can hold sessions virtually through secure video conferencing software, or in-person at the modern office in Berkeley, CA. Thriveworks clients can also choose a hybrid model.
  4. The therapist should be experienced in treating the specific issues that you and your partner are dealing with. At Thriveworks, providers help a diverse array of couples like same-sex, Christian, and interracial.

Reconnect with Your Spouse with Marriage Counseling at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA

Marriage counseling at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA is a premium and affordable way to reconnect with your spouse. Our fully licensed, highly qualified, top-rated counselors use proven techniques to improve relationships. 

When you call the Thriveworks office during extended business hours, you’ll reach a human being–not a voicemail–who can help match you to a marriage counselor. Most clients can meet with their provider within 24-48 hours of their initial call.

Don’t let your love grow stagnant. Contact Thriveworks today to get professional support from an exceptional marriage counselor. 

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 Berkeley therapists and counselors accept 20 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Blue Shield of California | BCBS

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

  • Humana Exchange

  • Humana HMO/POS

  • Humana PPO | EPO | HDHP

  • Imperial Health Plan Medicare Advantage

  • JP Farley Corporation

  • Magellan

Show more
Self-pay costs at Berkeley
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

Thriveworks Berkeley has no reviews yet, but check out these reviews from locations in California.

4.5 Thriveworks Berkeley reviews are collected through Thriveworks.com.
★★★★★
Thriveworks helped me realize that I do believe people can change. I’m not the person I was three months ago, broken and fearful. I’m healthy and happy and for the first time being kind to myself. Thank you for giving me my life back.
Read more Thriveworks helped me realize that I do believe people can change. I’m not the person I was three months ago, broken and fearful. I’m healthy and happy and for the first time being kind to myself. Thank you for giving me my life back.
Anonymous Thriveworks Client
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Berkeley is located at the intersection of Milvia St and Addison St. We share a building with Ace Hardware, Bay Psychiatric Associates, Bradley Engwall MD, Magoosh, Young Musicians Choral, Voltaiq, and Kaila Compton MD. Across Milvia Street is Berber Athletic Club and The Medak Center, and across Addison Street is Opticos Design Inc, MSCI, and Berkeley Electronic Press.

Phone number

(510) 544-8907

Languages spoken by CA providers

  • English
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

Shown in PT

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

Shown in PT

9 photos