Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

8,796 people sought couples therapy help in Illinois in the last year

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

Meet with a provider as soon as this week

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners IPA, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners Kane County, +20 more
LGBTQIA+, Coping Skills, Self Esteem, Stress, Women’s Issues, +7 more

Are you struggling with emotions, relationships, behaviors, or life circumstances that are interfering with living the life you dream of, or once had?

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners IPA, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners Kane County, +14 more
Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, Infidelity, Self Esteem, Stress, +8 more

As a woman who has dealt with life in this stress-filled world, I understand the demands that are put upon people.

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners IPA, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners Kane County, +21 more
Domestic Abuse, Narcissism, Anger, Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, +16 more

So...you want to know more about me: My name is Becky, I'm a therapist, I was born and raised in Southern Illinois in a small farm town (FYI, punishme... So...you want to know more about me: My name is Becky, I'm a therapist, I was born and raised in Southern Illinois in a small farm town (FYI, punishment for breaking the rules was having to milk cows on my Uncle's farm at 4:00 am), I lived 10 years in the Northern 'Burbs' of Chicago in my first real adult job, I absolutely adore my family, my husband and I have three cats, and most importantly, I would absolutely love the opportunity to work with you as your mental health therapist. Read more

Dr Frederick Smith

Hear from Dr Frederick Smith, Psychologist (Psychologist)

View Dr Frederick Smith's profile

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

My go-to approach for helping people in couples/marriage counseling is the Gottman Method. I find the best benefit in the Gottman Method because it assists couples with improving affection, increasing communication, and decreasing obstacles that might cause conflict in the relationship.

What tools do you teach in couples/marriage counseling?

I teach the following tools in couples/marriage counseling:

  • Problem-solving – This includes defining the problem, finding common ground, brainstorming different solutions, weighing the pros and cons of each solution, trying one or more solutions as an “experiment,” and reviewing the effectiveness of the solution.
  • Compromising – This includes learning and implementing the art of give-and-take in decision-making.

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

I know a client is making meaningful progress in couples/marriage counseling when they report an increasing ability to utilize communication skills that are taught in the counseling sessions.

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

Clients can supplement their time in couples/marriage counseling by actively practicing the skills that are taught in-session during their day-to-day encounters.

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

To prepare for your first couples/marriage counseling session, you can discuss the kind of life you want to build together and the type of partner you aspire to become in order to build that life.

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?

The author Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote, “Love, whether newly born, or aroused from a deathlike slumber, must always create sunshine, filling the heart so full of radiance, that it overflows upon the outward world.” Marriage therapists might call this a bit of an exaggeration. Love doesn’t always create sunshine. Sometimes it creates thunderstorms, blizzard conditions, and cloud cover that last for days. Intimate relationships can get messy. But the real love connection between two people often makes up for the periods of turmoil and distress. 

Couples therapy and marriage counseling at Thriveworks in Woodridge, IL is a way for people who love each other to learn to weather storms successfully. Relationship counseling is typically short-term (successful in fewer than 12 sessions), solution-focused, and individualized for each couple’s issues. But couples don’t need to be on the verge of divorce or separation to benefit from relationship therapy. The licensed professionals at Thriveworks can give people the tools they need to maintain enduring harmony in their relationships as well. 

Does Couples Counseling Really Work?

Marriage counseling is one of the most effective forms of professional therapy. It helps clients successfully address their own relationship goals, no matter what they may be. Some common goals that bring clients to the exceptional licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) at Thriveworks in Woodridge, IL include the following:

  • To feel more loved.
  • To feel more appreciated.
  • To model healthier relationships for children.
  • To feel like friends again.
  • To reignite a spark or passion.
  • To enhance physical intimacy.
  • To reduce tension and conflict in the household.
  • To stop repeating the same argument over and over again without advancing.
  • To create healthier boundaries.
  • To express needs and desires.
  • To heal after an affair.
  • To address various intimacy issues.
  • To cope with empty nest syndrome.
  • To identify individual mental health conditions and find support.
  • To safely address some concerns before marriage (in the case of premarital counseling).
  • To process trauma together.
  • To cope with the loss of a loved one. 

What Is the Process and Techniques of Couples Counseling?

A couples counselor at Thriveworks in Woodridge, IL uses a variety of therapeutic approaches and techniques to solve problems and enhance communication between loved ones. These approaches include the following:

  • Emotionally focused therapy (EFT)
  • Behavioral couples therapy (BCT)
  • The Gottman method
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Using these approaches, a counselor can help clients navigate complex interpersonal issues like these:

  • Communication skills
  • Mutual trust
  • Displays of affection
  • Emotion management
  • Addiction or substance abuse issues
  • Coping strategies

Is It Ever Too Late in a Relationship to Pursue Couples Counseling?

It is never too late in a relationship to pursue couples counseling. Some divorced couples even go to couples counseling sessions so they can better communicate about child custody and parenting issues. In these cases, couples therapy might be more like family therapy. The goal isn’t to improve romantic attachment, but to foster mutual understanding. But great couples therapists can bring couples back from the brink of separation by helping them remember what brought them together in the first place. Therapy can also reinforce the strengths of a relationship. As long as both people in a relationship have a glimmer of connection, couples counseling at Thriveworks in Woodridge, IL can help clarify their bond. 

How to Find the Best Couples Therapist or Marriage Counselor

Before you and your spouse or partner decide on a couples counselor, it’s important to bear a few criteria in mind. 

  1. The counselor should be fully licensed in Illinois. All Thriveworks mental health providers are fully licensed in their state, nationwide.
  2. The therapist should be qualified to treat your specific issue. At Thriveworks, providers have experience helping all kinds of clients: interracial, LGBTQ, Christian, and many more.
  3. The therapist should be affordable. Thriveworks LMFTs in Woodridge, IL accept most major health insurance plans and offer reasonable self-pay rates for people paying out-of-pocket.
  4. Therapy sessions should be convenient and comfortable. Thriveworks therapists offer both online counseling sessions as well as traditional, in-person counseling sessions.

Rekindle Your Passion with Marriage Counseling at Thriveworks in Woodridge, IL

Thriveworks in Woodridge, IL can’t promise to repair your relationship when it’s broken, but it can promise to help diagnose what’s wrong. Then therapists can give people the effective tools to repair their bonds themselves. A therapist’s job isn’t to assign blame or to tell one partner they’re doing something wrong. Their job is to facilitate open dialogue and help each partner see the other’s point of view. What people who love each other do with this vital information is up to them. 

Call Thriveworks today and you can meet with a fully licensed, highly qualified counselor as early as tomorrow. Most new clients can meet their provider within 24-48 hours of their initial call. They can also access their provider between sessions by phone or email.

Contact Thriveworks to meet the top-rated provider who might be able to help you and your spouse. We look forward to your call!

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 Woodridge therapists and counselors accept 27 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners IPA

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners Kane County

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners Silver Cross

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | PPO

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois | BCBS Medicare Advantage (HMO | PPO)

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas | BCBS

  • Choice Care (Humana)

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

Show more
Self-pay costs at Woodridge
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
★★★★★
Love my Doctor. Love all the reminders I get for appointments.
Legina Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Dr Smith is excellent
Woodbridge Jun 2022
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I have known Dr. Frederick Smith for over 20 years. He is extremely passionate about his work and ensuring the well-being of his clients. I have witnessed his growth and watched him mature personally and professionally. He is a consummate leader in the mental health field providing advocacy, care, and compassion for the client he serves.
Read more I have known Dr. Frederick Smith for over 20 years. He is extremely passionate about his work and ensuring the well-being of his clients. I have witnessed his growth and watched him mature personally and professionally. He is a consummate leader in the mental health field providing advocacy, care, and compassion for the client he serves.
Woodbridge Jun 2022
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Woodridge is near the corner of 75th Street and Janes Avenue. We are behind CITGO and McDonald’s.

Phone number

(331) 276-6492

Languages spoken by IL providers

  • English
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
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in CT

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
Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:00am - 6:00pm

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