Marriage Counseling and Couples Therapy in Newport Beach

What is Marriage Counseling?

Marriage counseling is a therapeutic process where you and your partner begin to face the deeper issues standing in the way of your relationship’s growth. Together with our expert marriage therapists, you’ll work on building the connection, love, and communication you’ve both been longing for.

While the surface conflicts may vary, in our experience, relationship challenges often boil down to three core themes: power, trust, and recognition. We’re here to help you confront these themes honestly and transform your relationship into one that feels safe, loving, and fulfilling.

The success rates for couples who commit to counseling are very encouraging. There is genuine hope that your relationship can change—and we’ll guide you every step of the way.

How Marriage Counseling Works

Successful couples therapy is about learning new tools, skills, and insights—not only about your partner but also about yourself. Many couples enter therapy wanting to change their relationship, but often find that the work leads to profound personal growth as well.

Our approach is grounded in Imago Relationship Therapy, a powerful framework that reveals how our unconscious minds seek partners who mirror the positive and negative traits of our early caregivers. This unconscious dynamic shapes much of our relational patterns.

The goal of therapy is to bring these deep-rooted patterns into conscious awareness, so you can transform conflict into healing and connection.

Key Concepts of the Imago Approach

The Imago
Imago, Latin for “image,” refers to the subconscious picture of love and relationships formed during childhood. We unconsciously look for partners who resemble this image, hoping to heal old wounds through them.
Unconscious Relationship Patterns
Many struggles arise from unmet childhood needs projected onto our partners, leading to power struggles where each person unknowingly tries to get the other to “fix” their past pain.
The Imago Dialogue (Core Practice)
This structured communication method helps partners deeply listen and validate each other through three steps:
1. Mirroring – The listener reflects back what was said without judgment or interpretation.
2. Validation – The listener acknowledges that the speaker’s perspective is valid.
3. Empathy – The listener expresses understanding of the speaker’s feelings.
Healing Childhood Wounds Through Conscious Love
Rather than reacting based on old wounds, partners learn to respond with intention and provide the love and support needed for healing.
From Unconscious to Conscious Relationship
Couples discover that love is a conscious choice, not just a feeling. By recognizing triggers and practicing intentional behaviors, partners nurture a healthier, more connected bond.

Benefits of Marriage Counseling

Reduces reactive conflicts by fostering understanding
Encourages empathy and compassion
Raises awareness of unconscious expectations
Strengthens emotional intimacy and connection

Types of Marriage Therapy We Offer

We combine psychodynamic therapy, Imago therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), and principles of the Gottman Method—a proven, research-based approach to couples therapy. Our sessions typically meet once a week for 50 minutes, with tailored “homework” assignments to help you integrate what you learn between sessions.

If your partner is unwilling to attend therapy, we can work with you individually to help you navigate relationship challenges. Often, when one partner begins the work, the other becomes more open to therapy over time.

How to Know When You Need Marriage Counseling

Consider reaching out if you notice any of the following in your relationship:

Indifference or emotional distance
Lies, secrets, or broken trust
Lack of intimacy or affection
Viewing each other as adversaries
Recurring arguments over the same issues
Dishonesty or withholding feelings
Struggling or absent sex life
Living largely separate lives
Communication that is volatile, negative, or absent

How to Get Started

The best step is simply to reach out. Our experienced psychologists specialize in relationship issues and will work with you to develop a personalized plan. During an initial call, we’ll begin to understand your unique challenges and discuss the best path forward.

You can call or text us anytime at 714-334-5497, or reach out directly to our couples specialist Whitney Fielder, LMFT, at 949-677-6142 to schedule your first session or ask questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to find a marriage counselor

You’ve found one! Search your local area for someone who you think is a good fit. Resources like Healthgrades, google, and yelp are great tools. We have a great reputation in Newport Beach and would love to go on this journey with you. You can reach out to us directly using the contact information below.

What is the average length of counseling sessions?

The average length of sessions are 50 minutes, once per week. Some couples like to start twice a week and then move to once a week after gaining significant ground in the beginning of therapy. We collaborate with our patients on establishing the right cadence of sessions during the first visit.

What is the counselor's success rate with marriage counseling?

The success rates for couples therapy are incredibly high. Based on current research, success rates are typically upwards of 90%. We meet this by utilizing our unique, therapeutic techniques and approach (Psychodynamic, EFT, Imago, and Gottman Method). We see very similar success rates on par with the current literature.

How much does marriage counseling cost?

Rates vary by clinician. Please reach out to us directly to discuss rates and our process of PPO reimbursement via SuperBill. Your rate per session will vary based on what your PPO plan will cover. We can help you navigate this process.

What's the difference between couples therapy and couples counseling?

The terms couples therapy, couples counseling, and marriage counseling are really synonyms for the same process. There is no remarkable difference between the terms and the process of each kind of therapy. It is better to read more about the type of approach used by each practitioner and determine whether that approach is the best fit for your unique dynamic and situation. You do not have to be married to engage in couples counseling and we encourage this kind of therapy for a range of partnerships (e.g. business partnerships, challenging friendships, premarital issues, and co-parenting after a divorce).

We also specialize in family and parent-adult-child therapy too. The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists reports an overall success rate of 98%. The success of couples therapy and other factors contributes to a decreasing divorce rate in the United States.

What kind of therapist is best for couples?

We encourage finding someone with an LMFT degree as they are often trained specifically in couple’s and family work. We use a unique, and often successful approach that relies on Emotion-Focused, Gottman, and psychodynamic methods. These methods are the most effective per the research and pulling from these three major techniques tends to work really well together. They are depth-oriented and help couples get to the roots of the recurring issues and themes both within each partner and acted out in the dynamics and communication between partners.