Marriage Counseling in Seattle: Reconnect, Grow & Strengthen Your Bond
Marriage is a commitment, a journey, and hey let’s be honest...sometimes a challenge. Even strong marriages with two people who should absolutely be together can still be rough. You may find yourselves disconnected, stuck in negative patterns, or simply missing the closeness you once had. That doesn’t mean your marriage is broken...it means you’re ready for change.
Marriage counseling gives you a chance to step out of the daily grind and into a space of reflection, repair, and reconnection. Whether you’re dealing with frequent arguments, a lack of intimacy, or just growing apart, therapy helps you strengthen your foundation and create a marriage that truly works for both of you.
What issues can marriage counseling help with?
We work with married couples who want to:
- Feel emotionally and physically close again
- Break out of communication cycles that go nowhere
- Rebuild trust and navigate hurts or betrayals
- Handle parenting, in-laws, finances, and major transitions as a team
- Deepen their connection and create a shared vision for the future
Sex and intimacy therapy is also available if desire, disconnection, or erotic avoidance are part of what you're facing.
Why choose Clarity Counseling Seattle for marriage counseling?
At Clarity Counseling Seattle, our licensed marriage therapists bring warmth, insight, and experience to their work with couples. We use evidence-based methods like the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the Developmental Model, and Internal Family Systems (IFS/IFIO). But more importantly, we tailor our approach to your unique relationship and values.
We offer online marriage counseling across Washington and in-person sessions in Seattle. Whether you're newly married or 30 years in, you don’t have to keep doing the same dance. Let’s help you change the music.
Curious how the little things build up in marriage? Our founder was recently quoted in The New York Times discussing the importance of addressing the quiet, often invisible emotional labor that can erode connection in a marriage. Read more on our blog about how these subtle dynamics show up in long-term relationships and how therapy can help address them before resentment builds.
If you’d like to explore how our team has contributed to national conversations about marriage, emotional well-being, and modern relationships, you can visit our Media & Press page. It showcases interviews and articles that reflect the broader relational themes we support couples with every day.
What can you expect from marriage counseling at Clarity Counseling Seattle?
- Understand each other's needs without defensiveness
- Repair from past arguments or emotional injuries
- Parent together with intention and empathy
- Rediscover what brings you joy as a couple
- Find clarity on how to move forward together
When is it time to consider marriage counseling?
Many couples wait years before seeking help. But therapy is most effective when it’s proactive, not just a last resort. We’re here to support your relationship, not to judge it. We know marriage takes work. With the right support, it can also bring healing, laughter, and deep connection.
Start marriage counseling with us
Learn about Couples Therapy
Explore Sex and Intimacy Therapy
Is it Time for Marriage Therapy?
How Marriage Counseling at Clarity Counseling Seattle Can Strengthen Your Relationship for the Long Haul
Marriage brings moments of joy, connection, and shared growth — but it can also present challenges that test your patience, communication, and understanding. Our Seattle marriage counselors work with couples at every stage of married life to help you resolve conflicts, deepen intimacy, and strengthen the bond you share. With a blend of practical strategies and compassionate guidance, we’ll help you create a relationship that feels both resilient and deeply connected.
Expert Support for Marriage’s Unique Challenges
From navigating financial stress to managing parenting demands, our therapists understand the real-life pressures that can strain a marriage. We tailor our approach to your specific situation, giving you practical tools to improve communication, rebuild trust, and work through disagreements in a healthier way.
Evidence-Based Methods That Deliver Lasting Results
Our marriage counseling sessions draw from proven approaches like the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy, which are backed by decades of research. These methods help couples resolve conflicts, strengthen emotional and physical intimacy, and foster mutual respect — giving your marriage the tools to grow and adapt over time.
A Safe Place to Talk About Hard Things
We provide a judgment-free space where both partners can express themselves openly and feel heard. Whether you’re addressing long-standing issues or tackling new challenges, our goal is to guide you toward conversations that lead to understanding, connection, and change.
Flexible Options to Fit Your Life Together
We offer both in-person marriage counseling in our Seattle office and secure online sessions, making it easy to get support no matter your location or schedule. This flexibility ensures that your commitment to improving your marriage works seamlessly with the realities of your daily life.
Meet Our Therapists :
Justin Pere LMHC-S, CST, CGT
Founder, Clinical Director & Lead Therapist
(he/him pronouns)
Please note: Therapy sessions with Justin are available via telehealth or in person in Seattle, Washington.
I’m a Certified Sex Therapist and relationship counselor in ...
Emma Ehrlich MA, LMHCA
Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate
(she/her pronouns)
Please note: Therapy sessions with Emma are held in-person in Seattle or through telehealth on Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, and through telehealth only ...
Rosa Booker MS, LMFTA
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate
(she/her pronouns)
Please note: Therapy sessions with Rosa are held in-person in Seattle or through telehealth on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, and through telehealth only ...
Hyacinth Kearney MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
(she/her pronouns)
Please note: Therapy sessions with Hyacinth are conveniently held through telehealth for clients anywhere in Washington State.
I work with individuals, couples, and polycules who ...
Lindsey Pepperoni MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
(she/her pronouns)
Please note: Therapy sessions with Lindsey are held in-person in Seattle on Thursdays & Fridays, and through telehealth on Tuesdays & Wednesdays.
I work ...
Maggie Fisher-Shipley MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
(she/her pronouns)
Please note: Therapy sessions with Maggie are held in-person in Seattle or through telehealth Monday through Thursday.
Many of the individuals, couples, and polycules ...
Misa Mattson MA, LMFTA
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate
(she/her pronouns)
Please note: Therapy sessions with Misa are conveniently held through telehealth for clients anywhere in Washington State.
I work with individuals and couples who want ...
Corey Thompson MA, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
(he/him pronouns)
Please note: Therapy sessions with Corey are conveniently held through telehealth for clients across Washington State.
Many of the individuals, couples, and polycules I support ...
Lisa Stewart MSW, MJ, LICSW, SUDPT
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
(she/her pronouns)
Please note: Therapy sessions with Lisa can be in-person in Seattle on Saturdays, or conveniently held over telehealth Monday through Friday.
If you're looking ...
Featured Blog Posts - Marriage Counseling in Seattle
Feeling Like the Only One Who Cares? Let's Talk About Emotional Labor
Some people don’t even know it has a name. Others feel it all the time but can’t quite explain why they’re so exhausted—resentful, even—when their partner seems surprised anything’s wrong.
This is the quiet toll of emotional labor. And in many relationships, it’s uneven.
Maybe you’re the one who remembers birthdays, initiates hard conversations, checks in after family drama, or makes sure your partner’s feelings get processed, while yours wait. Maybe you’re the one who asks, “Are we okay??”
It can be hard to name. Even harder to shift. But therapy can absolutely ...
Can Couples Counseling Save a Relationship? How Therapy in Seattle Can Transform Partnerships
One of the most common questions we hear from struggling partners is: Can couples counseling really save a relationship? It’s a fair question — especially when things feel stuck, distant, or on the brink of falling apart. As Seattle marriage counselors with over 22 years of experience, we’ve seen firsthand how powerful couples and relationship therapy can be — when both people are ready to do the work. That last part matters. Because while therapy can offer guidance, healing, and structure, it’s the effort from both partners that ...
Frequently Asked Questions
AI-powered relationship apps can be a helpful starting point for couples looking to explore communication or identify patterns, but they aren't a substitute for real couples therapy. Most of these tools rely on structured questionnaires and pre-recorded videos, which can offer insight but fall short of the personalized, real-time support that a trained therapist provides.
Unlike AI, a human therapist can attune to emotional nuance, help regulate conflict in the moment, and guide couples through deeper healing and repair. If you're curious about the differences, this blog post explains why therapy goes beyond what AI tools can offer.
Relationship coaches can offer general support and strategies for improving communication or reaching goals in a relationship, but they aren’t licensed mental health professionals. A couples therapist is clinically trained and licensed to address deeper emotional, relational, and psychological issues, including trauma, attachment patterns, and long-standing conflict.
Therapists also adhere to strict ethical and confidentiality standards and often integrate research-based approaches like the Gottman Method. If you're dealing with repeated arguments, emotional disconnection, or intimacy struggles, working with a licensed couples therapist is likely the most effective choice.
Marriage counseling is a focused, supportive process designed to help couples repair and strengthen their relationship. While similar in structure to individual therapy, the emphasis in marriage therapy is on the patterns, dynamics, and emotional barriers between spouses.
During sessions, your therapist will help you and your partner better understand the sources of disconnection or distress in your relationship. These may include struggles around communication, emotional intimacy, trust, unmet needs, or long-standing tension related to family dynamics, parenting, or sex and intimacy.
What To Expect in Marriage Counseling
Sessions typically involve guided conversations, communication exercises, and helpful readings or frameworks that make the underlying issues easier to understand. You’ll also learn and practice practical tools in session—skills that are meant to be used between sessions to help you reconnect, express needs more clearly, and navigate conflict with more empathy and intention.
Marriage therapy is a safe and structured space to examine how each partner contributes to the relationship dynamics, while also building emotional closeness and shared understanding. Most couples leave with greater clarity, renewed hope, and tools they can begin using right away to shift their connection in a positive direction.
If you’re wondering whether marriage therapy might help your relationship, this page offers more details about what to expect from the process.
Contact Clarity Counseling Seattle to get started with marriage counseling in person or online across Washington State.