The same fight, again
Communication that works everywhere except with each other. Arguments that end the same way no matter how they start.
Especially for Couples stuck in a loop
Read moreCouples & Partners
Couples Therapy in NYC
Most couples arrive after the same fight has repeated itself for years. The content changes — money, sex, in-laws, whose turn it is — but the shape of it does not. Therapy here works on the shape.
Common reasons couples come in
Trust after a betrayal
An affair, an emotional affair, a hidden debt or decision. Working out what happened and whether to rebuild.
Especially for Couples after discovery
Read moreDistance
Efficient roommates. Less touch, less talk, less curiosity — and nobody quite sure when it started.
Especially for Long-term couples
Read moreBefore the big step
Moving in, getting engaged, deciding about children. Talking about the hard parts while they are still hypothetical.
Especially for Engaged and new couples
Read moreCulture, race and family
Partners with different cultural, racial or religious expectations of what a relationship is supposed to be, and families on both sides with opinions.
Especially for Intercultural and interracial couples
Read moreLGBTQ+ and non-monogamous couples
A room where you do not spend the first sessions explaining your relationship before the work can start.
Especially for Queer, trans and poly partners
Read moreWhat the work actually looks like
We start with two or three sessions of assessment: what brought you in now, how each of you experiences the cycle, and what has already been tried. You leave those sessions with a description of your pattern that both of you recognize — not a verdict on who is the problem.
From there the work is live. We slow down the moment where it goes wrong, in the room, and build the missing piece — usually the ability to say what is underneath the anger before it turns into contempt or silence.
Our approach: EFT-informed and Gottman-informed
Most of our couples work draws on two models. Emotionally Focused Therapy treats the recurring fight as a problem of connection — one partner reaching, the other protecting — and works on the feelings underneath the moves. The Gottman method is more structured: how you start hard conversations, how you repair, and what you build in the ordinary days between fights.
We do not run either as a script. Some couples need the emotional work first; some need a few concrete tools before they can risk it. We tell you which we think you need and why.
Who this is for
- Couples who communicate well everywhere except with each other
- Partners recovering from a breach of trust and deciding whether to rebuild
- Long-term couples who have become efficient roommates
- Partners navigating different cultural, racial or religious expectations of what a relationship should be
- Couples deciding whether to stay together at all — that is a legitimate reason to start
- Dating, engaged, married, separated, monogamous and non-monogamous partners alike
Sessions, fees and insurance
Couples sessions run 60 minutes ($240) or 75 minutes ($300) with Terese D., LMFT-LP. Most couples do better with 75: the first fifteen minutes are usually spent arriving, and a shorter container tends to end mid-repair.
We are out-of-network with every insurer. If your plan accepts claims from out-of-network providers and you elect it, we file on your behalf and the reimbursement is assigned to you. Otherwise we issue superbills on request.
In person in Midtown, or online
Our office is at 352 7th Ave, a short walk from Penn Station, Herald Square and the PATH at 33rd Street. Couples sessions also run by secure video anywhere in New York State. Many couples mix the two — video most weeks, in person when something big needs a room.
Couples living in New Jersey
Our couples therapist is licensed in New York, with New Jersey licensure in progress. New Jersey couples see her in person at the Midtown office — a short ride on the PATH or NJ Transit into Penn Station — or by video while they are in New York.
Who you would see
Terese D., LMFT-LP
Couples & Individual Therapist
Couples · LGBTQ+ · Non-monogamy · Relational dynamics · Gottman Method
Accepting new clients
Questions
What people ask
How much does couples therapy cost in NYC?
With us, $240 for a 60-minute session and $300 for 75 minutes. Across Manhattan private practices fees vary widely; we publish ours so you can plan.
Is couples therapy covered by insurance?
Sometimes, partly. We are out-of-network with all plans. If your plan reimburses out-of-network care and you elect it, we file on your behalf; otherwise we give you a superbill to submit. Call your plan and ask about out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits.
What is the difference between couples therapy and marriage counseling?
In practice, very little — the same work under two names. Marriage counseling is the older term; couples therapy covers partners who are not married. You do not need to know which to ask for.
How long does couples therapy take?
Most couples work weekly for four to eight months. Some come for a focused stretch around a specific decision and finish in ten sessions. We review progress openly at the two-month mark rather than letting therapy drift.
What if one of us does not want to be here?
That is common and it is workable. A reluctant partner is usually not against the relationship — they are against being blamed for an hour a week. We set the room up so that does not happen.
Do you work with LGBTQ+ and non-monogamous couples?
Yes. Queer, trans, polyamorous and non-monogamous couples are a core part of the practice, not an add-on.
Can we do sessions online?
Yes, by secure video anywhere in New York State, with nothing to install. Many couples alternate video and in-person sessions.
Start with a consultation
Tell us what is going on. We will tell you honestly whether we are the right practice for it, and match you with the practitioner who fits — or point you to someone better placed.