Here at WMPS we specialize in helping people just like you overcome barriers to intimacy, survive relational crises (e.g., infidelity), and build a brighter future together.  We serve couples from all over Michigan through online and in-person couples counseling services. 

If you are interested and ready to get started, contact us today.

Although some are able to get tested and diagnosed early in life, many people struggle and live without answers.  This often leads to self-doubt, low self-worth, and feeling defeated by life.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Do we really need therapy?

Every relationship struggles from time to time.  We all have our moments of conflict, miscommunication, and unmet needs.

Sometimes we find solutions and grow from these experiences, and sometimes we get stuck.  Sometimes we try to ignore the problems, avoid conflict, and quietly build resentment towards one another.  And sometimes, we clash, fight, and cause damage to one another.

Over time, the quality of the relationship dwindles.  Couples lose their sense of “spark,” intimacy, and passion.  Sex becomes less frequent and less satisfying.  Partners may lie, cheat, fail to pull their weight, or otherwise betray the other’s trust.

Other common relationship issues include:

• Feeling misunderstood or hurt by one another
• Family stress (e.g., parental stress, childrearing, etc.)
• Frequent conflict, fighting, or arguing
• Difficulty making decisions together
• Abuse and controlling behavior*
• Issues with sex, passion, and intimacy

*When abuse or control has entered into the partnership, some members will feel unable to express themselves or have their needs met.  Our priority is your safety, and so if you are in an unsafe or abusive relationship, contact the domestic violence hotline or follow this link.

If you and your partner are struggling with issues like these, do not lose hope.  Being in a relationship often means learning to work through our differences, building a sense of understanding and trust, and discovering deeper connection.  All of these things are possible with the support and guidance of an expert couples counselor.

If your relationship needs support, don’t wait.  

How can couples counseling help?

Couples counseling is designed to boost the three most important factors for having a healthy relationship: trust, intimacy, and communication.

Trust includes your sense of safety and confidence in one another.  Couples who share a strong sense of trust know that their partner will not intentionally harm or betray them.  However, when the relationship experiences a breach or violation of that trust (e.g., cheating, abuse, lying), then that sense of safety is shattered.  Couples counseling is designed to help couples have difficult conversations, make amends, and rebuild the safety that was once there. 

Intimacy is about your sense of closeness, passion, and vulnerability.  Some couples struggle with physical intimacy (e.g., frustrations around sex), but even more tend to have issues with being open and emotionally intimate with one another.  Couples counselors provide a safe space for the two of you to learn to connect more fully with one another and enter into the other’s “emotional world.”   

While trust and intimacy are essential for a satisfying, meaningful bond, neither of these is possible without effective communication. Communication is all about how the two of you receive and send each other’s messages.  You need to be able to understand one another and express needs effectively so that needs can be effectively met.  Couples counselors can observe patterns of communication, identify problems, and offer solutions to help you and your partner work well as a team. 

What if the relationship isn’t going to work out?

Here at West Michigan Psychological Services, we do what we can to make the relationship thrive.  However, not all couples are able to recover from certain issues, and not all couples are able to meet one another’s needs in a healthy way.  When that happens, the therapist may transition your work together to focus on creating healthy separation or an amicable divorce.  We can work as a team to make sure that everyone feels supported, including anyone who might be involved (e.g., children or friends). 

What does couples counseling look like at West Michigan Psychological Services?

Your relationship deserves a chance to flourish, and we want to help make that happen.

Of course, therapy for couples is different from individual therapy.  Unless we agree to meet separately at some point, you, your partner, and your therapist will always meet for our sessions.  All of our sessions are confidential and tailored to your goals as a couple.  We work with couples who are in all sorts of partnerships – married, engaged, cohabitating, or non-monogamous and poly relationships.

Our approach to couples therapy is supportive, client-centered, and evidence-based.  Our goal is to work ourselves out of work – to get your relationship back on track and to a place of self-sustainment – as quickly and effectively as possible. 

Our couples counseling is designed to help you:

• Resolve conflict
• Grow closer together
• Make decisions as a team
• Engage in difficult conversations
• Work through breaches in trust and safety
• Overcome barriers to intimacy and sexual wellness
• Support and care for one another
• Build a brighter future together

Your relationship should be a place of support, not stress.  Your bond should feel satisfying and strong.  You should feel excited and hopeful for your future as a couple.

Together, we can make that happen.