Last updated Clinically reviewed by Maddie Biddle, LCSW on
Structured sessions to help partners improve communication, work through conflict, and rebuild connection. Whether you are in crisis or simply want to strengthen your relationship, our couples therapists provide a neutral, supportive space.
Couples and Marriage Counseling at Greenwood Counseling Center helps couples improve communication and strengthen relationships. Our couples therapists draw on two well-known, research-based approaches: the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).
How Do I Find the Right Couples Therapist in Mooresville?
Meet our team to find a therapist whose experience matches what you are looking for.
What Happens in Couples Counseling?
Most couples counseling starts with getting to know both of you and how your relationship works. In the Gottman Method, for example, therapy begins with an assessment: a joint session, an individual conversation with each partner, and questionnaires, followed by feedback on the relationship's strengths and challenges. The couple and therapist then decide together how often to meet (The Gottman Institute).
After that, sessions focus on what you came in for. Depending on the approach, that may include:
- Gottman Method: building friendship and closeness, managing conflict, repairing past hurts and creating shared meaning (The Gottman Institute).
- Emotionally Focused Therapy: a structured, attachment-based approach, often 8 to 20 sessions, that helps partners understand the emotions under recurring arguments and respond to each other differently (ICEEFT).
Ask your therapist which approach they use and what your first few sessions will look like.
Will the Therapist Take Sides?
No. A couples therapist's job is to help both of you, not to decide who is right. In relationship-focused therapy, the focus is the relationship, not just one person (AAMFT). Your therapist will help each of you feel heard and help you both see the patterns you get stuck in. If you ever feel the sessions are tilting one way, say so. That conversation is part of the work.
What Can Couples and Marriage Counseling Help With?
- Communication
- Conflict
- Rebuilding connection and trust
- Separation or divorce
- Co-Parenting
- Stress that affects your relationship
The Gottman Institute also lists frequent arguments, emotional distance, sexual difficulties, infidelity, money and parenting among the issues couples therapy may address. If you're facing one of these, contact us and we'll help you find the therapist who fits best.
Does Couples Counseling Work?
Research on couples therapy is encouraging. The Gottman Method draws on decades of relationship research (The Gottman Institute), and ICEEFT reports that research on Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy shows large, lasting treatment effects (ICEEFT). The AAMFT notes research showing marriage and family therapy is effective for many concerns, including marital distress and conflict (AAMFT).
Results still depend on many things, including what each partner wants and how much both of you can put into the work. No therapist can promise a particular outcome, but counseling can give you both a clearer picture and better tools.
What Is the Difference Between Couples Therapy and Family Therapy?
Couples therapy focuses on two partners and their relationship. Family therapy includes more members of the family, such as parents and children, and looks at how everyone's patterns affect each other. Both see problems in the context of relationships rather than one person alone (American Psychological Association).
If you're co-parenting or the whole household is feeling the strain, our family therapy page explains how we work with families.
Do You Offer Virtual Couples Counseling?
Greenwood Counseling Center offers in-person appointments at our Mooresville office and virtual appointments for clients across North Carolina. Each therapist sets their own schedule, so ask us which couples therapists have in-person or virtual openings when you reach out.
Where Can We Read More About Relationships?
Is Couples Counseling Covered by Insurance, and How Much Does It Cost?
We accept most major insurance plans including BlueCross and BlueShield (including Blue Value), Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, UMR, Medcost, and Blue Home Novant. Private pay and out-of-network options are also available. Sessions are 45 to 60 minutes and range from $125 to $175. Visit our Insurance page for full details.
Coverage for couples sessions varies from plan to plan, so ask us and check with your insurance company before your first session.
How Do We Schedule a Couples Counseling Appointment?
Schedule an appointment to book your first session. Taking the first step is the hardest part. Our Mooresville therapists are here when you are ready.
Sources and Further Reading
The clinical information on this page draws on these public sources. Links open in a new tab.
- The Gottman Method (The Gottman Institute)
- What Is Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT)? (International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT))
- About Marriage and Family Therapists (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT))
- Couple and Family Psychology (American Psychological Association)
This page is general information, not medical advice, and it can't tell you whether a treatment is right for you. Talk with a licensed clinician about your situation. In an emergency, call 911 or call or text 988.
