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Even in a city full of opportunity, it’s easy for arguments to take over and connection to fade. You miss your partner. Life in San Francisco can feel non-stop… from tech deadlines to crowded commutes and family schedules.
Couples counseling in San Francisco helps you reconnect and communicate better, without adding more stress to your day.
Whether you’re in Pacific Heights, Noe Valley, the Marina, or anywhere in SF, couples therapy offers flexible scheduling with weekend appointments, practical tools, and expert strategy to break negative patterns.
One of the most eye-opening lessons I learned in graduate school at The University of Southern California was this: The biggest factor in a client’s success isn’t the type of therapy, the technique, or even the duration. It’s the strength of the therapeutic relationship.
After 15 years of marriage and two decades of counseling couples, I’ve seen what works. Successful couples learn how to be a TEAM against the defenses that keeping them apart. As a licensed San Francisco couples therapist, I can guide you through evidence-based tools for better communication.
Book a 15-minute introductory call to see how couples therapy online can help you become better partners, no matter how upset either of you get.
Debbie & her coaching saved our marriage! We have had so much going on these past few months, I’m not sure if we would have made it out still together if it weren’t for her help. The support has helped us communicate, listen, and react so much better to each other!
– NEWLYWEDS IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA
The fighting cycles ended.
We now feel safe to share anything with each other.
You might remember the rush of excitement you felt exploring Golden Gate Park together or cheering on your team at Oracle Park, but now, you feel more like roommates.
When life in SF moves fast, your relationship can start to feel like just another task on your never-ending to-do list. You don’t have to settle for feeling distant. With expert support and practical tools, you can break through tension, rebuild trust, and bring back the ease and closeness that once felt natural.
Reawaken your feelings of aliveness and have fun together again. Don’t let the stress of Bay Area life get in the way of the most important part of your world… your relationship. Hit the reset button and reinvest in your partnership today.
Married. Engaged. Dating. Committed. Straight. Bi. Gay. Neurodivergent. Polyamorous.
Improve your relationship no matter what it looks like.
DEBBIE CHERRY, LMFT
Yes. Couples therapy can be highly effective when both partners are committed and actively engaged. Research shows that relationship counseling, when led by a skilled San Francisco couples therapist using evidence-based approaches like the Gottman Method or the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT), can improve communication, rebuild trust, and strengthen emotional connection. With my 20+ years of expertise,
I help couples move past obstacles, gain insight, and create the kind of relationship they want to be living. Many clients say the right support turned suffering into hope, healing, and renewed closeness. Every couple’s journey is unique, but many begin noticing positive changes within the first few sessions.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation if you want to talk more about working together.
Is online couples counseling in San Francisco as effective as in-person?
Yes. When guided by an experienced therapist using evidence-based approaches, online therapy can be just as effective as in-person. Many San Francisco couples prefer it because it removes commute stress and allows you to meet where you feel comfortable… often making it easier to open up about emotions, reduce anxiety, and engage your brain’s capacity for insight and new connection.
I offer secure online couples therapy, sex therapy, and individual counseling throughout the Bay Area. Whether you live in the Mission, Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, or work in Silicon Valley, you can access support from home or between meetings without battling traffic or commute stress. Online therapy is a helpful option for building awareness, working through difficulty, and getting unstuck when you’re feeling stuck in your relationship.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation if you want to talk more about working together.
In my practice, about 99% of couples report significant improvement in communication, emotional intimacy, and teamwork. Nationally, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy reports about a 70% success rate. Starting therapy before resentment builds, working with a specialist, and practicing tools between sessions all raise the likelihood of success.
Book your free consultation here and let’s take the first step together.
Yes. For many high-achieving couples in San Francisco, that’s one of the most important benefits of therapy. When your days are packed with meetings, metrics, and mental to-do lists, it’s easy to treat your relationship like just another task to manage or optimize.
Emotional connection doesn’t thrive in productivity mode. It grows in moments of presence, curiosity, and emotional availability. Therapy helps you relearn how to just be with each other… without performing, fixing, or checking off boxes.
Together, we’ll identify where the pace of life is overriding the pace of connection. We’ll explore how pressure, urgency, and overstimulation affect your nervous system and communication style. When you feel grounded in your partnership, you’re more resilient, creative, and emotionally available everywhere else in your life.
Absolutely. Many couples here face major transitions, like… relocating to the Bay Area, raising children, navigating demanding careers in tech or healthcare, or adjusting to the city’s fast pace and high cost of living. Therapy offers a safe space to process emotions, set direction, and strengthen your bond through change.
I offer secure online couples therapy, sex therapy, and individual counseling throughout the Bay Area. Whether you live in the Mission, Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, or work in Silicon Valley, you can access support from home or between meetings without battling traffic or commute stress. Online therapy is a helpful option for building awareness, working through difficulty, and getting unstuck when you’re feeling stuck in your relationship.
In our first session, we’ll explore what’s brought you in… whether it’s miscommunication after long workdays or feeling like you’re living parallel lives. You’ll each have space to share, and I’ll help identify the patterns keeping you stuck.
As a couples counselor with over 20 years of experience and advanced training in adult attachment, I’ll guide you through productive conversations, offer research-backed tools, and help you stay focused on what matters most. Services blend open dialogue, real-time coaching, and practical strategies you can start using right away.
You won’t just vent… we’ll work together to shift the cycle and rebuild a sense of connection, clarity, and teamwork in your relationship.
Absolutely. Therapy can be a valuable space to explore and better understand the cultural, religious, or family influences that shape your relationship. Whether you’re navigating different upbringings, traditions, communication styles, or expectations from extended family, I create space for both partners to feel heard and respected.
My approach is culturally responsive and grounded in curiosity, empathy, and real tools to help you bridge differences and strengthen your connection, without either of you feeling like you have to give up who you are.
Yes. In my private practice, I offer therapy options that help couples explore parenting values, family roles, and emotional readiness before taking that next step. Whether you’re navigating relationship issues, wanting more clarity, or simply seeking support for the life transitions ahead, therapy creates space for honest conversations, mutual acceptance, and shared growth. It’s a powerful way to strengthen your connection and build a solid foundation for your future family.
Relationship Counseling in San Francisco Bay Area creates change by increasing awareness, offering new experiences, and providing practical tools beyond just talk therapy. First, it shines a light on unconscious patterns and default reactions that keep you stuck. Once you have a deeper understanding of your patterns, you can start making more intentional choices instead of repeating old habits.
Second, working with a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with an emphasis on attachment styles offers new emotional experiences. For example, if you’re used to feeling misunderstood in hard conversations, practicing reflective listening with your partner in session can shift that dynamic and help you feel truly heard. Finally, relationship and individual therapy equips you with actionable tools to handle real-life challenges. Whether it’s managing conflict, deepening emotional intimacy, or communicating needs more clearly, you’ll leave each session with something you can try right away. Over time, these small shifts add up to lasting change.
I combine research-backed tools from the Gottman Method with an emotionally focused, attachment-based approach for adults to help couples strengthen their connection and stop destructive behaviors. To see what’s possible with expert guidance, check out the couples’ success stories here.
Couples counseling exercises are simple, practical tools to help you connect, communicate better, and shift old patterns. Some help you practice active listening, like summarizing what your partner said before responding. Others focus on emotional connection, like daily activities to better understand each other’s needs, or frameworks to build new habits that will bring you closer. These exercises are customized based on what you’re working on, so you’re not just talking about problems… you’re building new habits that actually create change between sessions. Grab the Communication Toolkit for couples to get started with some activities to do with your partner right away.
Coverage varies. Some plans pay for therapy if there’s a diagnosable mental health condition for one partner; others do not. Relationship-focused work, such as improving communication or intimacy, is often not covered as a “medical necessity.” Always check your plan.
The investment for each couples counseling session ranges from $175 to $350 per 50-minute session, depending on the level of support you choose and your benefits… often far less than the cost of a single night out in LA or the Bay Area, and potentially life-changing for your relationship.
Most couples experience real momentum and clarity within just a few sessions. Many clients also use their HSA/FSA benefits or receive up to 50% reimbursement through their insurance provider.
I accept Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and HSA cards, with payments processed automatically after each session for ease and convenience.
If virtual couples therapy is tied to a diagnosable mental health condition, some plans may cover it. However, therapy focused on relationship dynamics, communication, and emotional growth is often not considered a “medical necessity” and may not be covered. Coverage depends on your specific plan and the policies of your insurer. Some plans reimburse a portion or all of the cost if the therapy is delivered by a licensed professional. It is advisable to check directly with your insurance provider and therapist about coverage details and eligibility before starting therapy.
The investment for each couples counseling session ranges from $175 to $350 per 50-minute session, depending on the level of support you choose and your benefits… often far less than the cost of a single night out in LA or the Bay Area, and potentially life-changing for your relationship.
Most couples experience real momentum and clarity within just a few sessions. Many clients also use their HSA/FSA benefits or receive up to 50% reimbursement through their insurance provider.
I accept Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and HSA cards, with payments processed automatically after each session for ease and convenience.
Yes. Uncertainty is often the best reason to start therapy. Many couples come in feeling unsure… disconnected, confused, or questioning whether they’re still a good fit. Therapy gives you space to explore what’s really going on without pressure or judgment.
Even if you’re not on the same page, we’ll work toward clarity. Whether you decide to grow together or part ways, therapy helps you understand each other better, communicate with care, and make thoughtful decisions. You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin.
That’s welcome here. San Francisco has a long history of embracing relationship diversity, and many couples here are exploring open, polyamorous, or otherwise non-traditional partnerships.
In our work together, you’ll have a safe space to explore what’s working and what’s not, without judgment. We can clarify agreements, strengthen emotional safety, and address common challenges like jealousy, miscommunication, or feeling out of sync with each other’s needs.
Whether you’re new to non-monogamy or deep into complex relationship structures, therapy helps you move from confusion or conflict to clarity and connection. My approach centers trust, communication, autonomy, and emotional accountability… so everyone involved can feel seen, secure, and respected.
Yes. I provide affirming support for LGBTQ+ couples navigating a wide range of experiences, including communication struggles, identity development, emotional safety, family planning, open relationship dynamics, and the impact of discrimination or trauma. Whether you’re dating, cohabiting, married, or exploring what your relationship means to you, therapy offers a safe, judgment-free space to be seen, understood, and supported.
Every couple deserves support that reflects their values, identities, and lived experiences, not a one-size-fits-all model. My approach is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and grounded relationship research. Finding the right therapist is a big predictor of positive therapy outcomes.
Yes. Whether you’re planning a City Hall wedding or a ceremony overlooking the Bay, premarital counseling helps you clarify expectations, explore values, and strengthen your foundation. We cover communication, finances, family dynamics, and emotional safety so you can start your marriage with wisdom and confidence.
Yes. I offer flexible weekday, evening, and weekend appointments to accommodate couples balancing careers, parenting, social commitments, and Bay Area commutes. Consistency is key to progress, and flexible scheduling helps make that possible.
Absolutely. Couples therapy isn’t just for married people or those in crisis. It’s for anyone who wants to strengthen their relationship. In a city like San Francisco, where many couples are dating, living together, engaged, or redefining traditional relationship paths, therapy can offer powerful support at any stage.
Whether you’re navigating the early growing pains of commitment, exploring next steps, or simply wanting to communicate better, therapy helps you build a solid foundation based on trust, emotional safety, and shared understanding.
You don’t need to be married to want more connection, fewer fights, or deeper intimacy. Therapy is about creating the kind of relationship that feels secure and aligned with your values—whatever that looks like for you.
Couples Therapy across California, Texas & Florida, including:
San Francisco | Los Angeles | San Diego I Austin I Dallas I Houston I Tampa I Orlando I Miami
Relationship Coaching available worldwide.
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