Therapists’ Blog

Daily Double Practice Guide

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[Editor’s Note: This exercise for couples helps partners communicate to each other twice a day that they love, respect, value, or appreciate what they do or who

Pete and Ellyn’s Origin Story, or “How I Met Your Mother”

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[Editor’s note: this love letter went to our email list on Valentine’s Day and it seemed good enough to give it a permanent home on our blog.

What We Stand For at The Couples Institute® If you read one thing from us this year, let this be it

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As we look into the New Year, I want to share with you very clearly what Couples Institute stands for, now and always. Most of us became

Relationship / Marriage Preparation

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My passion for educating couples early in their committed relationships was initially driven by personal experience. When I married at 22, my husband and I lacked sufficient

Managing Control Issues in Couples Therapy

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When therapists ask me which tool has had the biggest impact on couples around the world, the answer is always the same: the Initiator–Inquirer (I-I) Process. It

Three Prompts Cut Through Couples’ Confusion
A simple exercise to reveal the dream, drive, and drag

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I think every couples therapist or coach knows that moment when… You ask your couple what they want to accomplish and you see their eyes drift off

Rethinking Couple Therapy in a Diverse World: The impact of collectivist cultures

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Since its origins, roughly 125 years ago, the field of psychotherapy has been primarily focused on individual clients, applying theories and practice that grew from Western European

When Couples Fight to Be Heard: What Really Helps?

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Some couples come to therapy not just hurting – but hurting each other. They bring chaos, hostility, interruptions, and accusations, and sometimes you get caught in the

Getting a Strong Start with Reactive, Fighting Couples: Five Important Strategies

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High-conflict, emotionally reactive couples are on the rise. In today’s charged world, many of us are seeing more couples who escalate quickly, struggle with emotional dysregulation, and

How to Help Couples Resolve Conflict in Therapy

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A simple visual to help couples understand and break up the pattern of conflict without shame or shutdown. What if your couples could actually see the roles