Couples Therapy
in Northern Virginia
Get the tools needed to make your relationship work and thrive.
You are both successful, intelligent, and hard working, so why can’t you solve the recurring problems in your relationship? It feels as though you are drifting apart. Your relationship has lost its spark and you find yourselves fighting about little things (constantly). You feel more annoyance than admiration when it comes to your partner, and even though you are still a “couple” you feel lonely.
You find yourselves working so hard to earn a living that you don’t have enough time to focus on your own needs, let alone your relationship’s needs. You know you need someone else to step in and help your relationship, because the problem of disconnection has become too overwhelming for you to handle.
I’m Jennie McKinney, a licensed clinical social worker and Gottman Certified Couples Therapist with 30 years of experience. I’m also a military and DoD spouse and mother of two, so I’ve likely experienced many of the same struggles that you have, and I promise you there is hope for a fulfilling and vibrant relationship.
I use a research-based couples therapy approach called the Gottman Method. This method uses a very specific structure and process that is understandable, based on learning skills, and focused on building emotional intelligence. The tools and skills build on themselves and apply to a variety of situations. This type of counseling is not all talking about feelings. Instead, you’ll learn a structure and a template for communication and resolving conflict.
“One of the saddest reasons a marriage dies is that neither spouse recognizes its value until it is too late.”
Ultimately, Gottman couples therapy helps you to reconnect, communicate at a deeper level, and heal from hurts in your relationship. The couples who come to me for therapy find that they are better able to:
Find a good balance of career, relationship, self-care, and other obligations
Work together as a parenting team, incorporating values from both of your traditions and families
Have deeper conversations and understand how to meet one another’s needs
Live as “lovers” again instead of living together like “roommates”
Avoid destructive cycles of arguing and miscommunication
Create a sense of shared meaning and feel closer to one another
Couples therapy will make clear exactly what you need to work on as a couple, how to do the work, and what things you can continue doing on a regular basis so that you stay on track, even years after therapy is complete.
Recapture the love you once had together. I know you can emerge from this difficult time stronger and with a new sense of “we.”
Contact me today to schedule a free consultation.
“Rediscovering or reinvigorating friendship doesn’t prevent people from arguing. It gives them a secret weapon that prevents quarrels from getting out of hand.”
Couples Therapy FAQs
How are you doing couples therapy online?
During the COVID-19 lockdown, we will meet online via secure video platform. You will have access to digital information and worksheets and we can share these easily.
How much does marriage counseling cost?
Couples therapy sessions are 90 minutes long. I charge $250 per 90 minute session. During the assessment phase, each partner will need to have one 60 minute session and that cost is $175/person. There are 2 couples sessions during the assessment phase as well. Currently, I am offering a bundle for the assessment for $950 which includes the charges for the Relationship Checkup (this is for couples paying out of network or out of pocket).
If you are paying with insurance, your couples therapy assessment does not include the $39 fee for taking the Gottman Relationship Checkup through Gottman Connect online. This is an additional fee but I don’t collect it. You pay this to get access to the exam. There is an additional charge for the Gottman Relationship Builder, which is a series of videos and handouts that can be watched on your own or used as homework. Access to the Relationship Builder is $149 and you own the product for life. It is a super maintenance and learning tool.
Will my insurance cover marriage counseling?
Insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis in order to cover therapy or counseling services. And although 90 minute sessions allow us to work more intensively, most insurance does not cover extended sessions.
Check with your insurance company to see if your sessions may contribute to your annual deductible. You may also be able to use a flexible spending account to pay for couples therapy.
Please contact me with any questions. My goal is to work with you to try and make counseling affordable within your insurance coverage and needs.
Do you offer intensive marriage counseling sessions?
Intensive marriage counseling, or marathon couples therapy, is available based on your need. This can be a great option for couples with scheduling limitations. Intensives are usually 6 hours of therapy in one day, with breaks every few hours. All marathon couples therapy sessions start with assessment sessions, and the Gottman Relationship Checkup, as outlined in “How does the Gottman Method of marriage counseling work?”
The price for an intensive after the assessment (assessment cost is separate and has to be completed before booking an intensive) is $1,000.00/6 hours of treatment in one day. Fees are due (1/2 at the time of booking and 1/2 at the time of treatment). This service is not covered under insurance plans!
Contact me for a free phone consultation to see whether ongoing weekly couples therapy or intensive marriage counseling would be more appropriate.
Do you offer at home marriage workshops?
Yes, I am able to offer the Art and Science of Love Workshop as an at home marriage workshop that you and your partner complete over five weeks. Click here to read more about couples workshops.
Gottman Therapy FAQs
How does the Gottman Method of marriage counseling work?
As a Gottman Certified Couples Therapist, my goal is to coach you through talking to one another, rather than having you spend most of your time talking to me. As a result, you get to have deeper conversations that you wouldn’t normally have outside of therapy. This creates momentum for your communication outside the therapy room and in your everyday life.
The first session is a 90 minute structured interview about your history that’s scientifically designed to get information to help your relationship needs. You will then complete the Gottman Relationship Checkup online, and I’ll meet with you each individually. Then you will come back as a couple for a 90 minute practice session, where I will teach you one of the Gottman Method strategies so you get to see if it is helpful for you.
We’ll continue to meet weekly for 90 minutes until you identify that you’ve met your goals and are comfortable using the communication strategies on your own, on a regular basis.
Who is Gottman Couples Therapy NOT suited for?
If one partner has already decided on divorce and is solely interested in attending counseling so they can communicate this decision to their partner, Gottman Method is not a good fit.
If your goal is to divorce and you want mediation, Gottman Method is not a good fit. If you are on the fence about a divorce, you might want to try Discernment counseling first.
If there is ongoing domestic violence and this is one of the main problems in the relationship, Gottman Method is not a good fit.
If you are living apart and wanting to do therapy on a 3-way video conference platform, this couples method is not going to meet your needs. This type of therapy is a conversation between two parties in the same room/space. Although I am remote helping you through the platform, the two of you being remote from each other is not ideal for the practice of the method and I am only licensed in the state of Virginia, so your partner cannot be out of state or country.