Couples Counseling · Partners
Couples Counseling and Mediation
Level 2 Gottman-trained, systemic work for partners in Utah. The interaction between you is the focus: no one is cast as the problem, and no one is left out of the conversation.
60-minute sessions · $250
In Her Words
When do you put gas in your car? For some, it’s when the gas light comes on…for others it is proactively when you’re at half of a tank because you believe going lower hurts your vehicle. If you don’t ever add fuel, your car simply stops working.
Your car takes routine maintenance to work. When your car doesn’t work, you take it to a mechanic. This is because, with the exception of your home, for many people your car is your most expensive possession. The same reasoning could be said for your romantic relationship in that it is likely one of your most important intangible possessions.
So, when your relationship is strained, have you ever considered going to therapy? Introspect can help you and your partner at any step of your relationship, and help both of you strengthen your relationship. We are LGBTQ friendly.
Who It's For
Partners Who Want the Pattern to Change
Athena works with partners seeking relationship repair: couples who are stuck in the same argument, who have gone quiet with each other, who are navigating a rupture, or who want to build something sturdier before it strains further.
Her practice is LGBTQ+ affirming. Sessions are direct and warm; no one is cast as the problem, and no one is left out of the conversation.
Introspect can help you and your partner at any step of your relationship, and help both of you strengthen your relationship.
What the Work Looks Like
Inside the Room
Mapping the cycle
Early sessions trace what happens between you: the trigger, the move, the counter-move, and where it always lands.
Communication that holds
Practicing repair attempts, softened starts, and staying in a hard conversation without escalation or shutdown.
Conflict patterns
Naming the recurring pattern (pursue and withdraw, criticism and defense) so it becomes something you both watch for together.
Underneath the argument
Slowing the conflict down enough to hear what each of you is actually reaching for underneath it.
Repair after rupture
Working through breaches of trust at a pace both partners can tolerate, without minimizing what happened.
Structure and pacing
60-minute sessions, frequency set together, and honest check-ins about whether the work is moving.
Before You Book
The practical details
- Session length
- 60 minutes · $250
- In person or telehealth
- In person at 24 South 600 East, Suite 2, Salt Lake City, or by telehealth anywhere in Utah.
- Starting point
- The contact form, before any first session is scheduled.
- Licensure
- Athena is licensed in Utah only, so you need to be physically located in Utah for sessions.
24-hour cancellation policy. Athena does not treat substance abuse, grief, or OCD, and therapy does not come with guaranteed outcomes.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much is a couples session?
- A couples session is 60 minutes and the fee is $250.
- What approaches do you use with couples?
- Athena trained under John Gottman and received Level 2 training in Couples Therapy. As a marriage and family therapist she works systemically, looking at the interaction between partners rather than assigning the problem to one person.
- Do both partners need to attend every session?
- Couples work is usually done together, because the pattern between you is the focus. Individual sessions are sometimes used alongside it, and that is discussed openly rather than arranged privately.
- What if we are not sure we want to stay together?
- Couples arrive at very different points, including unsure. The work can be about repair, about understanding the cycle you keep landing in, or about making a clear-eyed decision. Athena does not promise a particular outcome.
- Can couples sessions be held by telehealth?
- Yes, when both partners are located in Utah at the time of the session. Athena is licensed in Utah only.
- How do we begin?
- Start with the contact form and share what you're looking for.