In-person in Northern California · Virtual nationwide
Couples Coaching: Rebuilding safety, connection, and repair.
A 90-day relational coaching program based in Courtney's training in Relational Life Therapy. This is for couples ready to break patterns and reconnect. Stuck in the same arguments? Cycles of escalation and shutdown? This work helps you understand why patterns keep repeating — and how to shift them from the inside out.
This is not about fixing one partner or deciding who's right. It's about learning how your nervous systems interact, how repair actually happens, and how to come back to each other when things get hard.
My approach is relational, trauma-trained, and nervous-system informed. We focus on emotional safety rather than blame, patterns rather than positions, and repair rather than winning. Sessions are direct, compassionate, and practical: we work with what's actually happening between you, in real time.
I integrate Relational Life Therapy (RLT) principles, nervous-system regulation, breath-based practices, and family-of-origin awareness to help couples create lasting change.
This work is
Principles that guide every session.
Relational
Because healing happens between people.
Trauma-trained
We honor what each nervous system learned to survive.
Embodied
We practice change, not just talk about it.
Honest & direct
Clear feedback without shaming.
Supportive over time
Because real change requires integration.
What This Program Supports
Move out of reactive cycles and back into connection.
- Recurring conflict or communication breakdowns
- Emotional distance or disconnection
- Grief, loss, or shared trauma
- Parenting stress and relational burnout
- One partner escalating while the other shuts down
- Feeling like you're "over-talking" without resolution
- Family-of-origin patterns impacting the relationship
The 90-Day Couples Coaching Program
Designed for real change over time, not just insight in a single session.
01
Weekly couples coaching sessions
12 weeks of 60-minute sessions.
02
Weekly open office hours
Along with an open breathwork session — for accountability, questions, wins, and support.
03
The Regulate & Repair Toolkit
RLT-based scripts and frameworks to help you stop spiraling, repair quickly, and build emotional safety in real time.
I deeply believe couples need time, support, and space to embody what they're learning. This structure allows couples to practice, integrate, and repair between sessions, rather than trying to do everything alone.
Outcomes couples often experience
A relationship that feels stable, honest, and supportive — even when things are hard.
Less escalation, shutdown, and emotional distance
Clearer, calmer communication during hard conversations
Faster, cleaner repair after conflict
Greater emotional safety and trust
Deeper intimacy and attunement
A renewed sense of "we're on the same team"
How to Get Started
How to begin.
01
Determine Readiness
02
Begin The Program
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
Relational Life Therapy is an integrative approach to couples therapy created by Terry Real, LICSW. It equips people with lifelong skills to build more authentic, honest, and intimate connections. RLT helps individuals move away from "one up" (grandiose, dominant) stances while also lifting others out of shame — creating healthier, more balanced relationships.
Traditional therapy tends to focus primarily on addressing shame while maintaining a neutral stance. RLT goes further by also confronting grandiosity, entitlement, and contempt — and it's not neutral. It actively gives direct feedback, names unhealthy dynamics, and works to redress power imbalances. It's also explicitly educational: you learn concrete relational skills, not just gain insight.
Sessions involve direct feedback, exploration of underlying emotions, and practical skill-building. Rather than just talking about problems, partners actively practice new ways of relating in the room itself. This makes progress faster and builds real confidence. Many couples notice meaningful shifts within just a few sessions, though deeper transformation takes continued work.
Yes. While having both partners present is ideal, one person can begin on their own and still create meaningful change in the relationship dynamic. The skills and insights gained by one partner often shift the entire relational pattern over time.
Yes. RLT's direct and balanced approach is well-suited to high-conflict situations. It's designed to cut through destructive patterns, address power imbalances, and help couples move toward healthier, more intimate relationships — even when things have felt stuck or hopeless for a long time.
RLT is grounded in the science of neuroplasticity, which shows that significant character change can happen more rapidly than traditional therapy once assumed. RLT sets high expectations and includes intensive individual work within the couples context, which accelerates meaningful transformation.
RLT is for couples and individuals who are ready to break unhealthy cycles and build lasting change. Whether you're facing ongoing conflict, struggling with intimacy, dealing with power imbalances, or simply wanting a deeper connection, RLT offers both the insight and the practical tools to transform your relationships.
No. This is coaching, not psychotherapy. My work is informed by my Relational Life Therapy training and is trauma-trained, nervous-system informed, and emotionally safe — but it is skills-based, present-focused, and relational rather than clinical. If additional therapeutic support is needed, I am always transparent and collaborative.
Your family's next chapter starts here.