Feel confident about your relationship
Couples Therapy in NY & CA
Let’s get you closer to the version of your relationship you hope might still be possible.
Available in-person in NYC, virtually throughout NY and California
Therapy for when something is off, and you’re not sure how to fix it.
Some couples come to us because they keep getting stuck in the same blowout fight.
Some come to us because they feel more like roommates than romantic partners.
Others may be trying to find their way back to each other - or determining whether they can rebuild - after a recent infidelity / betrayal.
Some are preparing for or adjusting to major milestones or transitions - marriage, a child, the loss of a job, a new diagnosis, a relapse.
Others may simply wish to deepen their connection and prevent an escalation of dynamics they’ve noticed between them.
And some may be seriously considering separation.
All of our couples are searching for something different - a new way of connecting with one another, one that feels deep, intimate, peaceful and enriching.
Couples come to us when they’re asking
Why do I feel so misunderstood, unheard or disconnected?
Are our differences surmountable or are they indications of a fundamental incompatibility?
Can I meet my partner’s needs without mine being ignored?
Is it normal for me to feel so triggered by my partner?
Why does my partner struggle to show up for me?
Should we keep trying to make this work?
Are we ready to get married or move in or have a child?
Will we always argue like this?
Do all couples argue this much and this intensely?
Will we ever feel attraction for each other again?
The right time for couples therapy?
As soon as you’re thinking about it.
Whether you’ve been together for two years or twenty, there’s no “too early” or “too late” when it comes to starting couples therapy.
The right time is when you’re ready to stop feeling stuck. It’s when you feel there’s something in your relationship that you want to better understand or start to shift. You have a desire, but you don’t yet have the skills to know where to start.
That’s where and when couples therapy comes in. We are trained for this! We will help you figure out what you hope to see change - whether it’s big or small - and help you find a way towards that change.
Our couples approach :
Our approach combines research-backed methods that address both the emotional and practical aspects of your relationship crisis:
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We use Gottman-based assessments and interventions to identify strengths and areas of opportunity that erode and enhance connection. You’ll learn to communicate more effectively, de-escalate conflict, and rebuild friendship and trust—even in the midst of deep pain and overwhelm.
Learn more here.
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EFT helps us get beneath the surface of arguments and into the vulnerable emotions that drive them. We'll work to uncover attachment wounds, soften defenses, and begin to restore emotional safety and closeness.
Learn more here.
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For couples where one or both partners are unsure about staying together, we use a structured form of therapy called Discernment Counseling. This is not about fixing the relationship right away—it’s about gaining clarity on whether to pursue change, separate, or take a pause with intention.
Many couples complete therapy in
15 - 20 sessions
This relationship therapy has results
Some things you will gain from your therapy experience:
Practical tools and skills to more confidently navigate conflict in your relationship
Confidence in communicating your needs to your partner
Greater ability to hold space for your partner without becoming activated, flooded, defensive or shutting down
Enhanced moments of deep connection and attunement in your relationship
A strong foundation for a healthy marriage or long-term partnership
Clarity around how to move forward from an impasse
Effective co-parenting while maintaining respect and cooperation
A fulfilling sex life
A feeling of being fully seen by your partner for the first time in a long time
What to expect during sessions :
Our couples therapy experience is customized to your needs and will include:
A thorough intake and relationship history assessment
Individual and joint sessions
Concrete communication skills modeling and hands-on practice in conflict repair
Tools and next-step recommendations to take home
You’ll leave with more clarity, emotional insight, and actionable guidance, whether you're hoping to rebuild or decide how to part in a way that’s respectful and grounded.
What Happens During Our Couples Therapy?
Here are examples of the kinds of exercises we may use to guide your work together:
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We help you identify the recurring negative cycles that keep you stuck—whether it's shutting down, criticism, defensiveness, or emotional withdrawal—and begin replacing them with healthier, more connected patterns.
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Using structured scripts like the Gottman “Dreams Within Conflict” or the EFT “Hold Me Tight” conversations, you’ll practice speaking vulnerably and listening with curiosity and empathy, even around emotionally charged issues.
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You’ll be guided to explore the underlying fears, longings, and attachment needs that fuel your reactivity—and begin seeing each other’s emotional pain in a new light.
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We may map out significant relational events to help you process hurt and disconnection, clarify where trust was lost, and explore opportunities for repair or closure.
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When one or both partners are ambivalent about staying in the relationship, we use structured one-on-one and joint sessions to clarify each person’s truth—without pressure or urgency to fix things prematurely.
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If infidelity or secrecy is part of your story, we may use structured trust repair exercises, accountability conversations, and forgiveness work to support healing—only if both partners are willing and ready.
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Whether you decide to rebuild or separate, we’ll help you identify your individual and shared values, agree on immediate next steps, and leave the intensive with a practical, emotionally attuned plan.
Our Couples Therapists
Our couples therapists are extensively trained in attachment-based and couple-specific modalities.
Natalie Dupre, LMSW
Staff therapist
Janine Cheng, LCSW
Founder / Clinical Director
Client Testimonials
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We absolutely love Janine!
She came highly recommended to us by a friend who saw her for couple therapy.
She really made us feel comfortable.
- P & R, NYC
Janine was our couples therapist during a rough period in our marriage. We had seen two couples therapists and didn’t feel like it helped. Our time with Janine brought us back from what felt like a point of no return.
We are really grateful to have found her.
- Mei & James, CA
Hard to think where we would be without couples therapy! I’m anxious and my husband is avoidant and we kept triggering each other.
We really learned about how to be kind to each other. What amazing progress.
- Anonymous
Other Relationship Therapy Offerings at Atlas
Premarital therapy
Therapy for couples preparing for marriage and wishing to discuss important questions (financial management, in-law relationships, family planning, prenuptial agreement, etc.)
therapy for high conflict / disconnected couples
Therapy for couples who are struggling with chronic conflict and are seeking to build healthy communication and conflict management skills.
couples therapy intensives
Therapy for couples seeking a short-term intensive intervention to work through a relationship crisis/impasse. Intensives span across 2 days and allow busy couples to access support.
Discernment Counseling
Therapy for couples deciding whether to remain together, separate/divorce or commit to long-term couple’s therapy
Experience personalized therapy at our office in Nomad
All in-person sessions will take place in a warm, inviting space that will help you feel calm and centered for the work.
The office is located in Nomad and easily accessible via the 1, 2, 3, N, R, W, B, D, F, M and 6 lines.
Ready to start the path towards a better bond?
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