Professional Counseling in English Lisbon & Mafra · Portugal
Professional Counseling in English Lisbon & Mafra · Portugal
Couples Counseling
Relationships can get stuck. We help couples understand why — and find a way forward.
Even strong relationships can get caught in patterns that are difficult to change. Conversations turn into arguments. One person pursues while the other withdraws. Differences around intimacy, money, family, work or the future get harder to navigate.
Trust may have been damaged, or there is simply less connection. Couples counseling can help slow these patterns down so you can understand what is happening, develop more constructive ways of communicating and learn to respond in ways that lead to reconnection.
What Brings Couples to Counseling?
Couples come to us at many different stages.
Communication & Recurring Conflict
Intimacy & Connection
Infidelity & Rebuilding Trust
Personality Differences
Money & Finances
Retirement & Empty Nest
Deciding to Separate or Stay
Family Pressures
Adjusting to Life Abroad
Starting a New Relationship
Understanding the Relationship, Not Assigning Blame
It isn’t about who is the problem — it’s about the pattern between you.
As Marriage and Family Therapists informed by family-systems theory, we look beyond the question, "Who is the problem here?" and instead seek to understand the relational patterns between people.
Each partner brings personal history, expectations and ways of responding. Over time, well-meaning attempts to cope can unintentionally trigger the other partner's response — until the pattern itself becomes the problem.
Our work is active and collaborative, helping couples recognize these patterns and find more constructive ways to communicate, manage conflict and enhance connection.
When Trust Has Been Broken
Structure during an emotionally chaotic time.
Infidelity or other forms of betrayal can destabilize a relationship, bringing intense feelings, questions about trust and an urgent need to know what comes next.
Counseling can provide structure during an emotionally chaotic time. We help couples address what has happened and make thoughtful decisions about the future — without assuming that every couple should stay together or that separation is inevitable.
Two Experienced Perspectives
Steven and Arlette each work independently with couples, sharing a relationship-centered, family-systems foundation.
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Steven brings expertise in psychophysiology, biofeedback and Gottman-informed approaches that led to his development of Interpersonal Biofeedback. Arlette brings a creative and integrative perspective informed by art and expressive therapies, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) and structured approaches to infidelity recovery.
A complimentary consultation
A complimentary consultation gives you an opportunity to share a little about what's going on, get your questions answered and get a feel for whether the fit is right.