Couples Therapy · Berkeley
Couples therapy
for Berkeley.
You used to find each other more easily. Dinner, weekends, small conversations that mattered. That was before the workload, the kids, the two schedules you've been trying to align for years. The relationship didn't change. It just got quieter under everything else. We work with Berkeley couples on exactly this, and there's a way back.
Evidence-based couples work for Berkeley and East Bay couples. Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and attachment-based work. Secure telehealth across California.
Who we see in Berkeley
The quiet middle.
The Berkeley couples who find us share a common pattern. Two people with full lives: jobs, kids, aging parents, the house, the schedule-juggling. The relationship that used to feel like the steady ground under all of it has gotten quieter over time, operating on the crumbs of attention left over at the end of the day.
The fights, when they happen, are about dishes, or scheduling, or money. The thing underneath is usually that neither of you has had enough time, attention, or energy to turn toward each other in a way that actually lands.
We work with couples across Berkeley (Elmwood, North Berkeley, the flats, the hills) and anywhere else in California via telehealth.
How the work goes
Structured and collaborative.
We start with a full intake: the story of the relationship, what's happening now, what each of you most wants from the work. Some couples do this together. Others start with a brief individual session each so we can hear both sides without one partner managing the other's reaction.
From there, the backbone is the Gottman Method. A structured framework with 40+ years of research behind it on what actually predicts whether couples make it. We integrate Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to work the emotional pattern underneath the content of your fights, and narrative work when the story you've been inside of needs to get named before it can be rewritten.
For queer, ENM, and polyamorous couples: same framework, personalized. For BIPOC couples: cultural context is clinically relevant, and we work with it directly.
Who you'd work with
The team for Berkeley couples.
Christina Mathieson
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) #115093
Founder and lead clinician. Gottman Method Level 2, with comprehensive sex therapy training. Couples work and sexual connection get held in the same room.
Full bio
Michelle Cortez
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) #146795
Supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093
Couples work grounded in EFT and attachment theory. Particular experience with ethical non-monogamy, queer relationships, and cultural identity work.
Full bio
Jalyse Stewart
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) #153712
Supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093
Trauma-informed couples work, with particular care for BIPOC couples and partners holding what hasn't been named at home yet.
Full bioFAQ
Common questions from Berkeley couples.
What kinds of couples do you typically see in Berkeley?
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Our Berkeley clients span a wide range: dual-career partners, parents of young and school-age kids, empty-nesters, queer and same-sex couples, long-term partners rebuilding after a rupture, newer couples figuring out long-term fit. The pattern we see most often is competence-everywhere-but-the-relationship. That's the pattern we work with directly, and the framework adapts to whatever your specific life looks like.
How long does couples therapy take?
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Honest answer: most couples we see start to feel something shift within four or five sessions. Not 'we're fixed,' but 'oh, that's what's happening between us.' Real change tends to land somewhere between session 8 and 12. If you're carrying a betrayal or years of disconnection, give it longer. If nothing's moving by week six, we'll say so out loud.
Is couples therapy effective over telehealth?
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Yes. The research is now solid that telehealth couples work matches in-person outcomes for most presentations. For Berkeley couples, video also removes the logistical friction (finding the same 90-minute window in two busy schedules) that often kept therapy from happening at all.
Do you work with same-sex, queer, and non-monogamous couples?
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Yes, affirmingly. Queer and same-sex couples are a real part of our East Bay client base. Michelle Cortez, AMFT #146795 (supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093), particularly works with ethical non-monogamy and queer relationship structures. The work follows the same evidence-based frameworks as any couples therapy, personalized to your life.
Do you offer sliding scale or take insurance?
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We have sliding scale spots that vary by therapist and availability, and we're in-network with Lyra (employer-sponsored). Most PPO plans cover a portion of our fee through out-of-network benefits, and we provide the superbill. Mention cost during your free consult and we'll talk through what's actually possible.
References & further reading
- Gottman Method — research overview — The Gottman Institute
- Brené Brown on Empathy (RSA Short) — Brené Brown / RSA
- Brené Brown on Blame (RSA Short) — Brené Brown / RSA
- Come Together — Emily Nagoski, PhD — Emily Nagoski, PhD
Ready to find each other again?
Free 15-minute call. We'll figure out if we're the right fit and match you with the therapist on our team who best fits what you're working on.
Book a Free Consult