Photo of Holly Seerley, Marriage & Family Therapist in 94925, CA
Holly Seerley
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Corte Madera, CA 94925
We collaborate together, targeting difficulties and utilizing personal strengths to support your vision and growth. Examples: parenting the child you have, changing repetitive, downward spirals in intimate relationships, taking on anxiety w/new strategies, setting boundaries and making connections, experimenting with new approaches to old problems. My approach is tailored to your needs, guided by my experience. Together we track progress. In practice since 1979, I see all ages and most problems. I enjoy long-term depth psychotherapy as well as short-term problem solving therapy. I work with parents, couples, families and individuals and consult for psychotherapists.
We collaborate together, targeting difficulties and utilizing personal strengths to support your vision and growth. Examples: parenting the child you have, changing repetitive, downward spirals in intimate relationships, taking on anxiety w/new strategies, setting boundaries and making connections, experimenting with new approaches to old problems. My approach is tailored to your needs, guided by my experience. Together we track progress. In practice since 1979, I see all ages and most problems. I enjoy long-term depth psychotherapy as well as short-term problem solving therapy. I work with parents, couples, families and individuals and consult for psychotherapists.
(415) 682-6482 View (415) 682-6482
Couples Counseling Therapists

Does couples counseling work?

Research shows that couples counseling is effective; it can reduce relationship distress and improve emotional awareness, communication, empathy, intimacy, and overall relationship satisfaction. For example, emotionally focused therapy was found to be effective for about 75 percent of couples, and those benefits lasted at least two years.

When should a couple seek counseling?

Couples can benefit from counseling if they consistently struggle in their relationship. They may have lost the ability to communicate effectively, become entrenched in harmful patterns, begun to fight more than usual, broken the other’s trust, suffered from a mental or physical illness, or faced any number of other challenges. Many therapists offer free consultations, so if a couple isn’t sure whether therapy is necessary, asking directly can provide clarity.

How can I get my partner to go to couples therapy?

The decision to seek couples therapy is often driven by one partner, who then convinces the other to participate. When discussing the idea, the initiator should be direct and assertive. They can state the problems they see and explain how the relationship would benefit from therapy. In more serious cases, they can also explain how their relationship may suffer without making any changes or seeking professional help.

How does a couple prepare for couples counseling?

The anticipation of beginning couples counseling can be difficult—sometimes more difficult than the first session itself. Taking a few moments to reflect can allay those concerns: What are the current challenges? When and how did they begin? What do they want the relationship to look like in the future? Reflecting on these questions can help individuals or couples articulate their goals. Of course, the therapist will also ask questions and guide couples through the process.