Couples therapy – StillMind

Things haven’t been good for a while. You’re tired of fighting. You still care for each other, but is there any hope for your relationship?

Although it doesn’t feel like that right now, there is hope.

Even if you fight all the time. Even if you can go for days without talking. Even if you don’t trust each other anymore.

If you still care for each other, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Couples therapy can help you and your partner rediscover your lost connection and find the way back to each other.

How does couples therapy work?

Arguments, criticism, defensiveness and fighting are emotional situations that can destroy trust, connection and joy – things you need to be happy in your relationship.

During our couples therapy sessions, we look at what’s happening between you and your partner and try to understand the emotions present in your interaction.

We avoid placing blame and instead focus on helping you both:

Improve your communication by improving your timing, listening skills, empathy and understanding
Repair your relationship by addressing disconnection, reactivity and avoidance as well as the reasons behind them and the feelings they cause
Restore and grow your love by amplifying kindness, compassion, acceptance and appreciation

One thing won’t happen during our couples therapy sessions, though…

Your relationship won’t get magically fixed just by you and your partner sitting on our couch.

You’ll have to do the work when you go home.

After each session, you’ll get some exercises that you need to do at home to practice effective communication, empathy, gratitude and all other skills that will help you connect with each other again.

What people are saying

Dr. Sharyn was a balanced mediator that allowed my partner and me to express our concerns to each other in a safe way. More importantly, she left us with tangible exercises and assignments to improve our communication beyond the sessions.

– H. M., ABU DHABI

I met with James to discuss and address issues surrounding my marriage that were creating unhappiness. After a couple of sessions James was able to gently identify the underlying problems and helped create a platform of openness that has enabled us to address the issues more openly and honestly. James approached our issue with a great deal of sensitivity and we were comfortable opening up to him.

– M. A., ABU DHABI

Closeup portrait of young lady talking on mobile phone

Too busy to come into our office in person? We offer couples therapy via audio/video call.

Book a couples therapy session

Don’t wait till your problems have become overwhelming. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to undo the hurt and distrust your relationship has suffered.

Dr. Sharyn Kennedy

Dr. Sharyn is a Western-trained psychotherapist who uses emotionally-focused therapy (EFT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) when working with couples.

She can help you understand how your brain behaves in relationships, what love really is, how relationships work and what you can do to grow and change your relationship for the better.

James Kennedy

James is a Western-trained therapist who uses attachment therapy to help you bring back joy into your relationship.

Common topics you can discuss with James include joys and pitfalls of a marriage, sexual intimacy challenges, whether you should stay or leave your relationship and how to save your relationship after an affair.

You’ll see the fees and will be able to select between in-person therapy and therapy via audio/video call on the next page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I ever go back to being normal?

Even if you don’t feel like it right now, the chances are good that you can feel like your happy self again. But this will only happen if you take the first (and most difficult) step to start your therapy. Therapy will help you understand and cope with your negative thoughts and feelings and will offer you a new, unbiased perspective and effective tools that you can use to feel better every day.

Do you offer remote sessions?

Yes, we do. For now, due to the coronavirus threat, we offer only remote sessions, via email or audio/video call. You can learn more about how it works by visiting the “Therapy via email” or “Therapy via audio or video call” page.

Do you accept insurance?

We don’t take insurance but can provide receipts so that you can claim the costs on your insurance later. If you aren’t sure whether your insurance will cover such claims, please double check with them before your first session with us.

How many sessions would I need?

The number of sessions you’d need to see positive changes in your life depends on your specific situation. Here’s what we know from our experience: One to two sessions are enough to solve a small problem, for example learning brain-based tips and strategies to manage anxious brains or understanding more about negative thoughts and feelings. A solution-focused approach can bring about significant changes in as few as four sessions, even if your problems are more complex. In case of deep-rooted issues, like childhood trauma, depression or addiction, you’d likely need more than four sessions to feel long-lasting positive results. You don’t have to commit to multiple sessions at once and can decide if you need or don’t need another session on the spot.