Couples Therapy · Portage & Kalamazoo
Couples Therapy & Marriage Counseling in Portage, MI
Life changes, and so do relationships. Every lasting relationship is built on the daily choice to keep choosing one another. When couples lose sight of that, even the strongest foundation can start to crack.
I'm Samantha Sanders, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. I work with married and unmarried couples in Portage, Kalamazoo and across Michigan on communication, conflict, trust and intimacy.
Signs couples therapy could help
Does any of this sound like your relationship?
- You have the same argument over and over, and it never really gets resolved
- Most of your conversations are about kids, schedules, money or who's doing what
- You feel more like roommates or business partners than a couple
- One of you pursues and the other shuts down, and you both feel unheard
- Trust has been broken, or something happened you can't seem to get past
- Affection, intimacy or desire has faded and you don't know how to talk about it
- You're trying to decide whether to stay together
If so, couples therapy can help.
What we work on
What couples therapy with me looks like
Most couples don't come in over one big problem. Usually a lot of small things have built up: work, kids, stepkids, aging parents, phones and stress take up the time you used to spend on each other.
In sessions we look at what happens between you when an argument starts: who says what, what each of you hears, and what you each need but aren't asking for. Then we practice handling it differently.
- Talking so you both feel heard
- Fighting fairly and repairing after conflict
- Getting back to friendship and fun
- Affection, intimacy and mismatched desire
- Trust after an affair or emotional affair
- Blended family stress, stepparenting and co-parenting
- Big decisions: kids, money, moves, careers and roles
- Whether and how to stay together
My approach
How I work with couples
I ask the questions that are uncomfortable but necessary, I point out patterns when I see them, and I hold both partners accountable. Therapy isn't about deciding who's right.
I've been married for more than ten years and live in a blended family myself, so I know relationships take work. My job is to help you both do that work.
The process
Why I meet with each of you on your own first
Before joint sessions begin, I meet with each partner individually for one session. It gives each of you a chance to tell your side, share history that's hard to say in front of your partner, and tell me what you want from therapy.
After those first meetings, we come together. Sessions are 45 minutes for self-pay clients and can be held in person at my Portage office or online by Zoom.
Before things get bad
You don't need to be in crisis to start
Plenty of couples start therapy when things are mostly fine but they've noticed they are drifting apart. If you'd like something to work on at home, my self-paced Re-Date Your Marriage™ course has ten modules on friendship, communication and dating each other again.
“Most relationships don’t fall apart suddenly. They unravel slowly, often quietly, when couples stop talking to each other the way best friends do—honestly, openly, and without fear.”
Getting started
How sessions work
Reach out
Call, email or send an appointment request. Samantha will get back to you to find a time.
Meet one-on-one first
For couples and family work, Samantha meets with each person individually for one session before everyone meets together, so each person can share their side.
In person or online
Meet at the Portage office on W. Centre Ave. or by Zoom or phone from anywhere in Michigan, Florida or South Carolina. Self-pay sessions run 45 minutes.
Insurance accepted: Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), Blue Care Network (BCN), Priority Health, UnitedHealthcare (UHC), TRICARE. Self-pay rates and policies are on the Rates & Insurance page.
Questions
Couples therapy questions
How much does couples therapy cost in Portage?
Self-pay couples and family sessions with Samantha are $200, and the first intake appointment is $250. If you plan to use insurance, check your plan's couples or family therapy benefits first.
Does insurance cover couples therapy?
Sometimes. Samantha is in network with BCBS, Blue Care Network, Priority Health, UnitedHealthcare and TRICARE, but many plans only cover couples or family sessions in certain situations. Call the number on your card and ask about family or couples psychotherapy benefits before your first session. Self-pay couples sessions are $200.
How many sessions of couples therapy will we need?
It depends on what brings you in and how much you practice between sessions. Some couples come for a couple of months. Others, for example after an affair, come for longer. You'll talk about goals and pace together in the first sessions.
Can I start couples therapy if my partner isn't ready?
Yes. Many people begin with individual therapy to sort out what they want and how to approach their partner. Because Samantha meets with each partner individually first, it's also an easier way for a hesitant partner to try it.
Do we have to be married?
No. Samantha works with dating, engaged, married, separated and non-monogamous partners. The work is the same: communication, trust and connection.
Can couples therapy make things worse?
Things can feel harder for a while, because you're finally talking about what's been avoided. That's normal. Samantha keeps sessions structured so hard conversations stay on track.
Do you offer online couples therapy?
Yes. Couples can meet by Zoom from anywhere in Michigan, South Carolina or Florida, even from two different locations if needed.
Office & online
Couples counseling in Portage, near Kalamazoo
The office sits on W. Centre Avenue between Oakland Drive and S. Westnedge, about two minutes from Portage City Hall and six from Crossroads Mall. It’s roughly 15 minutes from downtown Kalamazoo and WMU, under 20 from Texas Township, Vicksburg, Oshtemo and Mattawan, and within half an hour of Paw Paw, Plainwell, Richland and Battle Creek. Not close by? Sessions are also available by Zoom or phone anywhere in Michigan, South Carolina or Florida.
Therapize Counseling & Wellness
1611 W. Centre Ave., Suite 201
Portage, MI 49024
More services
Other ways I can help
Pre-Marital Counseling
Talk about money, family, conflict and expectations before the wedding.
Blended Families
Stepparents, stepkids, exes and new siblings. Help from a therapist who lives in a blended family too.
Ethical Non-Monogamy
Therapy for polyamorous, open and ethically non-monogamous relationships, without judgment.
Affair & Infidelity Recovery
For couples dealing with a physical or emotional affair, whether you stay together or not.
Intimacy & Desire
Mismatched desire, a dry spell, or feeling like roommates. Help for couples who want to feel close again.
Co-Parenting Counseling
For separated and divorced parents, and stepparents, who want less conflict and kids kept out of the middle.
Let's connect.
Schedule a couples session
Reach out to talk about what you are looking for and whether we are a good fit. In person in Portage, or online anywhere in Michigan, South Carolina or Florida.