Couples Counseling in the Chicago Area
Get your relationship back on track in days or weeks instead of months or even years. Intensive couples counseling is ideal for couples who have built a life together but feel stuck in patterns of stress, misunderstanding, and emotional disconnection. A short-term intensive approach helps you to quickly get unstuck and back on the path of the relationship you deserve.
A practical approach to couples therapy
Couples therapy does not have to mean endless talking or taking sides. Real change happens when someone helps you slow the pattern down, name what is actually happening, and focus on what will make a difference.
My approach helps you build momentum towards the change you are trying to make. It gives you time to work through old issues and wounds, to learn new ways of connecting and communicating, and to get coaching on putting it all together.
Couples counseling in Chicago IL
You are tired of having the same fight over and over again. No matter how many times you talk about it, nothing really seems to change. One of you feels overwhelmed, carrying too much, and growing resentful. The other feels criticized, shut out, and unsure how to get it right. Both of you feel exhausted and disconnected.
Ordinary moments turn into arguments that go on for days. Resentment builds, affection fades, and you can’t seem to figure out how to stop it all from happening. You may still care deeply about each other, but lately it feels hard to function as a team. You want to enjoy each other’s company again, have easier communication and less conflict, but you do not know how to get there on your own.
My name is Melinda, I am a couples counselor in Chicago, and I Can Help.
Melinda Yachnin, counselor in Chicago area specializing in relationships.
I’m Melinda Yachnin and I provide couples therapy in the Chicago area, in-person and remote, for long-term couples who care about each other but are worn down by stress, miscommunication, and emotional distance.
I work like a coach, actively helping you talk to each other rather than mediating your arguments. I focus on getting to the heart of the issue and guiding you toward more effective communication. I don’t want to be in your marriage forever! I want to help you learn how to talk to each other about anything that comes up so that you don’t need to be in counseling any longer than necessary.
I am passionate about helping long-term couples find their way back to each other by learning how to respond differently in the moments that usually derail you.
Contact me for a free consultation for counseling in the Chicago area
If you are tired of having the same fight, if your relationship feels tense or distant, and if you want clear, practical help rather than blame or judgment, schedule a free 15-minute phone consult today.
We will talk through your goals and map out what a better relationship could look like. Call (312) 409-4960 or click here to book your phone consult for couples counseling.
Frequently Asked Questions About Couples Counseling in Chicago
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Typical treatments last somewhere between 8-15 sessions, depending on the issues a couple is bringing into therapy. Your therapist will check in with you by your 15th session to determine if it makes sense to continue treatment or if you have gotten what you needed. We recommend 2-3 follow-up sessions at that point to reinforce the changes you have begun to make.
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Individual treatment typically lasts 8-20 sessions, as we have come to recognize the proven benefits of short-term therapy. It is always an option to do more or fewer sessions, of course, which you can work out directly with your therapist.
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I counsel couples and individuals both in person and online, throughout the state of Illinois.
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For couples, sessions range from 60-90 minutes. Sometimes couples benefit from having longer sessions (2-3 hours) so that they can really address and resolve the issues that brought them into therapy in the first place; this would be worked out directly with your therapist. Individual sessions are 45-50 minutes.
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Couple sessions are $225 for 60-minutes, and $325 for 90-minutes. Individual sessions are $165.
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We are in-network with BCBS-PPO so accept the rates indicated by BCBS. If you have another kind of insurance, you would need to pay for your sessions out-of-pocket and then receive reimbursement from your insurance company directly. We are happy to submit claims to any insurance company on your behalf.
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You might still benefit from pursuing individual counseling. Therapy can help you work through your side of the relationship, develop insight about yourself, and work on your self-care.
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Spend a few minutes before each session thinking about what you’d like to discuss, if you want to get the most out of the therapeutic process. In early sessions, your therapist will help you identify goals for treatment and then assign “homework” at the end of each session so you can put into practice what you are learning. Come to your session ready to reflect on how your practice went during the week and any other issues that are relevant to the goals you have set.
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Intensive counseling sessions are typically 3-4 hours long. Some couples benefit from doing 4 of these over a long weekend; other couples prefer to schedule them biweekly over a couple of months.
In-person and remote options for Couples Counseling in Chicago area
My offices are conveniently located in downtown Chicago and in the western suburbs in La Grange Illinois. Can’t make it into the office? No worries – I’ve got you covered with online therapy in Illinois.