Counseling for Couples
Empowering couples with real solutions to connect and communicate better.
We offer in-person therapy at our Cedar Park office, conveniently located to serve clients from North Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Georgetown, and Liberty Hill. Online appointments for anyone in Texas.
Right Place
In person or online availability
Right Time
Sunday to Thursday 1 pm to 9 pm
Right Now
We’re ready to start when you are!
When Did Feeling Connected Become So Hard?
Does this sound familiar?
Miscommunication has become your new normal, breeding hostility
Sex and intimacy are a stress and not a joy (when it happens at all)
You feel sick at the thought of ending it
You feel yourself tense up at the thought of it not ending
You're scared to talk to your family or friends for fear of what they would say
We can help.
Couples therapy offers you an opportunity to find and change the real problems. Together, you and your partner will learn why the normal advice is failing you miserably (and what actually works). We’ll work together to find new ways to overcome deep pain (even the pain of infidelity). You may quickly find your connection and your communication improving.
You just might find that spark that seems to have gone missing.
Our Process
Assessment / Discovery
The first thing we do is like a big check-up chat. We talk about everything going on in your life: your body (like if you're tired or sick), your feelings (are you sad, mad, or scared?), and your world (stuff at home, school, or with friends). It's like making a treasure map of what's bugging you. No judgments—just figuring out the whole picture so we know exactly where to start helping. This takes a little time (usually one or two sessions), but it makes everything else way easier.
De-escalation
In this phase, we will take four big steps toward better connection. We will look at how most of your fights follow predictable patterns. You’ll see how both you and your spouse contribute to that pattern and why. At this stage, you work to surface the core problem — the pattern itself.
Change the Pattern
Most folks come to marriage counseling saying that they need to work on communication. This stage is where we do just that. We’ll work to change the pattern of your communication so that you both feel seen, heard, and understood. You’ll learn to communicate for connection.
Problem Solving
Finally, some problems you came to therapy with you may have already started to solve through better connection and improved communication. Some problems may be stickier, but with a stronger connection, new solutions can now emerge.
Chad Patterson, LCSW
Chad works with couples at every stage of a relationship to improve connection and communication.
Chad primarily uses Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) to help you and your partner see and respond more effectively to each other.
This process helps couples along the continuum from “we need a tune-up” to “we are in crisis.”
You’re Not Alone in This
You’re human, and you’ve been through some stuff that left a mark. Some lived experience is your brain and body trying to make sense of something that was too much to carry alone. But you don’t have to carry it by yourself anymore.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes! We encourage you to book a FREE 20-minute consultation with the therapist you want to work with. In that call, you can discuss what brings you to therapy, what you hope to get out of therapy, and how your new therapist can help you.
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Marriage counseling works by helping you discover how your thoughts, emotions, and actions dance together in the interactions with your partner.
When placed next to your lived experience, sometimes these three interplay in ways that drive you apart. At other times, these three interplay in ways that deepen your connection and give you flexibility that is effective in navigating life’s ups and downs.
When we see ineffective patterns, we work to alter those patterns so that you both feel safe, connected, and fully present.
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Every person’s experience is different. Some reach their goals in just a handful of weeks. Others face more complex or ongoing problems that require more time. That said, the most common time frame for those who work with us is between 12 and 24 sessions. This usually starts with weekly meetings and tapers to every other week later on. Ask your therapist what’s right for you.
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When we first meet, we’ll talk about what is bringing you in and what life would be like if it were better. Periodically, we’ll refer back to that moment and see if you are living that reality or an old reality.
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Yes, it is normal to be nervous. Reaching out to your new therapist fills many with a strange sense of vulnerability. We know how hard that first call can be (because we’ve made that call for ourselves at one time or another), and we want to make it as easy for you as possible.
We promise that we are not analyzing you or judging you. We promise we can’t “see into your soul.”
We can work with you over time to discover your strengths and your unique dance with thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
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Your first session will start either by meeting in our office or logging onto a secure, private, and online meeting room.
If in person, you’ll have a code to get into the front door. There is a quiet waiting area with water and Jolly Ranchers for you to enjoy.
When your appointment time comes, your therapist will bring you back to a quiet, comfortable room.
In our first conversation together, your therapist’s primary goal is to get to know you better and start a partnership. You are a unique and amazing person, and we refuse to make assumptions about you or your experience.
We’ll also give you the opportunity to ask us anything.
We are also likely to propose a direction for moving forward and see how that sounds to you.
Many clients report feeling a sense of relief and hope when that first hour has passed. We hope you will, too.
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In marriage therapy, we look at what comes alive in the counseling room. I have resources (books) you can read. However, I rarely make them required.
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No. But we know some folks we trust if you need medication. We will work with you regardless.
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You can cry. (I did when I went to therapy). You don’t have to cry. Not everyone does. Sometimes counseling surfaces big emotions because your nervous system recognizes that you are at long last in a safe enough place to actually let them be there. No matter how you express your emotions, know you won’t be judged for it.
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When your goals are met, you’ll have some choices. Some taper to monthly or even semi-quarterly meetings. Others ask to go to an “as needed” status, whereby they are no longer making regular appointments but maintain client status for a time (this option is time-limited and requires your therapist's approval). Some ask to be discharged.
The ultimate goal is not to be dependent on your counselor but to learn how to practice resilience skills on your own. We’re not here to make you a forever client. We are here to be a support and help as long as you need us.
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Chad Patterson, LCSW - $160 per session.
We do not bill insurance directly. Many policies allow you to file for out-of-network benefits using a superbill automatically generated each month. Please contact your insurance provider to see if you have this benefit.
As time is reserved exclusively for you by our therapists, we require 48 hours’ notice to cancel a session. Exceptions to this policy are considered on a case-by-case basis
In Person or Online
We offer counseling services in person in Cedar Park, at our office easily accessible to Round Rock, Liberty Hill, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Leander, and North Austin.
Our offices are located at 507 Denali Pass, Suite 101
Online appointments are available to residents of Texas.
To learn more about therapy for your marriage at the 2510 Collective, complete the form below, and a member of our team will contact you.
If you want a more private way to reach us, feel free to give us a call at 512-434-0716