Couples Therapy
Connected doesn’t mean conflict-free.
You can love each other and still get it wrong.
You can have real hurt between you and still want to repair it.
You can disagree and still be on the same team.
You can have a strong relationship and still want to take better care of it.
Couples therapy is not about eliminating conflict.
It is about giving you more ways to understand each other, repair the pain points, and find your way back to one another with deeper empathy and understanding.
Therapy that looks at the relationship as a whole.
A difficult season is not the whole relationship. Neither is an argument, a betrayal, a period of disconnection, or the one topic you cannot seem to discuss without ending up in the same place.
Couples therapy gives us space to understand what happens between you when things get hard - what each of you is trying to communicate, what gets missed, the patterns that keep repeating, and what can help you respond to one another differently.
With more than 20 years of experience working with couples, I use a focused, evidence-based, and integrative approach to identify and change the cycles affecting your relationship.
We may explore the emotions and attachment needs beneath each partner’s reactions, strengthen communication and repair, rebuild trust, deepen connection, and develop healthier ways of navigating conflict even when you do not agree.
15-minute consultation
Before scheduling your first couples therapy appointment, we will have a complimentary 15-minute consultation.
This brief call gives you an opportunity to share what you are seeking, ask questions, and determine together whether my approach and services are a good fit for your relationship.
Initial evaluation
90-minutes • $300
Our first session is a comprehensive evaluation of your relationship, current concerns, relevant history, strengths, and what you hope to change or strengthen through therapy.
We will explore communication and conflict, closeness and distance, recurring relationship cycles, trust, intimacy, friendship, and significant experiences that may still be influencing the relationship today.
From there, we begin developing a personalized treatment plan based on the needs, goals, and strengths of your relationship.
Couples Therapy
90 minutes • $300
I have designed couples sessions to have extended time to move beyond simply reviewing what happened during the week and focus more closely on the interactions, emotions, and communication patterns affecting your relationship.
Depending on your goals, sessions may include slowing down difficult interactions, strengthening communication and repair, identifying underlying attachment needs, rebuilding trust, deepening friendship and intimacy, and developing healthier ways of responding to one another when emotions run high.
Gottman Relationship Checkup (optional)
$150
The Gottman Relationship Checkup is an optional relationship assessment that can provide an additional layer of insight into your relationship.
Each partner completes the confidential assessment independently. It explores areas such as communication and conflict, friendship and intimacy, trust, shared values and goals, parenting, finances, and individual concerns that may be affecting the relationship.
I review and clinically interpret the results to identify relationship strengths, differences in perspective, and areas that may benefit from focused attention. Relevant findings can then be incorporated into your treatment plan.
Meet Linell Berkley, MSW, LCSW
Psychotherapist | EMDRIA Certified Therapist | Certified EME Practitioner
I have spent more than 20 years working with couples, and one thing experience has taught me is that two people can live inside the same relationship and experience it very differently.
Both experiences matter.
My approach is structured, collaborative, and focused on helping us understand both the dynamics affecting your relationship and the deeper emotional needs influencing them.
Depending on what will best support the two of you, treatment may incorporate the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy, attachment-based approaches, and Imago strategies.
The goal is to deepen empathy, increase understanding of each partner’s experience, and strengthen connection within the relationship.
You don’t need a perfect relationship.
You need a way to come back to each other when things get hard.
To understand what is really being said. To repair when something hurts. To remember that even in conflict, you are still on the same team.
There can be another way forward together.
You may be looking for a different kind of support.
Individual Therapy
One-on-one psychotherapy for anxiety, stress, trauma, grief, relationship concerns, insomnia, perfectionism, life transitions, and other experiences affecting how you feel and function.
EMDR Intensive Therapy
Extended, personalized EMDR treatment when a specific experience, concern, or response may benefit from more focused therapeutic time.
EME coaching
My separate, non-clinical coaching services centered around emotion, mind, energy, self-awareness, and intentional change.
Professional Referrals Welcome
I welcome referrals from therapists, physicians, and other professionals seeking couples therapy for patients or clients navigating recurring conflict, disconnection, trust concerns, attachment injuries, intimacy concerns, major transitions, or a desire to strengthen their relationship.
When appropriate and with written authorization, I am happy to coordinate with established providers to support continuity of care.
What to know before getting started.
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Berkley Wellness is a self-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly. Superbills are available upon request for clients who wish to seek reimbursement through their insurance provider. Reimbursement depends on individual out-of-network benefits and is not guaranteed.
HSA and FSA funds may be used for eligible services.
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Not at all. Couples often attend therapy because help with communication, intimacy, resolving conflict, life transitions, or needing to heal past pain points. And some have a strong relationship that matters enough to them to keep it healthy and conscious by having dedicated time for reflection.
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Your first session is a comprehensive 90 minute evaluation of your relationship, current concerns, and what you hope to change or strengthen through therapy.
We will explore:
Each partners family of origin history and experiences prior to the relationship
Communication and conflict patterns, including how needs are expressed and how each partner responds during difficult moments
Attachment patterns, including experiences of closeness, distance, safety, and emotional responsiveness
Recurring relationship cycles that contribute to conflict, withdrawal, resentment, or disconnection
Relationship history and significant experiences that continue to influence the present
Trust, intimacy, friendship, and emotional connection
Relationship strengths and resources that can support change
Treatment priorities and goals for your work together
From there, we will begin developing a personalized treatment plan based on the needs and strengths of your relationship.
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Yes. I see clients in person at Berkley Wellness in Appleton and through telehealth throughout Wisconsin.
Out-of-State Care Coming Soon: Wisconsin has officially joined the Social Work Licensure Compact. While the national system is still being built, we anticipate being able to legally treat clients outside of Wisconsin once multistate licenses launch in mid-to-late 2027.
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The Gottman Relationship Checkup is optional however highly recommended. This is a research-based assessment developed by The Gottman Institute where partner independently answers the questions and I clinically review and analyze the results. It can provide additional insight into communication, conflict, friendship, intimacy, trust, shared values and goals, parenting, finances, and individual concerns affecting the relationship.
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No. The Checkup is optional, however highly recommended. If you choose to complete it, the $150 fee includes the assessment for both partners, my clinical review and analysis, and integration of relevant findings into our work together. While these topics will be addressed within therapy, having this information gives us jumpstart that ultimately can save you time and speed up progress.
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Couples therapy may be especially helpful for:
Identifying and changing recurring conflict and relationship cycles
Communicating needs more clearly and respond with greater understanding
Rebuilding trust and repair unresolved emotional injuries or betrayals
Strengthening emotional connection, friendship, and intimacy
Navigating persistent concerns involving parenting, finances, roles, or other sensitive topics
Deepening an already strong relationship or navigating important life transitions
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Yes. Couples Therapy is psychotherapy provided by Linell Berkley, MSW, LCSW, a Wisconsin Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Treatment may include clinical assessment of relationship concerns and patterns, treatment planning, and evidence-based couples therapy interventions. Couples Therapy is a clinical service and is distinct from Berkley Wellness coaching services. It is provided under separate clinical consent, documentation, and professional standards.