Struggling in your relationship? You’re not alone.
Expert Couples Counseling in
San Diego, California
You don’t have to face this alone.
Let’s find a path forward—together.
Couples Therapy and Counseling Services:
Helping You Break Toxic Cycle
At Estes Therapy San Diego, we provide compassionate and evidence-based couples counseling to help you and your partner build a stronger, more fulfilling relationship.
Led by Jennine Estes-Powell, LMFT, Co-Author of Help for High-Conflict Couples, our therapy sessions offer a safe, nonjudgmental space to work through relationship struggles with guidance from an experienced professional. We use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help you reconnect and develop healthier relationship habits.
Let’s work together to break those toxic cycles for good.
What We Offer
Whether you’re married, engaged, or in a long-term partnership, our approach is tailored to help you overcome challenges and grow together as a team.
Our Services Include:
- Marriage Counseling – Strengthen your connection and resolve deep-rooted conflicts.
- Pre-Marital Counseling – Lay the groundwork for a happy, lasting partnership.
- Conflict Resolution – Learn effective strategies to handle disagreements with respect.
- Rebuilding Trust – Heal from past wounds and rebuild a solid foundation together.
- Communication Coaching – Improve how you express thoughts and emotions to deepen understanding.
- 50-Minute Sessions – $150 Per Session
- Insurance Not Accepted – Private Pay Only
Why Choose Our
Couples & Relationship Counseling?
Every 50-minute session at Estes Therapy is tailored to your unique relationship dynamics, ensuring you receive the guidance and support you need.
We integrate Attachment Theory and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to address deep-rooted relational patterns.
Work with experienced marriage and relationship counseling therapists to strengthen your bond.
Our sessions focus on real solutions to relationship struggles, equipping you with tools for long-term success.
Pay as you go—no contracts required. Therapy should fit your life, not the other way around.
A safe, welcoming environment where you can openly discuss your concerns with a licensed therapist.
Trusted by couples for compassionate, professional support that truly makes a difference.
Hear from Couples and Individuals Who Found Healing with Us
Meet
Jennine Estes Powell
Jennine Estes Powell, LMFT, is a nationally recognized leader in couples and relationship counseling. Co-author of the acclaimed book Help for High-Conflict Couples, Jennine is certified in EFT and trained in EMDR, making her highly qualified to support couples dealing with trauma, conflict, and disconnection.
Beyond her private practice, Jennine mentors and supervises Associate Marriage and Family Therapists, helping shape the next generation of therapists. Her extensive experience and dedication to couples therapy make her invaluable for couples seeking real, sustainable growth in their relationships.
How Our Couples Therapy Works:
A Path to Healing and Growth
At Estes Therapy, our couples therapy approach is rooted in EFT, a proven method for helping partners heal and grow together. In EFT, we understand that emotions are not just a byproduct of human experiences.
Instead, they are personal truths on how we make sense of our experiences.
When couples face disconnection, the unexpressed longing and sadness from isolation often cause the most pain. However, these powerful emotions can also be the key to restoring the connection between partners.
Through our compassionate guidance, we help couples use this emotional vulnerability to reconnect. Once that bond is restored, it becomes a strength to face the stresses and challenges of life. With this renewed emotional security, couples are empowered to solve their own problems, fostering more profound understanding, resilience, and growth in their relationship.
What to Expect
During Couples Therapy
Here’s an overview of the key steps in couple’s therapy:
Throughout the journey, our couples therapy is designed to help you and your partner develop lasting tools for a healthier, more connected relationship.
- Taking note of relationship history and observing interaction patterns: Your therapist will start by understanding your relationship dynamics and how you interact with each other.
- Identifying the most pressing issues: Together, you and your partner will pinpoint the fundamental problems affecting your relationship.
- Uncovering unspoken fears and insecurities: The therapist will help reveal the underlying fears contributing to negative interaction patterns.
- De-escalating emotional reactivity and distress: Initial sessions focus on reducing tension and calming heightened emotions to create a safe space for communication.
- Recognizing and responding to emotional needs: Couples learn how to better understand and meet each other’s emotional needs.
- Restoring a deep emotional bond: In the second stage, therapy aims to rebuild a secure emotional connection between partners.
- Creating security and vulnerability: The goal is to help partners feel safe enough to share their vulnerabilities and support each other.
- Reframing negative behaviors: The therapist actively works to reframe behaviors like anger or withdrawal as efforts to seek connection rather than seeing them as harmful actions.
- Consolidating progress with new solutions: Final sessions focus on resolving lingering issues and implementing healthier ways to handle future conflicts.
- Practicing connection during difficult times: Couples learn how to stay connected and comfort each other, even during challenging situations.
Personalized Couples Therapy Starts Here
- Match with the Right Therapist Today!
Appointments Filling Fast – Reserve Your Session Before It’s Gone!
Frequently Asked Questions
At Estes Therapy, we believe in the transformative power of couples therapy. Studies show that 70-90% of couples find therapy highly beneficial in improving their relationship. Nearly two-thirds of couples also report improvements in their overall physical well-being. Success rates are closely tied to the commitment and number of sessions—so the more you invest in your therapy journey, the greater the potential for long-term, positive change.
EFT is one of the most effective approaches for couples looking to transform their relationships. Studies show that of the 90% of couples who undergo EFT therapy, they experience significant improvements in their relationships. Meanwhile, 70-75% are no longer meeting the criteria for relationship distress after treatment. This success rate far exceeds the 35% effectiveness of other leading couples therapy methods.
Absolutely. While the average cost of couples therapy may be over $300 a month, 94% of couples say it’s worth the investment, and 83% consider it a top priority in their relationship. Many couples who stop therapy do so because it has successfully helped them achieve their goals.
