Couples Therapy Maryland
LGBTQIA+ Affirming and Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy, for relationships of all shapes and sizes.
At Better Together Family Therapy, we meet you where you are — and we stay with you as you discover where you want to go. If you’ve tried traditional couples therapy and felt misunderstood, overwhelmed by one-size-fits-all models, or frustrated by assumptions about how relationships “should” work, you’re not alone.
You deserve a space where your unique neurodivergent strengths, your identity, and your lived experience are valued, not pathologized. This is that space.
Marriage Counseling Maryland: What makes us different
Neurodiversity-affirming care
We honor ADHD, autism, sensory differences, anxiety, and a wide range of neurotypes. Your self-knowledge isn’t just welcome; it’s part of the map we build together.
LGBTQIA+ affirming practice
Your identity is part of the therapy’s foundation, not a sidebar. We help you navigate love, belonging, and everyday life with dignity and clarity.
Collaborative, adaptable tools
We draw from Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and other evidence based practices. We use the framework of Integrative Systemic Therapy to select the best tools at the right times for your relationship. What you’ll notice most is how our approach adapts to your relationship’s rhythms and needs.
Location and accessibility
Based in Kensington, MD, we offer flexible in-person and teletherapy options to meet you where you are across Maryland and the DC metro area. We’re easy to get to from Silver Spring, Rockville, Chevy Chase, Olney, Wheaton, and Bethesda.
Who we help: Neurocomplex & Neurotypical Partners
We help neurodiverse couples (including polyamorous and nontraditional structures) find relationship guidance that respects their brains, routines, and boundaries.
We give LGBTQIA+ couples and queer+ neurodiverse partnerships seeking an affirming space to grow together.
We support parents in navigating parenting together when one or both partners are neurodivergent. We guide couples early in their journey (premarital or new-stage relationships) in setting a strong foundation and those with years of shared history working to reconnect.
Our Approach: Relationship Counseling Maryland
A great relationship is built around who you are, not who someone else says you should be.
Integrative Systemic Therapy (IST) is our backbone for understanding family dynamics and personal identity within relationships. IST is a modern model of therapy that integrates the tools of all evidence based approaches into one relationship counseling roadmap. In our work, you’ll find interventions from
Solution Focused Therapy
The Gottman Method
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Narrative Therapy
Bowen Family Systems
Imago Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Couples Therapy
All are adapted for neurodiverse relationship patterns (communication, repair, and intimacy practices that fit you). We translate theory into practice with concrete, daily-life applications that you can use at home—no cookie-cutter scripts.
Our Toolkit for Neuro-exceptional Couples
Our toolkit isn’t about forcing you into a mold; it’s about equipping you with practical, reliable moves you can actually use.
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What it is: Shared touch, knee-to-knee positioning, or simple breathwork to settle arousal before conversation.
Why it helps: When both brains feel safe, communication flows more clearly.
How you’ll use it: Short, repeatable routines before tough talks or when one partner is overwhelmed.
Practical example: In a tense moment, you pause, place a hand on the other person’s forearm, inhale together for four counts, exhale for six, then resume with a single, focused question.
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What it is: Finding key phrases that cue your partner how to respond to you.
Why it helps: Reduces paralysis or avoidance, especially for partners who feel overwhelmed by choices or open ended questions.
How you’ll use it: A short signaling script you can deploy to keep your partner informed of what you want or accomplish a decision making task.
Practical example: When you need help solving a problem, you might say “I have a puzzle. Will you help me solve it?” When you don’t want solutions, you might start with “I need to idea-dump. Can you just listen this time?”
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What it is: Prioritizing a single change rather than attempting multiple adjustments at once.
Why it helps: Prevents overload and keeps momentum sustainable.
How you’ll use it: Identify the top goal for the week, define concrete steps, and celebrate small wins.
Practical example: Instead of changing “our communication,” the couple selects “practice checking in every evening for five minutes.”
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What it is: A defined process for relationship repair when missteps happen (acknowledge, repair, re-engage).
Why it helps: Builds safety, trust, and a predictable path back to connection.
How you’ll use it: A simple post-misstep routine you can follow in minutes.
Practical example: After a misstep, each partner names one word capturing their feeling, then the couple agrees on one small next step to try.
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What it is: Phrases and cues that reinforce your right to be yourselves and to shape their relationship.
Why it helps: Grounding conversations in self-trust reduces defensiveness and increases openness.
How you’ll use it: In-session prompts and at-home reminders.
Practical example: “I know myself well enough to know what I need,” used before a tough request.
What to Expect in Sessions
A collaborative process: You bring your life, your identities, and your goals; we bring structure, curiosity, and a map to help you reach them.
Work at Your Pace: We honor slow, steady progress when that’s what you need, and we’ll adjust as your relationship needs shift.
Safety and boundaries: We’re explicit about consent, confidentiality, and what’s feasible in your household and daily life.
Who We Are
Our team: A diverse collective with shared commitments to neurodiversity-affirming and LGBTQIA+ affirming care.
Credentials and commitment: We are licensed, insured, and dedicated to ongoing learning in inclusive therapy practices. Our team consists of Marriage and Family Therapists, Art Therapists, Clinical Professional Counselors, Clinical Social Workers, and an Intern to offer the same quality care at a lower price.
How to Get Started: Make a Move Toward the Love You Want
Request an appointment. We’ll give you a call to answer your questions and help you determine if we’re the right fit. Reach out to start the conversation and move toward a relationship that truly fits you
Read More About Our Approach (Coming Soon)
FAQs About Couples Therapy
Is couples therapy Maryland covered by insurance?
The answer to this question is complex, and we’re happy to help you answer it. First, we are out of network providers, so the remaining information in this section only applies to you if your insurance plan covers services delivered by an out of network provider.
Insurance plans typically need to know two things when making coverage decisions.
What kind of service is being provided, as indicated by a procedure code (CPT code). The procedure code for therapy involving a patient and a family member of that patient is 90847.
What medical condition is being treated using that service, as indicated by a diagnosis code. The condition must be diagnosed by the provider who is performing the treatment. Let us know if you would like to receive a diagnostic evaluation from your couples therapist before starting therapy. This step is necessary if you plan to file a claim with your insurance.
If your couples therapist has not performed a diagnostic evaluation of at least one partner, there will not be a diagnosis code in your records, and insurance will not consider your couples therapy to be a medical service.
Will marriage counselors ever suggest divorce?
A therapist’s job is to help you discover what YOU want. They help people make their own decisions from a place of strength. A good marriage counselor won’t direct you to choose one option over another. They will guide you in getting the most out of what you choose for yourself.
When one or both partners is considering divorce, there is a special process called Discernment Counseling that should be done before couples therapy begins. This is to ensure that both partners enter couples therapy committed to working on the relationship. Discernment Counseling guides partners toward agreement on one of 3 options: work on improving the relationship, end the relationship, or keep things as they are. All 3 are valid options, and the choice is yours and your partner’s.
While your therapist should never suggest divorce, he/she/they may advise you to get out of a situation that endangers you. For example, if your partner is threatening or abusing you, a therapist might recommend that you find a place to stay where you are safe from abuse. Resources for those who feel unsafe at home can be found here, and a sample safety plan can be found here.