Couples Therapy

and Individual Therapy for Relationship Issues

Online therapy for Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and New Mexico residents, with licensed therapist in Tucson, Jacob Gotwals, MA.

Having relationship issues?

Therapy with me can help—either couples therapy (with you and your partner together) or individual therapy (with just you).

In couples therapy, also known as marriage counseling or relationship therapy, I provide a safe space and guidance to help you and your partner discuss issues, work towards solutions, and improve your relationship together.
In individual therapy, you and I meet one-on-one to explore and resolve the relationship issues that have been affecting you.

I can help with:

Communication and conflict: Improve communication so you can express your thoughts and feelings more effectively, listen with more empathy, and understand each other more deeply. Learn how to handle conflict in healthier, more constructive ways. Resolve resentment so you can move forward and enjoy your relationship.
Emotional and sexual intimacy: Rebuild or strengthen your emotional connection with your partner. Resolve sexual issues so you can enjoy intimacy more. I have training in human sexuality and I feel comfortable discussing sexual issues. I take an open, non-judgmental approach to addressing sexual challenges (like high or low desire, shame/embarrassment about desires, and difficulty meeting sexual expectations).
Attachment styles: Some people prefer more closeness in relationships while others prefer more distance and independence. These differences in attachment style can often lead to stress, hurt feelings, and conflict in relationships; I can help you understand and navigate these issues. If you often feel uncomfortable when your partners want more closeness or more distance, I can help you develop a more secure attachment style in which you feel more relaxed, confident, and flexible in your relationships.
Individual growth and differences: Partners often have differences and change and grow over time; this can cause stress in relationships. I can help partners understand and accept each other’s differences, individual growth, and changes, to foster more mutual support and understanding in your relationship.
Monogamy and polyamory: I work with individuals and couples who are monogamous as well as those who are interested in alternatives to monogamy (such as polyamory and other forms of ethical non-monogamy). If you’re exploring alternatives to monogamy, I can help you discuss options with your partner, negotiate what commitments you want to make to each other, and make adjustments to your relationship. I can also provide support for navigating challenges that may arise related to monogamy and polyamory.
Relationship choices: Whether you’re single, dating, or in a long-term relationship, I can provide support as you make choices about relationships—for instance, whether to pursue, maintain, change, or end a given relationship. (Since relationship choices are significant personal decisions, I won’t make these decisions for you or tell you what to do; I will help you process your thoughts, feelings, and experiences so you can access your inner knowing about what to do.)

Grief and relationship trauma: I can provide support as you process feelings of grief that may arise when a relationship changes or ends. If you’ve had distressing experiences in a relationship, I can provide support as you heal and recover from these experiences. When you heal unresolved trauma, this can help your relationships be happier, more peaceful, and more stable.

How I Can Help

Whether you’re trying to start a relationship, in a committed relationship, or recovering from a breakup or divorce, therapy with me can help. I’ll start by talking with you to understand the issues you've been facing and your goals for therapy. Then we’ll work together to find the causes of your relationship problems and start resolving them.

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Frequently Asked Questions

I welcome couples with low to moderate conflict, who want to improve their relationship, and who are free of problematic addictions. If there is a high level of conflict in your relationship (for instance, ongoing anger, blame, and hostility), if either partner is intending to leave the relationship, or if either partner is suffering from an addiction that is negatively impacting the relationship, consult another therapist who specializes in these issues. If your partner isn’t committed to improving the relationship, consider individual therapy for yourself.
Please see my about page.
I have a no-secrets policy for couples therapy (which means that if you and your partner are doing couples therapy with me together, and you share information with me one-on-one, I may share that information with your partner).
I welcome clients who have children; however, I specialize in romantic relationships, not parenting relationships. If you’re mainly seeking support for a parenting-related issue, or if you’re seeking a therapist for your adult child to help them become less dependent on you, consult another therapist who specializes in these issues.
I don’t provide child custody evaluation or any other type of forensic (court-related) evaluation; I don’t provide child custody recommendation letters or other forensic evaluations of my clients, their romantic partners, or their family members, since this would involve a conflict of interest. (As your therapist, my role is to be therapeutic; this is incompatible with the role of a forensic expert, which is to be objective.) If you need a forensic evaluation, consult a forensic psychologist.
I welcome clients who want to heal from abuse or domestic violence that happened in the past. If someone is using abuse or violence to maintain power and control over you now (whether it’s physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal/emotional abuse, mental/psychological abuse, financial/economic abuse, or cultural/identity abuse), go to the website of the National Domestic Violence Hotline to get help, or call the hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233). Individual therapy (with another therapist who specializes in helping victims of current abuse) may be helpful, but couples therapy is never appropriate for abusive relationships.