Couple Therapy

We all know how the script plays out: two people meet, fall in love, start a life together, have beautiful kids, and so on.

You get the house, the dog, the picket fence. You and your partner spend the day running around, handling job

responsibilities, attending social gatherings, and taking your kids to way too many after-school activities. And somehow, sometimes, the story doesn’t quite fit.

Perhaps you feel like your loved one is not the same person you once called your “soulmate.” Maybe you are arguing so much you both end up exhausted and forget what the fight was about in the first place.

You may have been carrying past wounds for a while now, ignoring them or applying bandaids along the way. You might be dealing with the consequences of an affair that hurts too deeply to move on from it. Or you may simply be bored out of your mind, praying for that fire to light up again.

On top of that, you have tried it all: talking (which immediately turns into bickering), self-help books, podcasts, date nights, lingerie… You have vented with your friends and asked for advice. And nothing seems to work. You feel stuck, hopeless, and almost ready to tap out.

If any of this sounds like you, I can help!

My name is Ioana Avery. I’m a Marriage and Family Therapist serving couples in Katy, Texas, and its surrounding areas (Houston, Sugarland, and beyond). My mission is to support you and your partner with practical, evidence-based solutions to help your relationship bloom.

As a Romanian ex-pat and former flight attendant, I’ve probably heard and seen it all (well, maybe not ALL, but I’ve seen and heard a LOT and continue to learn every day). I’m also very familiar with the ebbs and flows of married-with-children life. I will meet you where you are, without judgment or criticism, so we can work through what’s troubling you—whether that is conflict, an affair, past emotional scars, and more.

You don’t have to settle for an “at least we are still together” status. You deserve to feel loved, wanted, and excited about your love life! Let’s work together to help your relationship thrive.

Whatever the need of your love story, I’m here.

Call me at 832.669.3448 or contact me to get started.

What Is Couple Therapy?

Couple therapy (or couples counseling) is a type of psychotherapy that addresses challenges in romantic relationships.

During therapy, you and your significant other will meet with a licensed therapist (like myself!) to uncover and work through issues related to unresolved conflicts, communication, intimacy, and emotional connection.

As your therapist, I’m not here to be a referee or a judge ruling on the future of your relationship. I will serve as a guide, using my years of training and evidence-based knowledge to facilitate the conversation and offer concrete recommendations. The goal is to support you both as you share your concerns, dig deeper, and find a path forward.

Benefits of Couple Therapy

Improving communication dynamics
Rebuilding or strengthening trust
Reconnecting on an emotional level
Reigniting intimacy and passion
Having painful but meaningful discussions
Healing old traumas or wounds
Getting to the root of and solving perpetual differences
Learning how to self-soothe and reach out to one another

Do We Need Couple Therapy?

No one can force you or your partner to go to therapy. In fact, treatment results highly depend on your willingness to seek help and your active participation.

But, as much as you would love to, the countless hours of meditation, massage appointments, blog articles, and glasses of wine can only go so far.

If you and your partner are struggling with the following relationship problems, consider going to couple therapy:

Navigating infidelity or affairs
Having poor communication habits
Engaging in constant fights or heated arguments
Suffering abuse or violent behavior
Experiencing intimacy issues (sexual problems, lack of emotional connection)
Failing to meet the needs and desires of one another
Struggling with external stressors (finances, careers, transitions, life events)
Having difficulties with kids, relatives, or friends
Not seeing eye to eye in beliefs, religion, or life vision
Having challenges with polyamory and non-monogamous relationships

If you are not experiencing these issues but would like to explore different ways to deepen your bond, therapy can also help.

Now, perhaps you’ve already tried therapy, and it didn’t go so well. I get that. I would be skeptical too! Yet, a key part of a successful client-therapist relationship is finding the right therapist for you.

If you are looking for someone open, empowering, empathetic, and very direct, I’m right here. I’m incredibly passionate about what I do, and I will not sugarcoat things you need to hear in order to heal.

How Does Couple Therapy Work?

In couple therapy, you and your partner have the opportunity to come to a neutral ground to discuss what is affecting you. If the issues are not entirely clear, I will help you uncover what’s at the root of your discomfort and guide you through it.

Whether it’s an old conflict, infidelity, emotional trauma, or a combination of unhelpful behaviors, we will get to the bottom of your story and identify your needs.

I will provide worksheets and precise tools based on neuroscience to help you develop and maintain effective habits. These exercises are designed to rewire your nervous system so you can find better ways to treat and react to each other, especially during emotional situations. This includes how you talk, navigate differences, and handle everyday frustrations.

The idea is to give you specific guidelines—not vague advice—to apply outside of therapy, so you can connect, trust, and enjoy each other again.

Still, if at some point you decide to take some time apart or end the relationship, I will be there to support you through that process.

Couple Therapy at Blooming Relationships Counseling

Here at Blooming Relationships Counseling, my mission is to help teens, adults, seniors, and couples create lasting changes so they can bloom and thrive.

I offer therapy services to people in Katy, Houston, Sugarland, and all across Texas through telehealth.

My couple therapy approach combines a wide range of modalities, including the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Pragmatic/Experiential Therapy for Couples (PET-C). I specifically work with Dr. Brent J. Atkinson’s manual to provide clear and actionable steps to help you meet each other’s needs and improve your relationship.

I specialize in conflict resolution, communication problems, affair recovery, intimacy issues or emotional disconnection, sexual difficulties, and more. I also provide sex therapy for individuals and couples.

Intrigued? Let’s Get Started!

If any of this rings a bell or at least sounds intriguing to you, let’s chat!

Whether you feel like your relationship is a sinking vessel or a drifting ship in need of some tender, loving care, I’m here for you.

Call me at 832.669.3448 or contact me to book an appointment today!