Couples Therapy in Sandy Springs, GA

    If you’re searching for couples therapy in Sandy Springs, you’re probably not in the middle of a dramatic crisis. More likely, you’re in the quiet, exhausting middle of something harder to name: the same argument on repeat, conversations that go nowhere, a partnership that runs the household beautifully and connects almost never.

    I’m Michelle Morris, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Imago Relationship Therapist with over 30 years of clinical experience. My Sandy Springs practice specializes in exactly this kind of couple — high-functioning people whose relationship has become the one place their competence doesn’t seem to work.

    Relationship conflict is not a logic problem

    You’ve probably already tried to solve this rationally. Date nights. Better scheduling. Agreeing to “communicate better.” If logic could fix it, you’d have fixed it years ago — you’re good at logic.

    Relationship conflict is a nervous-system problem. When your partner’s tone hits an old wound, your body responds before your reasoning does: fight, shut down, criticize, withdraw. Your partner’s body answers in kind. Within seconds, two intelligent adults are running an automatic loop neither of them chose. Couples therapy that actually works has to work at that level — and that’s what I do.

    How I work with couples

    My primary approach is Imago Relationship Therapy, a structured, research-informed method I’m formally certified in. Rather than rehashing each week’s fights, we decode the pattern underneath all of them. You’ll learn the Imago Dialogue — a way of talking that keeps both of you regulated enough to actually hear each other — and you’ll practice it in session until it starts showing up at home.

    Sessions are 75 minutes, longer than the standard therapy hour, because meaningful dialogue between two people needs room to breathe. I draw on neuroscience and attachment theory throughout, so you’ll understand not just what to do differently, but why your relationship works the way it does. Couples routinely tell me the moment things changed was the moment their partner’s behavior finally made sense.

    What couples bring to my office

    • The same recurring fight — about money, parenting, chores, sex, in-laws — that never resolves
    • Feeling like roommates or co-managers instead of partners
    • One partner who pursues and one who withdraws
    • Rebuilding after infidelity or a breach of trust
    • Preparing well for marriage (premarital counseling)
    • A relationship that isn’t in crisis but isn’t close, and the fear that “fine” is all there is

    Why couples in Sandy Springs choose this practice

    Specialization, not generalism. Couples work isn’t one of a dozen things I do — it’s the center of my practice, backed by formal Imago certification through Imago Relationships International and membership in GRITS (Georgia Regional Imago Therapists of the Southeast).

    Experience. Thirty-plus years of clinical work means very little surprises me, and you won’t spend your sessions educating your therapist.

    Transparency. My fees are published, my approach is explained, and every couple starts with a free 20-minute consultation. You’ll know exactly what you’re choosing before you choose it.

    Flexibility. In-person sessions at my office at 6000 Lake Forrest Drive (Suite 400), just off Roswell Road with easy access from GA-400 — convenient to Dunwoody, Buckhead, Roswell, Brookhaven, and the Perimeter area. Secure telehealth is available if you’d rather skip Atlanta traffic, or if you’re anywhere in Georgia, Pennsylvania, or California.

    Fees and insurance

    Couples sessions are 75 minutes at $375. I’m out of network with insurance, and I provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement — many PPO plans reimburse a substantial portion, and I’ll walk you through how to check your benefits during your consultation.

    Frequently asked questions

    How do I know if we need couples therapy? If the same conflict keeps recurring, if conversations about the relationship go badly or don’t happen at all, or if you feel more like logistics partners than a couple, therapy is appropriate. You don’t need a crisis to qualify — the couples who benefit most often come in before one.

    What if my partner doesn’t want to come? This is the most common starting point. I recommend the reluctant partner join the free 20-minute consultation with no commitment — it’s a conversation, not a session. Skeptical partners often become the most engaged once they see the process is structured and fair, and that nobody is going to be ganged up on.

    How long does couples therapy take? Most couples feel a meaningful shift within two to three months of weekly or biweekly sessions. A full course of work typically runs three to nine months. My goal is to make you independent of me, not attached to therapy.

    Do you see couples online? Yes — secure, HIPAA-compliant video sessions for couples located anywhere in Georgia, Pennsylvania, or California.

    Couples therapy vs. marriage counseling — is there a difference? The terms are used interchangeably, and I work with married and unmarried couples alike. What matters is the method: structured, attachment-based work that changes the pattern, not just the week’s argument.

    Start with a free 20-minute consultation. Book online or call/text (404) 383-0275. Office: 6000 Lake Forrest Drive, Suite 400, Sandy Springs, GA 30328.