Workshops & Counseling for Couples

Creating healthy relationships—because everyone deserves to experience real intimacy.

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Rekindle Romance

Fight Fair

Be Happy in Love

Sad, broken heart.

Relationships are Hard

  • Do arguments come out of nowhere and never get resolved?
  • Have sex, romance and passion disappeared?
  • Do you fear your relationship might be doomed?

Everyone Deserves to be Happy in Love

Many couples are unhappy with their relationship or wonder if it could be better. At SF Bay Counseling, we offer counseling and workshops to equip couples with the tools they need to create a healthy relationship and experience real intimacy.

  • Turn conflict into intimacy
  • Rekindle romance
  • Make sex hot again
  • Build trust and commitment
  • Share fondness and admiration
  • Make life dreams come true
Happy couple. Happy couple.
LeMel Firestone-Palerm, LMFT, LPCC, CGT

It is Possible to be Happy in Love

LeMel Firestone-Palerm, LMFT, LPCC, CGT We know relationships are hard. We get how frustrating and painful it can be when your relationship is not working. That’s why we use the Gottman Method. An approach based on over 40 years of research and more than 3,000 couples.

A Passionate and Fulfilling Relationship for a Lifetime

A passionate and fulfilling relationship requires a healthy partnership that provides real intimacy. But life happens; as time goes on, your relationship evolves, and some transitions can be particularly challenging. If you want a happy relationship for a lifetime, there are steps you can take.

Read More

Missed communication is a common cause of relationship strife, as it can lead to conflict. Toss in negative emotions, and flooding—that state in which your brain disconnects and you’re at the mercy of your lizard brain (or your partner’ s)—and things can get ugly.

Mishandled conflict can create a feeling of isolation, of being dismissed by your partner. If the Four Horsemen of the relationship apocalypse show up (contempt, criticism, defensiveness and stonewalling), you could well be on the path to leading parallel lives, or even the dissolution of your relationship. Along the way, you can expect to experience emotional disengagement and loneliness. We know it is not a happy place to be.

Fortunately, you and your partner can learn skills that will help you strengthen your relationship and shield it from the cascade of doom. We are talking about proven research-based skills—research spanning over 40 years and more than 3,000 couples around the world. The studies included couples at all stages, from pre-marital through the golden years, gay and straight, and a variety of cultural backgrounds.

We offer a variety of options for you and your partner, from two-day workshops (one, BTW, specifically aimed at new or expecting parents), to an intensive private retreat, to ongoing couple’s counseling. Not sure what is best for your situation? Then schedule a free phone consultation, and together we’ll determine the best plan of action so you can embark on your journey to ensuring a healthy relationship for yourself and your partner.

In the meantime, be sure to get your copy of our exclusive guide—Things your mama never told you about talking dirty…—so you can get started by improving your sex life.

Stop wondering if your relationship could be better, and make sure you’re on your way to happiness in love.

Rekindling Love is Easy When You Know What Steps to Take

1. Schedule

Schedule a free phone consultation.

2. Make a Plan

Together, we’ll determine the best plan of action.

3. Rekindle Love

Embark on your journey to a healthy relationship.

Workshops for Couples

The Art and Science of Love
Two days of engaging presentations and experiential activities designed to strengthen your relationship. This workshop is for couples of every age, ability and sexual orientation who are in committed relationships.

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The Art & Science of Love 2
Re-discover The Art & Science of Love. Through interactive exercises and enlightening presentations, you’ll refresh and expand the skills previously learned, as well as deepen your connection with your partner.

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Bringing Baby Home
If you are expecting a baby, or you have children three years and under, this workshop is for you. You will learn to strengthen your relationship and foster your baby’s development during this challenging time.

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Gottman Method Couples Counseling

Regular Sessions

Get started with an industry-leading assessment process over three sessions.

  1. History of the relationship.
  2. Individual perspectives on the relationship.
  3. Review the results of the assessment process & a practical plan of action.

Private Retreat

An effective alternative to traditional weekly sessions that condenses months of counseling into one, two or three days.

Book Now

Via Telehealth

We offer secure video visits. Online appointments allow you to receive the same quality of care as you do in person.Powered by Doxy.me

Testimonials

Private Retreat
“My wife and I had to hit rock bottom before we realized what we had been doing wasn’t working, and we needed a trained therapist. LeMel knows how to slow things down when they get heated and how to hold each partner accountable.
In a relatively short time, we’ve changed some really bad communication habits. We’ve begun to enjoy the good moments that are more frequent. More importantly, we are able to prevent misunderstanding and hurt before it becomes deep-seated and problematic.
LeMel helped us save our marriage. We couldn’t have done it without her.”
— Gerry
Palo Alto, CA
"LeMel is the consummate professional. Caring, clear and effective. Thank you!"
— Randall
Sacramento, CA
The Art and Science of Love
“LeMel's naturally warm and intelligent manner helped my husband and me reconnect after over a decade of marriage. The course has given us a blueprint for dealing with issues in the future, and unexpectedly helped us enjoy each others company as friends with lots of laughs while discovering each other during the exercises.”
— K. Simpson
San Francisco, CA
The Art and Science of Love
"The workshop helped us discuss & resolve issues that we previously struggled with. We were able to talk about the problems in a more focused, more productive way. Thanks so much for giving us tools, which we will use in the future when faced with conflict."
— Susan Mah
Hayward, CA
The Art and Science of Love 2
"I gained a greater awareness of how my behavior affected my husband's; I gained new insights about how to go about discussing difficult topics, and I gained skills to help tackle re-occurring sensitivities which tend to create distance within our relationship."
— Deanna
Sacramento, CA
The Art and Science of Love
“Such a transformative experience for us individually and as a couple. We turned the corner (we needed this!). The material was so easy to understand, was fair for both men/women's roles & educated us in an approachable way. LeMel was warm, knowledgeable, & added great levity with her personal experience.”
— Anonymous Workshop Participant
Napa, CA
Couples Counseling
“Very helpful in improving relationship communication and positive outlook, in a nice and safe environment. I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to improve relationships.”
— A.J.
Fremont, CA
The Art and Science of Love
"We found the workshop very approachable. No one should have any qualms regarding attending."
— Stacey N.
Sunnyvale, CA
The Art and Science of Love
“We have been gridlocked on an issue for a couple years. We just talk in circles. Today, through the workshop, we had a breakthrough in understanding and categorizing it so much differently. We had never looked at it from this perspective and understood the underlying dream and childhood connections before. Fascinating and incredibly helpful!”
— Anonymous Workshop Participant
The Art and Science of Love 2
"The opportunities to practice were invaluable, as was the coaching along the way."
— Anonymous Workshop Participant
Sacramento, CA
The Art and Science of Love
“The exercises in this program provide a structure for dealing with conflicts within a marriage. I appreciate LeMel's clean and simple guidance with working with the program. I think both my wife and I will benefit from this program.”
— Jim B.
San Jose, CA
The Art and Science of Love
"Thank you to the wonderful intro to ASL. We reaped great insight into ourselves & our relationship. We look forward to continuing the exercises and growth."
— Anonymous Workshop Participant
West Texas
The Art and Science of Love
"LeMel is an excellent facilitator of Dr. Gottman's program. She has an experienced approach and is deeply knowledgeable about the concepts. Our relationship is better off today for it. Thank you!"
— Anonymous Workshop Participant
San Francisco, CA

A Strength Test for Your Relationship

Cover of the exclusive tool: The Sound Relationship Wheel

A Strength Test for Your Relationship

Our exclusive guide — The Sound Relationship Wheel: A Brief Relationship Check-Up Test is a great way to get a clear picture of your relationship. This tool will also help you create a map towards improving it!

Get the Free Test

Healthy Relationships Blog

How to Be a Good Parent Through Leadership

Parents leading an adventure into the woods.

“(Good leaders are) people who were good at … leading their lives from the perspective of their whole lives and (are) successful in all the different parts of their lives… They know how to be whole...

Regression Happens, Do Not Stress

Couple viewing sunset in the countryside.

“It’s natural to regress to old behavior. If you catch yourself regressing, give yourself a hug, appreciate your pain, shower yourself with enough love to calm down and relax, and then take your ha...

Are You in Tune with Your Partner?

Couple gazing at each other in a forest clearing.

“When we attune with others we allow our own internal state to shift, to come to resonate with the inner world of another.” Dr. Dan Siegel Have you ever felt disconnected from your partner? It’s...

More Articles

Even more: Healthy Relationships Blog

LeMel Firestone-Palerm, LMFT, LPCC, CGT
LeMel Firestone-Palerm, LMFT, LPCC, CGT About LeMel...
Helping Create Healthy Relationships Since 1997
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist MFC 42162
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor LPC 1534
Certified Gottman Therapist
Certified Gottman Therapist
The Art and Science of Love Workshop Leader
The Art and Science of Love 2 Workshop Leader
Bringing Baby Home Gottman Educator