Looking for Couples Therapy in San Diego? If you are here searching, you’re looking to learn, which may mean there is hope.
Who we are
Welcome. We envision changing the world one relationship at a time through couples therapy in San Diego, relationship counseling, and personal growth.
We help couples and individuals have conversations that enable more fulfilling lives, intimacy, and enriching discussions that may lead to a stronger connection and a sense of security.
Our Values
Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.
John Bacon Gilbert – Couples Therapist & Marriage Counselor – Couple Connection
Hello, I’m John Bacon Gilbert, Marriage Counselor
Couples Therapist – LMFT#125762
My partner and I sat down over coffee and openly discussed what we would do if we could have any career in the world. It was no surprise to either of us; I would be a therapist if I could do anything in the world.
I’ve had a lot of passions in my personal life, and I still do, but finding a career as a therapist does not feel like work. The development and growth of my clients bring me so much joy. As a young parent, I served as a shipboard firefighter in the Coast Guard, and later became a small business owner.
I rolled up my sleeves, moving from contractor to learning new skills as an IT system analyst. Today I have the honor of finding my passion as a therapist specializing in couples therapy.
The highest compliment I can receive is when a client achieves a fulfilling relationship and an increased level of connection with one another that they have not previously experienced. Finding joy, peace, and a true sense of purpose in this work is a blessing.
From the onset of couples counseling and throughout treatment, I have taken a neutral stance.
You two are the experts in your lives, and it’s my job to understand how you experience the relationship together. I must be prepared for your appointment, starting with beginning your session on time. I take great pride in being punctual.
I’ve been an anxious client in a waiting room too, and I want you to know my career doesn’t make my time more valuable than yours. I learn as much as possible when a new client enters my office.
When I meet with a couple, I imagine the space between them on the sofa as my client. How can I better close that space between them? Finding the “wrong” person in the relationship is not my job.
We all interact in relationships in a way that makes sense through our perspective – a fact that rarely makes as much sense to our partners. My focus lies in helping to decipher those interactions and restore the connection.
I use a model of therapy called Emotionally Focused Therapy. If you are not an “emotional” person, don’t worry, I’m not either.
The model is focused on eliciting experiential changes. Some therapy models concentrate on tools, homework, or communication styles. While those are helpful for some, it depends heavily on actually using the tools.
In the heat of an argument, the successful deployment of said tools isn’t likely. This often leaves couples frustrated and seeking marital and family therapy again.
Couples counseling is a series of confidential sessions with a licensed therapist focusing on understanding your relationship’s shortcomings and overcoming them. With guidance and support from the therapist, you and your partner will learn about yourselves and each other’s unique life experience.
The couples therapy sessions are a safe space to work through your relationship’s difficulties and find ways to resolve them. My job as a marriage counselor is to be out of a job, and I do that by building the skills in you to overcome life challenges in your relationship.
Despite the benefits of therapy, it still carries a stigma. People are sometimes embarrassed to see marriage counselors assume counseling is only necessary if a marriage is at risk of failing or that it won’t help anyone improve their personal life. However, the therapy works for couples of any background by teaching them how to:
Process complex emotions and thoughts
Learn how to listen to their partners with patience
Move away from unhealthy relationship habits and embrace sustainable relationship dynamics
See, understand, and respect their spouse
Rekindle their love and bond with their partner
You don’t have to have a “bad” marriage or family conflict to benefit from couples therapy in San Diego. You might need help reconnecting with your spouse or learning to compromise without one person feeling like the marriage has a power imbalance in the relationship.
However, if you and your partner are experiencing any of these issues, consider attending marriage counseling for support:
Constant fights, disagreements, hurt feelings, or conflicts
Differences in beliefs, values, and decision-making processes
A lack of sex or intimacy
Infidelity or a lack of trust
Ineffective communication
Complex children, family or friend dynamics
Major life changes and life challenges
Financial stress or strain
Feeling misunderstood, disconnected, or disrespected
Disagreements over children or parenting styles
Premarital counseling
At Couples Connection San Diego, we strive to help couples improve their communication, boost their intimacy, and strengthen their bond. Couples therapists utilize many therapeutic solution focused approaches to achieve similar goals. However, emotionally focused therapy (EFT) benefits all couples regardless of age, race, gender, religion, and sexuality.
Our emotions are guides that help us define preferences and make decisions. EFT is a therapeutic approach that suggests the following:
Emotional unawareness is destructive
Emotional avoidance may cause negative life experiences
Ignoring or avoiding your emotional responses may hinder the ability to process your feelings later in life transitions
We start every brief therapy session assuming that every couple wants help growing old together. We will use EFT techniques to help you and your spouse become more aware of your emotions, how to understand them, talk openly, and what strategies are best for coping with them. Using EFT, Couples Connection San Diego helps restore marital and familial relationships that aren’t thriving.
Unfortunately, marital conflicts become destructive cycles of verbal attacks and harmful behavior that may breed resentment and anger. The longer the process continues, the more complicated it becomes, which makes some couples feel like divorce is the only solution. In some cases, spouses might not divorce but become withdrawn or retaliative.
Relationship-damaging cycles look different for every couple. However, therapy and EFT can help couples reestablish their connections and build stronger foundations to break the cycle and move toward a more extraordinary life together.
Couple Connection offers free, no-obligation consultations for therapy. During the consultation, we will get a general understanding of your concerns. In the first session, you and your partner can discuss your concerns, needs, mental health, and problems individually and as a couple.
The information you provide will help your family therapist understand the gist of your problems. As the sessions continue, you’ll learn EFT techniques to improve your communication and emotional responses. Our therapy follows a short-term model, so most couples require eight to 20 sessions to get the tools they need to achieve a healthier relationship.
Call a family therapist at Couple Connection San Diego at (858) 284-6779 or click the button below for a free 15-minute consultation with a licensed marriage counselor if you are ready to work toward a collaborative approach to relationship satisfaction with your partner through therapy.
Seeking relationship counseling is such a courageous step. But it doesn’t stop there; it takes work. Are you ready to build intimacy and resolve conflict?
Let’s face it, most people don’t open an internet browser and search for help when they are on a positive winning streak, their relationship is excellent, and their communication is perfect.
I haven’t had anyone sit down and say, “you know, John, our chemistry, connection, support, trust, and communication is so strong. We don’t have any issues or difficulties. We just wanted to share it with someone. Our friends are sick of hearing about our amazing relationship.”
John Bacon Gilbert is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
John builds trust, so you feel comfortable sharing which is crucial to your treatment
Choose what works best for your between in-person or virtual appointments
John Bacon Gilbert LMFT#125762
Schedule and appoitment now and learn how we can help.
Have you ever heard the saying, “Communication is the key to a successful marriage”? It’s quite popular and for good reason. Successful communication means understanding
Relationships and addiction don’t always go well together, and recovering from substance addiction is challenging. If your partner has a substance abuse or drug abuse
Marriage counseling can feel intimidating. Still, committing to the process is an essential first step in healing. It helps to have a guide on how
Do you need some help finding the most romantic spots in America’s Finest City? See some of our favorite date night ideas in San Diego to help you plan the perfect experience for you and your special someone.
Are you and your partner looking for a couples or family therapist to help reconcile your differences, work on your mental health, and communicate more effectively? With the right therapist, you can learn ways to recognize and express emotions, resolve conflicts, and enhance your connection. Read on to find helpful tips on searching for family therapy near me in San Diego that is right for you.
Before you search for a compassionate couples therapist in San Diego, take some time to think about what you need from family therapy. It’s essential to be clear on what exactly you want to work on in your relationship and with the help of a counselor. Ask yourself questions such as, “What are our biggest challenges?” or “What is a successful outcome I hope we can achieve through therapy sessions?” Taking the time to answer these questions can better prepare you for the process.
Word of mouth can be a great way to find highly recommended references for a couples therapist. Reach out to friends, family, or co-workers that have sought counseling services themselves in the past and see if they can provide any recommendations. Not only will they be able to share their experiences with certain counselors, but they may also be able to tell you who has the best success rate when working with couples.
Once you’ve got a list of prospective counselors, start researching them online. Most therapists post their qualifications and bios on their websites or social media pages. Read these over carefully to determine whether they’ve had experience working with couples and if they specialize in any specific issues.
A great way to narrow your search is to look for reviews or testimonials from previous clients who have received services from the therapist you’re considering.
Before you work with a relationship or family counseling therapist or clinical psychologist, it’s essential to check that they are credentialed by a recognized body. Suppose your therapist hasn’t completed the appropriate training and achieved board certification. In that case, it’s unlikely that their services will be covered by insurance, which could cause financial problems in the future.
Also, ensure any couples therapist you investigate works under an ethical code prescribed by the counseling field. This will provide your therapy for couples near me to be conducted professionally and respectfully.
Before committing to working with a couples therapist, knowing whether you have a good rapport with them is crucial. You can set up an in-person or telecall interview to get a feel for their style and approach. Plus, you can ask any questions about their therapy process and ensure they understand your specific relationship needs.
The interview is also an opportunity to make sure there are no conflicts of interest – more specifically, the couple’s therapist doesn’t already have relationships with either of you outside of the therapy setting.
Finding the right therapist can be pretty challenging. I recommend you call several therapists to see the right fit for you. I am happy to offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to answer any questions about relationship counseling and therapy.
Suppose it turns out that we are not a good fit. In that case, I can provide you with other possible recommendations for marriage counseling near me and affordable family therapy in San Diego.
Do you have questions about relationship counseling before booking your Free 15 Minute Consultation?
Text, call, or fill out the form to the right to contact us with your questions.
858-284-6779
5252 Balboa Ave, Suite 204
San Diego, CA. 92117
Monday – Friday
(9:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
A licensed marriage counselor can help to fix a broken relationship. This therapy offers couples encouragement and a safe space to discuss their issues and understand each other's perspectives.
It often focuses on communication, conflict resolution, and identifying the underlying issues that led to the relationship breaking down in the first place. Counseling also encourages both partners to take responsibility for their actions and learn new ways of relating and interacting with one another.
With courage, patience, and hard work, therapy can be highly effective in helping to repair a broken relationship and build trust between partners once again.
Therapy can last for any time, depending on the couple's needs and goals. Generally speaking, treatment can take a few weeks to several months.
However, some couples may need more intensive help and longer-term treatment lasting several years. The length of time will depend on the severity of the issues faced by the couple and how effectively they are working together to address them.
Couples need to discuss their expectations with their therapist so that they can be realistic about the amount of time necessary to work through their difficulties. Couples should also remember that even after therapy, it is important to continue practicing healthy communication habits and coping skills to maintain a strong relationship.
Relationship therapy can be a great way to help a toxic relationship. It provides an opportunity for couples to work together to address and resolve their conflicts while also building on the positive aspects of their relationship.
Through therapy, couples can learn better communication skills, understand each other’s needs and wants, and develop healthier ways of relating to one another.
Relationship therapy can also help couples identify any underlying issues that may be causing the toxic behavior in their relationship and find ways to address those issues to create a stronger foundation for their partnership.
With the help of a trained therapist, couples can often talk openly and find the tools needed to heal their relationship and foster greater understanding and connection with one another.
Couples counseling can be an excellent investment for couples struggling to communicate or work through issues in their relationship. It can provide a safe space for couples to express their feelings, thoughts, and concerns without fear of judgment.
It can also help identify the underlying issues that need to be addressed and provide strategies for making positive changes. Therapy can be expensive, but it is often worth the money if it leads to improved communication and understanding between partners.
Additionally, it can help each person in the relationship become more self-aware, learn how to manage conflict better, and develop healthier habits to ensure a lasting relationship.
Ultimately, investing in relationship counseling is up to the couple themselves - but with the right commitment and collaborative effort, it could be an invaluable tool in strengthening relationships.
