Therapy Services for Couples & Relationships
LGBTQ-affirmative couples and relationship therapy in the heart of Denver
Brett Marroquin, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Arches Psychology Denver offers in-person therapy for individuals, couples, and other relationship types in our offices located in the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver, Colorado.
All services are evidence-based and scientifically-supported, and are always affirmative and supportive of the wide diversity of gay and LGBTQ identities, experiences, and relationships.
Couples often reach out for help when they feel stuck, trapped, or feel like giving up. That's a good time for professional couples therapy.
Other couples identify concerns before that point, and therapy can help keep that "stuck" point from entering the picture.
Still other couples are interested in helping their relationship thrive, even if it’s not currently experiencing trouble, such as in premarital therapy.
Common issues in couples therapy include:
Recurring fights or disagreements
Not feeling heard or cared for
Issues of trust, intimacy, or respect
Sexual desire or satisfaction
Struggles over commitments or future plans
Differences in values or priorities
Feelings of disconnection or dissatisfaction
Poor communication and misunderstandings
Preparing for big life steps or events
I work with people in all kinds of couples and relationships, including gay, queer, LGBTQ, heterosexual, and open/ethically nonmonogamous relationships.
Couples and Relationship Therapy
How I Help Couples
In couples therapy, we will work together to first understand the factors and patterns that have led your relationship to where it is, and then use techniques that help you step back as a couple and create new patterns together.
I am certified in Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT), a couples therapy approach focused on balancing acceptance and change in the relationship. IBCT focuses on thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in each partner, and the complex ways that partners influence one another.
In our work together, couples learn to understand each other’s emotions better, and then communicate and collaborate better to build intimacy, trust, and a more satisfying partnership.
I also draw from Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), which explores how the deep roots of partners’ emotions can be both sources of pain and opportunities for reconnection.
Both IBCT and EFT have received extensive support in clinical trials. Importantly, these therapy approaches have been tested and shown to be effective in many kinds of couples, including gay and LGBTQ couples and relationships.
Relationship Checkup
You don’t have to wait until your relationship feels shaky or at the breaking point to reach out. Whether brand new or decades long, relationships take care and attention, and sometimes we don’t prioritize giving them the conscious attention they need.
I am certified in the Relationship Checkup, a two-session checkup designed to grow connection and and understanding between partners as part of regular relationship “maintenance.”
You can think of the Relationship Checkup as like the preventative care you get when you visit your primary care doctor, or the regular oil change you do to keep your car running smoothly.
It’s scientifically developed and tested, and shows positive effects on relationship satisfaction and intimacy over the long term, even with just this couple of sessions.
The Relationship Checkup involves two 50-minute sessions. During these two sessions, we’ll work together to identify your relationship’s strengths, patterns, and areas of concern. Afterward, I’ll provide you with personalized feedback that summarizes relevant findings from scientific research on relationships, highlights my recommendations for you and your partner, and offers ideas for ways to continue supporting the health of your relationship.
The Relationship Checkup is useful for couples and relationships whether they are experiencing significant difficulty or not. For many, the Relationship Checkup is all that’s needed to maintain or improve the connection. For others, the checkup gives a good overall view of the relationship while also indicating more targeted couples therapy would be helpful.
Note: This is the only service I currently offer in a virtual/online format. I offer Relationship Checkups in-person in Denver, Colorado as well as online for couples located anywhere in Colorado or California.
Getting Started
First we’ll have a brief, free phone consultation to see if I’m a likely fit for you and your needs. We’ll discuss whether it makes the most sense to meet for couples therapy, versus scheduling a Relationship Checkup.
For couples therapy, during our assessment process I’ll meet once with both partners together, once individually with each partner, and once again with both partners. This allows us to identify key issues and plan treatment that takes both partners’ perspectives into account. After these sessions, couple therapy sessions are usually once per week for 45-50 minutes.
We’ll then use practical, concrete approaches — tailored specifically to your needs and treatment goals — to explore how different ways of thinking, feeling, and interacting with your partner can reignite connection, decrease conflict, and build the satisfying relationship you deserve.
For a Relationship Checkup, we’ll schedule our two sessions and discuss what to prepare in advance.
