The same argument
Conversations become defensive, one person shuts down, or you keep returning to an issue that never feels resolved.
A major specialty at Joshua Tree Counseling
Marriage counseling & couples counseling in Tucson
When the same conversation keeps ending the same way.
You may still love each other while feeling distant, misunderstood, or worn down by recurring conflict. You may be preparing for marriage, facing a breach of trust, or trying to find your way through a difficult season together.
Marriage and couples counseling is a major specialty at Joshua Tree. Our counselors offer different approaches to help you understand what is happening between you and begin working toward meaningful change.
What brings couples in
Different concerns. A shared need to feel heard.
Some couples arrive after a crisis. Others notice a growing distance or want support before the next chapter begins. You do not have to wait until the relationship feels unbearable to ask for help.
Feeling far apart
You manage daily life together but miss the friendship, attention, affection, or emotional closeness you once shared.
Trust has been hurt
An affair, secrecy, pornography-related concerns, or broken agreements have changed how you experience the relationship.
Intimacy feels difficult
Emotional or physical closeness has become tense, confusing, or hard to discuss without someone feeling rejected.
Life is changing
Parenting, an empty nest, grief, remarriage, infertility, or foster care and adoption are asking something new of your partnership.
You are preparing for marriage
You want to talk honestly about expectations, finances, faith, family, and how you will handle differences together.
Your counselor's experience matters. The profiles below can help you find someone whose approach fits the concerns bringing you in.
The work beneath the conflict
Understand the pattern.
Understand the pattern.
Practice a different response.
The argument you can name may be only part of the story. Couples counseling can explore the hurt, expectations, personal histories, and attempts to connect that shape what happens between you.
-
Notice the cycle between you
Slow down recurring conflict and recognize how each person's reactions affect the next moment in the conversation.
-
Make room for both stories
Explore what each partner is experiencing, what feels difficult to say, and how earlier experiences may enter the relationship now.
-
Bring change into everyday life
Work toward clearer communication, meaningful repair, healthier boundaries, and choices that support the relationship you want to build.
Find your counselor
Different styles. A thoughtful place to begin together.
Lauren, Stacy, Ryan, Natalie Albin, and Elliott all work with couples. Josette offers focused couples support on a limited basis for infertility or foster care and adoption concerns. Explore whose way of working feels right for both of you.
Independently Licensed
Lauren Marks LPC
Direct, practical & engaged
For couples who want clear feedback and practical direction with recurring conflict, marriage concerns, or complicated family dynamics. Lauren draws from the Gottman Method and attachment-based work to help partners communicate, take responsibility, and practice change.
- Office
- Oracle
- Listed fee
- $140 / couples session
- Meet
- In person + Arizona telehealth
Licensed Under Supervision
Stacy Roden LAC
Warm, relational & emotionally attentive
For couples who care about one another but feel caught in conflict or emotional distance. Stacy helps partners notice the cycle between them and communicate what has been difficult to express, drawing from emotion-focused, attachment-based, and Gottman-informed approaches.
Session format: Both partners attend every couples counseling session with Stacy.
- Office
- La Cholla
- Listed fee
- $100 / session
- Meet
- In person + Arizona telehealth
Licensed Under Supervision
Ryan Erskine LAC
Calm, reflective & thoughtful
For couples who need room to slow down, make sense of their reactions, and understand one another more clearly. Ryan's reflective style can help partners explore recurring misunderstandings, relationship patterns, and the personal experiences shaping how they connect.
- Office
- La Cholla
- Listed fee
- $100 / session
- Meet
- In person + Arizona telehealth
Intern Under Supervision
Natalie Albin Intern
Gentle, unhurried & collaborative
For couples who want a warm place to speak honestly, explore relationship expectations, and think through marriage or commitment. Natalie makes space for each person's perspective and offers thoughtful feedback as trust develops. Internship sessions provide a reduced-fee option.
- Office
- Oracle
- Listed fee
- $50 / session
- Meet
- In person
Licensed Under Supervision
Elliott Farris LAC
Warm, reflective & encouraging
For couples who want to understand the emotions and attachment patterns beneath recurring conflict. Elliott primarily uses Emotion-Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method with couples. His work also includes pornography and sexual-behavior concerns that may affect trust and connection.
- Office
- Oracle
- Listed fee
- $125 / couples session
- Meet
- In person · Ask about limited telehealth
Independently Licensed
Josette Kehl LCSW
Calm, attuned & practical
Josette works with couples on a limited basis when the concerns are connected to infertility or foster care and adoption. Her attachment-informed perspective offers room to understand how these experiences are affecting each partner and the relationship.
Focused couples support: Infertility · Foster care · Adoption
- Office
- La Cholla
- Listed fee
- $130 / session
- Meet
- In person · Ask about couples telehealth
Each counselor sets their own fees, availability, and session policies. Their profile provides more detail about credentials, training, and the way they work.
What to expect
Begin with where you are.
You do not need to agree on every detail before beginning couples counseling. Your counselor will help you explore each person's perspective, clarify what you want from the work, and discuss how sessions will be structured.
-
Choose your counselor
Compare styles, specialties, fees, and where you will meet. Look for someone whose approach feels workable for both of you.
-
Share what brings you in
Talk about what has become difficult, what you have already tried, and what each partner hopes could be different.
-
Set goals for the work
Develop a direction with your counselor and practice changes in how you communicate, respond, and care for the relationship.
Will we meet together every time?
Early-session formats differ by counselor. Here is one useful distinction as you choose.
Both partners attend every session.
Stacy requires both partners to attend all couples counseling sessions, including early sessions. Her couples work takes place with both of you present.
Individual sessions may be part of the beginning.
Lauren, Ryan, Natalie, Elliott, and Josette may include individual sessions early in the process to explore each person's history, story, and perspective. Whether this is included depends on your counselor and the work you are doing together.
Ask your counselor about their early-session plan and how information shared individually is handled within couples counseling.
Before your first appointment: One partner can request the session. Both partners must electronically sign consent for treatment at least 24 hours before the first session. See how to get started.
Online couples counseling across Arizona
Work on your relationship from wherever you are in Arizona.
Lauren, Stacy, and Ryan offer marriage counseling and couples counseling through telehealth for couples throughout Arizona. You can begin online, without needing an in-person first appointment in Tucson.
Choose the counselor whose style fits both of you, then request a telehealth couples appointment.
Christian marriage counseling
Your relationship.
Your relationship.
Your preferences about faith.
Joshua Tree is a collective of Christian counselors. If you want Christian marriage counseling, you can ask to include Scripture, prayer, and conversations about how faith shapes your relationship.
You are equally welcome to choose counseling without faith integration. Both partners' beliefs and comfort with spiritual practices matter, especially when your preferences differ. Share those preferences with your counselor as you begin.
Learn more about faith and counseling at Joshua Tree
A few common questions
Before you begin.
A little clarity can make it easier to take the next step together.
Is marriage counseling different from couples counseling?
The terms are often used interchangeably. Marriage counseling usually describes work with married partners; couples counseling is a broader term that can include engaged and other committed couples. At Joshua Tree, you can seek relationship support before marriage or during a shared life together.
Do we both need to attend every session?
Stacy requires both partners to attend every couples counseling session. Lauren, Ryan, Natalie Albin, Elliott, and Josette may include individual sessions early on to understand each person's history and perspective. Discuss the session plan with the counselor you choose.
Can we start couples counseling online?
Yes. Lauren, Stacy, and Ryan see couples through telehealth across Arizona, including from the first session. Both partners should be physically in Arizona for these appointments and have a private space for the conversation.
What if we disagree about what the problem is?
You can begin with different perspectives. Understanding what each partner experiences and hopes to change is part of the early work. Your counselor can help you discuss those differences and identify a direction for counseling.
How much does couples counseling cost?
Fees vary by counselor and are listed in the cards above and on each profile. Natalie Albin offers a reduced-fee internship option under supervision. Joshua Tree is private pay, accepts credit card payments, and requires a card on file. Confirm your counselor's fee when you request an appointment.
What if we cannot find a couples appointment online?
Kelly, our practice manager, can help with choosing a counselor and the practical steps of booking. Visit our getting-started page for the inquiry form, or text (520) 308-4999 with a general scheduling question.
You can ask for help before you know how to fix it.
Explore our marriage and couples counselors. When someone feels like a possible fit, request an appointment and begin with the relationship as it is today.
Need help choosing or booking? Find the next steps and contact Kelly.
Private pay · Credit card on file required · Both partners sign consent before the first session