Meet our L.A.-based Therapist Couple: co-therapy
relationship & couple therapy with a real therapist couple in los angeles
Co-Therapy is an approach to counseling that can be used for any number of settings with individuals, couples, and groups. At Kindman & Co., we offer co-therapy as a unique alternative to standard couple therapy. If you’ve been considering counseling for your new relationship, troubled partnership, or changing love story, co-therapy may be what you’re looking for. During co-therapy in our office, you’ll meet with both Kaitlin and Paul Kindman for relationship counseling sessions that are open to all types of romantic partnerships. Kaitlin and Paul have experience working with many, diverse couples—including those in polyamorous partnerships, open marriages, and other forms of non-traditional relationships. Kaitlin & Paul are sex positive and welcome exploration during therapy. We welcome you and your loved ones to discover the beauty and reward of your chosen relationship with us. Not sure your relationship is truly what you want or need? Co-therapy can help you recognize and advocate for your needs, even if that means moving beyond your current relationship.
what is co-therapy?
Co-therapy is a novel approach to relationship therapy. Instead of meeting with one therapist in each session, you will meet with both Kaitlin and Paul together. These sessions can be helpful as you’ll receive both therapists’ perspectives and support in navigating through challenges in your relationship. This dual perspective can often create a more equitable environment for your counseling sessions, fostering comfort and security in the therapy room and soothing a common fear—feeling outnumbered. Co-therapy cultivates effective and lasting change that strengthens your relationship and provides a supportive experience for everyone in involved.
In addition to increasing the safety and comfort of the therapeutic environment for clients, there are numerous benefits to co-therapy with Kaitlin and Paul, including:
Kaitlin and Paul are not only working hard to sustain a successful marriage – they also work together every day, so they have the knowledge, experience, and passion to help people build and maintain strong relationships. They also really get how hard it is!
For many, a co-therapy approach feels more balanced and natural. Co-therapy often creates a feeling of equality in the therapeutic relationship, allowing you to avoid feelings of vying for attention or for someone perceiving they’re being ganged up on.
Kaitlin and Paul model effective communication alongside you. You will see them disagree and consider alternative perspectives in real-time, in service of your partnership. This often also means bringing humor and play into the room--because they believe in the importance of levity in resilience and relationship repair.
There are more avenues for discussion, opening us up to a greater number of interactions that can provide even more opportunities for relationship growth by including more perspectives and ideas to explore.
Plus, Kaitlin & Paul really enjoy doing co-therapy together—so they bring their A game! They are excited to support you with this unique, couple therapy offering.
why should i consider co-therapy?
As is true when working with any of the Kindman & Co. clinicians, we take a relational therapy approach where we model our own transparency and vulnerability for clients. Co-therapy is one way that we truly live this value. Kaitlin and Paul know firsthand the challenges of being in and maintaining a complex and intimate relationship. They lean on their lived experience as partners to help clients feel comfortable and safe in exploring their own relationship.
“we pick partners we recognize. they are similar to our close family or ourselves. if there’s a problem, it’s likely not with who we picked. it’s that we don’t know how to handle each other. learning your attachment styles, fears, and sensitivities can help you better manage each other”
— Dr. Stan Tatkin, Founder of PACT
how does a co-therapy session work?
At Kindman & Co., we use the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT). PACT sessions explore neurobiology, attachment, and cultural context. Each of us is neurobiologically hardwired to reduce threat and seek security and to establish connection, but sometimes, these two neurobiological impulses are in conflict. When we recognize these behaviors in ourselves and our partners, we can improve listening, communication, and our responses to better regulate each other’s nervous systems. The attachments we form in our childhood serve as blueprints for our adult relationships, and insecurities we acquire as young people can continue to adversely impact relationships until we recognize and resolve them. Finally, our culture and context, gender norms, societal expectations, power dynamics, etc., impact the way we connect to each other.
So, what does this look like in a co-therapy session?
We’ll learn to better recognize and interpret your own and your partner(s) facial expressions, body language, and vocal tone by playing close attention to changes in the moment as they occur.
We’ll develop tools to help you learn to soothe each other when you’re distressed to help you move through conflict quickly and with less frustration.
We’ll model and encourage vulnerability, transparency, and honesty in communication and practice using direct, compassionate language that’s more likely to help you get what you’re wanting.
We’ll discuss and recreate experiences or arguments that are causing difficulties in your relationship, working through them in real time to help you leave the session with increased connection and shared understanding.
We’ll begin to understand how you and your partner(s) history and attachment style shape your insecurities and feelings of safety and what you both need to feel more secure.
We’ll explore ways that the strengths of your relationship can help you overcome challenges.
We’ll help you become the expert on your partner.
Does co-therapy sound like something you’d be interested in and benefit from? We usually have very limited co-therapy spots available—if you’re interested, please book a discovery call now, using the button below.
let's begin.
You are not in this alone. You were never meant to be. Each and every one of us innately possesses strengths to live more enriching, joyful lives; let us help you to (re)connect to your strengths to find well-being.
