Compassionate Couples Therapy
in Gainesville, Florida
Limited openings currently available
for couples
This isn’t the relationship you envisioned when you first fell in love.
Here’s what you’re facing:
Constant feelings of insecurity and doubt about whether your partner truly supports and stands by you when you need it most.
Frequent yelling and frustration with each other and your children, fueled by stress and a sense of isolation in the relationship. You’re both struggling to provide the support each other needs.
Spending more time apart than together—even when you're physically in the same space. It’s not just what’s being said, but the heavy silence that fills the gaps, speaking volumes about the distance between you.
More conflict than connection. More brokenness than healing. You now find yourself keeping your guard up around someone you once cherished deeply.
Communication feels impossible. Every attempt to discuss difficult topics ends in arguments or feelings of disconnection. You worry that things will never improve.
A lack of meaningful quality time together. You both blame each other for this, yet neither of you feels fulfilled by the closeness or the memories you share.
This is the reality you’re living, even though it’s far from what you promised yourselves when you began this journey.
The health of your relationship isn’t determined by your childhood or your attachment style.
What truly matters is the relationship you choose to build: one that fosters safety and security between you and your partner.
Successful couples create environments where both partners feel secure, regardless of their past experiences. Even couples with challenging histories can learn this skill, and so can you.
Love alone isn’t enough. The most thriving couples actively build safety and trust. They share a clear vision and purpose for their relationship. They don’t just drift aimlessly through conflicts and frustrations; instead, they make commitments—and honor them. They treat each other with care, even during difficult moments.
If you didn’t learn how to navigate intimate relationships growing up, it’s not your fault. Most of us didn’t—neither from family, teachers, friends, nor media.
The good news is you can learn now. You can create a secure, supportive, and loving relationship where both of you feel safe and free to grow.
Imagine a relationship where you finally feel secure and truly valued—where you both come first in each other’s lives.
A partnership where you enjoy each other’s presence more than you argue, and where power and decisions are shared fairly.
When conflicts arise, you resolve them quickly and sincerely.
Your connection boosts your physical health by reducing stress and tension.
You communicate effectively, supporting each other through the challenges of parenting, work, and everyday life.
You live with your greatest ally and closest friend—a partner who knows you deeply, cares about what matters most to you, and always has your back.
Hi, I’m Marina…
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist here in Gainesville, Florida, a Certified Nonviolent Communication (NVC) trainer, and a practitioner of the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT).
Among the various methods I’ve studied, PACT stands out as the most transformative for the couples I work with. This innovative approach combines attachment theory, developmental neuroscience, and arousal regulation to help couples build secure, lasting relationships—regardless of their past experiences or attachment styles. PACT is recognized for its success even with the most challenging couples.
My approach to couples therapy balances warmth, empathy, and emotional sensitivity with courage, honesty, and directness. I believe couples deserve both compassionate support and the essential challenges that help them grow and reach their full potential. I’m genuine, grounded—and dare I say funny—about the raw realities of intimate relationships. Above all, I’m committed to empowering couples to thrive together because life is too precious and too short for anything less.
It’s easy to get started…
Step 01.
Schedule your free, 20-minute consultation.
Step 02.
We’ll chat via phone to see if we’re a good fit.
Step 03.
On the call, we’ll schedule your first session.
Session Rates
$175 for 50 minutes
$350 for 2 hours
$450 for 3 hours
In the PACT model of couple therapy, we prefer to begin with longer sessions in the beginning to build clarity and momentum, and to go down to shorter sessions as you begin to feel more stable and connected. That said, I will work with you around your time and financial availability to make an arrangement that works for both of you while still being effective.
Schedule a Consult →
Frequently Asked Questions
-
I work with new moms, women, and couples of all walks of life — LGBTQIA, folks of color, and folks of other marginalized identities — and encourage you to bring your whole self to therapy.
As an ever-aspiring anti-racist practitioner, it’s essential to me to support my BIPOC clients in feeling seen, held and understood within the context of the unequal power, privilege, and oppression that shape our world. I aspire to support and create a safe space for my clients, and always welcome feedback as to how to ever-better see, respect, and support you in your wholeness and complexity.
-
Individual sessions are 50 minutes for $150.
Couples sessions are 50 minutes for $175, 2 hours for $350, and 3 hours for $450. It’s helpful to begin with longer sessions in the beginning, and to go down to shorter sessions as you begin to feel more stable and settled in your relationship.
-
No. I do not bill insurance companies directly, but I can provide you with a superbill that you can submit to your insurance company for my services as an out-of-network provider.
It’s important to call and confirm with your insurance company in advance that they will reimburse you for my services. If they do, you will then pay me directly, submit the superbill I provide you to your insurance, and be reimbursed by your insurance company.
-
Clients across Florida are welcome to meet with me via telehealth. We use Doxy, a user-friendly, HIPAA-compliant service similar to Zoom. This way, you can meet with me from the comfort of your own home, office, or even (parked) car - cars are great for privacy! - so long as I know where you are located.
-
115 NE 7th Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32601I am currently meeting clients in person at this location on Mondays only. It’s a beautiful old Victorian across the street from the Thomas Center. You can park in the lot or on the street and go for a walk under the oak trees when you’re done.
Unfortunately, it is not handicap accessible.
-
Monday through Friday between 10 am and 5 pm. I don't currently work evenings or weekends to balance work with family and raising a little one.
-
To establish safety and trust between us and to develop momentum in our work, I like to meet with clients either weekly or every other week to start. This is what allows us to get to know each other, and you start to see and feel changes in your life.
After 4-8 weeks, some clients who are currently weekly will feel ready to move to biweekly. After working together for some time, some clients will choose to see me for "maintenance" on a less frequent basis.
The frequency of our work is something we discuss together, and we co-create a plan that works best for you.
You are always free to discontinue therapy for any reason.
-
To support both of us in having predictability in our scheduling, I request 24 hours notice of cancellation and will offer the same at a minimum. I otherwise charge my full fee for the session missed.
-
Developed by Dr. Stan Tatkin, PACT is a fusion of attachment theory, developmental neuroscience, and arousal regulation. PACT has a reputation for effectively treating the most challenging couples.
-
In my work, I use IFS, a form of therapy predicated on the radical notions that we all contain a bunch of parts (at times contradicting and at each other’s throats), that this is totally okay rather than pathological, and that you can find clarity and help your more extreme and burdened parts out by accessing “Self” — your already-existing kind, calm, strong, wise essence.
IFS therapy empowers you to be your own best friend and ally and to hold yourself (and your many parts) with compassion and tenderness while making effective change.
-
I also use NVC, a radically transformative communication practice for individuals, couples, and communities alike. Therapy with NVC gives you down-to-earth, practical help when you don’t know how the heck to respond to your stressed-out partner or how to initiate that scary conversation with a friend.
I’m a Certified NVC Trainer and can help you with communication tools and practices to empower you to be your most free, compassionate, and honest self when it counts.
You no longer have to choose between parts of yourself—you can fully embrace who you are and experience genuine love.
As a Marriage & Family Therapist in Gainesville, trained in the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT) and a Certified Trainer in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), I provide practical communication strategies that break the cycle of resentment and defensiveness, helping you reconnect with your partner as your closest friend.
You deserve this transformation. Your children deserve it. Life is too precious to remain stuck in the same patterns.
Contact me for a free 20-minute consultation and begin the journey toward the deep intimacy and trust that you and your partner truly deserve.