7 Best Couples Therapy & Marriage Counseling In San Jose CA

I guess you have just Googled “marriage counseling San Jose” because things are not so great in your relationship at the moment.

Don’t worry – you are not alone. Relationships might sometimes start like something in a romcom, but over time they can turn into your own personal horror film.

So what should you do when love breaks down? Should you call it a day and move on to someone new? Or should you try and fix what you have and find a way to rekindle the spark that was there in the early part of your relationship?

I already know the answer to that.

If you are looking for help, you think that there is something worth saving.

That is where marriage counseling and emotionally focused therapy can help.

Looking for relationship therapy experts near you is a great first step to getting your marriage back on track.

Who are the best marriage therapists in San Jose CA?

There are some great relationship counselors right here in San Jose CA who work with couples to get relationships back on track. But finding the right one can be difficult.

Well, don’t worry. We are here to help.

Our list of San Jose marriage counselors includes people with the skills to tackle just about anything. They can provide a supportive environment to help you understand your relationship problems. Ultimately, relationship counseling will lead to healthier relationship dynamics and a better relationship.

Here are our top picks of the best couples therapy and marriage counseling in San Jose CA:

1. Steffo Shambo
2. Geoff Nugent
3. David Michalicek
4. Silicon Valley Therapy
5. Dr. Harry Motro
6. Magda Wroblewska
7. Lilya George

 1. Steffo Shambo

Number one on our marriage counseling San Jose list is established relationships expert Steffo Shambo. Steffo isn’t based in San Jose, but his unique online approach to reigniting the spark in relationships powers him to the top of our list.

What is unique about Steffo’s approach is that it is couples therapy that doesn’t need a couple to take part.

He is deeply passionate in his belief that it only takes one person to change the dynamic of a relationship. And looking at the countless testimonial videos on his website his unique approach seems to work. For instance, Michael who went from being triggered, defensive, and separated from his wife to holding space, being present, and moving back in together in only 9 weeks.

This is relationship coaching with a difference. By changing the man’s behavior the natural feminine energy of the woman in the relationship is unlocked. It is an approach that draws on decades of study of Tantra and eastern spirituality backed up by hard science.

I get that some guys will think, “I want a marriage counselor near me,” but my advice is to keep an open mind.

Lots of guys from San Jose CA have already benefited from Steffo’s method The Tantric Man Experience. Guys who thought that their marriage was over. Men who believed that their wife had drifted away forever.

Unlike some traditional approaches that can take years, Steffo’s program delivers change in a matter of weeks. San Jose divorce lawyers must hate this guy!

There are also some great free resources on how to save your relationship on his site too like this free masterclass training.

Steffo offers a free consultation too, so what have you got to lose?

2. Geoff Nugent

Nugent Family Counseling Center has been supporting couples in San Jose and other parts of California for over a decade.

The center was founded in 2007 by Geoff Nugent, PhD. Nugent is a fully verified San Jose family therapist, with more letters after his name than you’d find in a Scrabble set.

He provides clients with the tools needed to understand how their emotions and behaviors can impact their personal relationships.

The center prides itself on tailoring its approaches to reflect the particular needs of each client. You can expect a combination of individual therapy, family therapy, and couples therapy.

The licensed marriage therapists at Nugent Family Counseling Center are vastly experienced in creating a supportive and safe environment for San Jose couples to work through their problems together.

Working with you they will come up with a shared plan that sets out what steps you will take to get your marriage back on the right path.

This helps you find the tools necessary to reduce conflict, address parenting issues, and identify and confront challenges.

3. David Michalicek

David Michalicek is the founder and owner of South Bay Couples Counseling in San Jose.

This fully licensed marriage and family therapist specializes in using an approach called Emotionally Focused Therapy (or EFT). Michalicek believes that research shows that this is an effective way to deliver not just short-term results, but also to have a long-lasting impact on a relationship.

This approach is great for couples that don’t know where to turn next. Sometimes in a relationship, it seems that nothing you say is right. That can end up feeling like a very lonely place to be.

Using EFT, Michalicek helps couples rebuild trust and connection. Quite simply he can help you fall in love again. This is possible even if there have been years of conflict and fighting, or even if there has been infidelity.

By the end of the process, you should feel more connected. Communication should be better. Quite simply, you will fall back in love.

So whatever personal issues you are facing, Michalicek can help you step back and see the big picture.

4.  Silicon Valley Therapy

Our list mainly focuses on individual therapists, but no San Jose CA marriage and family therapist list would be complete without mentioning Silicon Valley Therapy.

This team of relationship counselors provides couples counseling for clients right across the San Jose area.

Silicon Valley Therapy also has some very sensible advice for clients, – don’t wait until the crisis point before reaching out for help.

Often the signs that things aren’t going well are there much earlier. But sometimes it is easier to just ignore those signs and hope that things will improve. Unfortunately, they very rarely do.

So reaching out early does make sense. If a lack of affection is creeping it, or your partner is feeling distant, then maybe you should give these guys a call.

Their non-judgmental approach starts with you. This is not about ‘fixing’ you. It is about helping you appreciate who you both are as individuals and as a couple.

They also offer a free 20-minute consultation, so you can have an informal discussion to learn more about how the process works. That can stop you from feeling stressed ahead of a first appointment.

5. Dr. Harry Motro

Dr Harry Motro is a licensed marriage and Registered Associate Marriage and Family therapist here in San Jose.

As well as being a verified San Jose marriage therapist, Motro also offers a range of specialist relationship counseling services. These range from sex therapy, to dealing with infidelity and overcoming porn addiction.

He helps clients work on their communication skills. This can prevent those common everyday struggles from escalating in a way that explodes the relationship and ends up in the divorce courts.

In particular, it is easy for relationship issues to be triggered by major life transitions. This might be when you start a family or if there is infidelity in the relationship that the couple can’t get over.

Motro specializes in resolving problems like these. He will work with you as a couple to build coping skills and create a forward plan that acts as a roadmap for your marriage.

6. Magda Wroblewska

Magda Wroblewska is a Marriage and Family Therapist based in Los Gatos, CA.

Magda is an experienced mental health professional and family therapist. She has helped countless adults and couples overcome their problems. This has helped them learn new ways of relating to heal broken relationships. She has had extensive training in cognitive-behavioral, Gestalt, humanistic, and process models.. She has had extensive training in cognitive-behavioral, Gestalt, humanistic, and process models.

This means that you are getting someone highly skilled, experienced, and trained to help you in your relationship. She can help you with just about everything. .

She works with San Jose couples to zero in on their communication skills. As we all know, poor communication is the number one issue when it comes to relationship problems.

Magda will work with a couple to explore communication problems. She helps them to communicate effectively, making sure that each partner can express themselves fully, and also listen to the other.

It is quite a traditional model, with regular face-to-face meetings, but for some couples that is what they want. If that sounds like you, then maybe you should add Magda to your couples counselor shortlist for San Jose CA.

7. Lilya George 

Lilya George is not just a couples counselor. She has also been in couples therapy as a client herself. This means she has great levels of empathy in understanding how the process feels from where you are sitting.

It was this personal experience of healing and transformation that led Lilya to become a relationship counselor herself.

She will work with you as a couple, focusing on communication and providing lots of practical tools and exercises that you can begin from day 1.

Once you have the open communication part nailed, that provides a foundation for deeper work.

This might involve looking back into your past to understand your attachment history. This is how you related to your caregivers as a child, and is important in setting a template that shapes the relationships you have as an adult.

It is this mixture of insight, empathy, and wisdom which gets Lilya the final spot on our list.

​Is it worth seeing a marriage therapist?

You are probably looking for couples therapy in San Jose CA because your relationship “feels stuck.” Maybe the attraction you first felt for one another has faded. Or perhaps you are not communicating as well as you once did or you have been derailed by major life transitions. Whatever the issue, marriage counseling can help. It creates a safe space for you to understand the blockages in your relationship and help address them.

Should I choose an online or offline couples counselor?

In a world where we are all digitally connected, there are lots of options out there for online marriage therapy. But is it as effective as sitting in a room, face to face with the counselor?

Well, it depends on your needs, but my advice is to keep an open mind.

Most people now realize that online counseling is just as effective as in-person therapy. After all, during Covid lockdowns pretty much all therapy was delivered online. And the added benefit is you are unlikely to bump into your counselor at the local farmers’ market!

The right therapist is the right therapist, no matter where they are.

Does marriage counseling work?

Yes, marriage counseling does work. Numerous studies show that lots of couples benefit from focusing on their relationship and working together to repair it.

If you are in a relationship that feels stuck or drifting, then ignoring the issue is the very worst thing you can do. It is like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. Ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away.

If your relationship matters to you then you should make the effort to save it. This is where professional couples counseling or seeing a registered mental health professional can help.

From spiritual inspiration to licensed marriage therapists, to premarital counseling, whatever it is that you need you will find it on our handpicked list.

Who uses marriage counselors?

The simple answer to this is “more people than you think!”

Some recent research from MidAmerica Nazarene University, suggests that 49% of married couples end up in marriage counseling at some point during their marriage. That’s right, almost half.

What this means is that there is no one sort of person. The key common feature that people seeing any therapist has is an openness to change. To invest in what is important to them and to focus on improving the most important things in their lives.

How much does marriage counseling San Jose cost?

Costs for marriage counseling vary enormously. They depend on the therapist, how long they’ve been practicing, and how long you use them.

Generally, however, in San Jose CA, many therapists charge around $250 for a session.

$250 might not seem too bad, but remember, if you have weekly sessions for a year then that will set you back around $12,500. And there is no guarantee that it will only take a year. I know couples who seem to be permanently in therapy.

That just becomes like having the same old arguments with a referee in the room. That is why it is increasingly common for people to invest in short-term, proven programs that can deliver accelerated results.

Is marriage counseling good value for money?

Marriage counseling should be viewed as an investment.

It can improve your relationship and it can enhance your life. And remember that the average marriage counselor charges a lot less than the average San Jose divorce lawyer!

Choosing to invest in your happiness could be the most important decision you ever make. It isn’t an area to start worrying about cutting costs.

Conclusion and next steps

So that is our handpicked list for guys looking for couples therapy or marriage counseling in San Jose CA.

Pat yourself on the back. Just by reading this blog, you have already taken the first step towards finding help to save your marriage. Lots of guys don’t even get that far.

It is only a start though. The next thing for you to do is to dig into the sites on this list, check out client testimonials, and find the right person to help your relationship.

Our coaches all bring different skills. So pick the one that seems the best fit for you and your partner.

If you want to save your relationship straight away, check out this free training masterclass on how to reignite a fading relationship and draw your partner back to your side.