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πŸ’‘Relationships & Couples

Becoming parents changes everything β€” including each other.

Therapists in El Paso, Texas

"We used to be close. Now we're just coparenting strangers."
βœ“See a specialist this weekβœ“PMH-C Certified Therapistsβœ“Telehealth Β· see anyone from homeβœ“In-network in Texas
In network with
Blue Cross Blue Shield of TexasUnitedHealthcareAetnaCigna+9 more

No commitment. We'll confirm your coverage before your first session.

Virtual therapy for El Paso families

El Paso sits 800 miles from Houston, closer to Los Angeles than to Dallas, in the far western corner of a state that often forgets it. The city is majority Latino, has a large active-duty military population at Fort Bliss, and has a mental health infrastructure that reflects its geography and its funding: limited perinatal specialists, long wait times, and a cultural expectation in both Mexican-American and military communities that you handle things inside the family. Postpartum depression and perinatal anxiety don't respond to that expectation. They also don't respond to the geographic reality of being in one of the most isolated large cities in the country. A PMH-C certified therapist within reasonable driving distance is genuinely hard to find in El Paso. Most families end up on wait lists, or going without, or navigating care across the border, which is its own logistical complexity. William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC) is the primary military healthcare facility at Fort Bliss. Military families dealing with postpartum or perinatal mental health can access TRICARE-covered telehealth, which removes the wait and the drive. Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification and typically see El Paso clients within one week of intake, by secure video. We accept TRICARE for active-duty dependents and major civilian insurance plans. For families in West El Paso, East El Paso, Horizon City, and Socorro, telehealth is the most practical path to a perinatal specialist without the wait.

El Paso neighborhoods: West El Paso Β· East El Paso Β· Northeast El Paso Β· Horizon City Β· Socorro

You might benefit from therapy if…

  • βœ“You've gone from partners to coparents and you don't know how to get back to each other
  • βœ“You're fighting about the same things over and over: chores, sleep, time, attention
  • βœ“You feel invisible to your partner, or like they're invisible to you
  • βœ“You've lost intimacy and you're not sure how to talk about it
  • βœ“You're resentful in ways that scare you a little
  • βœ“One or both of you is depressed or anxious and it's spilling into the relationship
Dr. Emily Guarnotta

Dr. Emily Guarnotta

Psychologist & Founder

From our founder

Almost every couple I see in the postpartum phase tells me some version of the same story: we used to be close, and now we feel like roommates. That's not a verdict on your relationship. It's a description of what this phase does. The couples who do the work usually come out closer than they were before, and that's why I love this part of the practice.

What therapy looks like

Couples therapy in the perinatal phase usually uses one of a few evidence-based approaches. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is particularly well-suited because it focuses on the underlying emotional dynamics rather than the surface fight. The Gottman Method is also widely used for new parents, with practical structures for communication, repair, and intimacy. Some therapists draw on both. Many Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification and specifically work with couples in this phase. Early sessions typically map what's actually happening between you, including the patterns each partner brings, the specific stresses of the postpartum chapter, and the moments where things tend to come apart. From there the work involves rebuilding the way you communicate under pressure, addressing the division of labor in a way that actually sticks, and finding small, repeated moments of connection that make a meaningful difference over time. Most couples see real change in 12 to 20 sessions. If one or both partners is also dealing with depression, anxiety, or trauma, individual therapy alongside couples work often speeds up progress.

Our Relationships & Couples specialists in El Paso, Texas

Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification β€” the gold standard in perinatal mental health.

Real clients. Real relief.

What our clients say about their experience.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œ"After our daughter arrived, neither of us knew how to talk about what had changed between us without it becoming a fight. Our therapist helped us understand that connection after a baby looks completely different, and that waiting for things to go back to how they were wasn't going to work. We had to build something new."”

β€” new mom

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œ"Nobody told me the baby would bring up every unresolved thing in our relationship at once. Old fights I thought we were past. Patterns from our own families. Who I thought my partner would be as a parent versus who he actually was. Our couples therapist helped us figure out what we were actually arguing about instead of just circling the same argument."”

β€” mom of 2

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œ"We went from a team to two separate people managing a crisis in the same house. I was keeping score without realizing it. She was exhausted in ways I couldn't see. Working with a therapist together helped us stop talking past each other and start talking to each other again. We're not the same couple we were before. We're better."”

β€” dad of 1

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œWe were having the same fight every Sunday night for six months. Once we started couples work I realized we were both saying the same thing in different words. We needed someone to translate. It changed everything.”

β€” Anna, mom of one

Expert care.
Covered in Texas.

  • βœ“Aetna (incl. CVS Health, First Health, & Meritain)
  • βœ“BCBS (incl. Anthem, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, & state plans)
  • βœ“Cigna / Evernorth
  • βœ“United Healthcare (UHC) / Optum (incl. UBH, UMR, Surest, Oscar, & Oxford)

Most clients pay less than $20 per session.

Accepted Insurance Networks

Aetna
Blue Cross Blue Shield
UnitedHealthcare
Cigna
Anthem
+9 more

Ready to start Relationships & Couples therapy? Here’s how it works.

The whole process takes about 5 minutes. We handle insurance β€” you just show up.

  1. 1

    Book your free call

    A quick 15-minute chat to hear what you're going through, answer your questions, and make sure we're a great fit for your needs. No cost, no commitment.

  2. 2

    Get matched

    We'll pair you with the right specialist for your specific situation. We'll also check your insurance, so you know your exact cost per session before moving forward.

  3. 3

    Start your first session

    Meet your therapist from the comfort of home. No commute, no waiting rooms, no judgment. Most clients notice a real difference within just 2 to 3 sessions.

No commitment Β· Most insurance accepted Β· Available this week

Common questions

  • It is extremely common, and that doesn't mean it's healthy to leave it alone. Most couples see a real dip in relationship satisfaction in the first year postpartum. Couples who get support tend to recover faster and more thoroughly than couples who try to wait it out.
  • Individual therapy can still make a meaningful difference. Often when one partner starts doing their own work, the dynamic shifts enough that the other becomes more open. And many things that feel like couple problems are actually individual stress that's spilling over.
  • Often both. For most couples in this phase, individual therapy for the partner who's struggling most (or both partners) alongside couples work is the most effective combination. Your therapist can help you decide what makes sense.
  • Intimacy after a baby is its own area of work, and it usually doesn't fix itself. Many couples find that the emotional repair has to happen first, and then physical intimacy follows. Talking about it explicitly with a therapist makes it much more likely to come back.
  • Yes. Phoenix Health provides telehealth therapy to residents of Texas. Sessions are conducted via secure video from your home, office, or anywhere private β€” no commute required. All Phoenix Health therapists are licensed and authorized to practice in Texas.
  • PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certification) is awarded by Postpartum Support International (PSI) to clinicians who have completed advanced training in perinatal mental health β€” covering postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, and related conditions. It represents the gold standard of specialization in this field.
  • If you're struggling β€” with your mood, your thoughts, your relationship, or just how you're coping β€” that's enough of a reason to talk to someone. You don't need a diagnosis. A free consultation is a low-commitment first step.

From the Phoenix Health resource center

Articles and guides about relationships & couples

What Relationship Recovery After a Hard Postpartum Actually Looks Like

Recovering as a couple after a hard postpartum period is possible β€” but it doesn't look like going back to before. It involves understanding what happened, rebuilding differently, and accepting that the relationship that comes out the other side is a new one.

Read article β†’

How to Find a Couples Therapist After a Hard Postpartum

The postpartum period can strain even stable relationships in specific ways β€” and couples therapy that understands that context is different from general couples therapy. Here's what to look for, what questions to ask, and how to find the right fit.

Read article β†’

How Couples Recover After a Hard Postpartum Year

The postpartum year is one of the highest-stress periods a relationship can go through. Many couples emerge from it with significant damage they didn't see coming. Understanding what recovery actually involves β€” and what makes it possible β€” is different from waiting for things to go back to normal.

Read article β†’

Trusted by leading voices in parenting and mental health

OBs, doulas, and pediatricians refer their patients to us because we specialize in maternal mental health.

  • Parents.com
  • Postpartum Support International
  • Healthline
  • HuffPost
  • Fatherly
  • Choosing Therapy

The sooner you start,
the sooner you'll
feel like yourself again.

You've been surviving. It's time to start healing.

No commitment Β· Covered by insurance Β· Available this week

Learning resources

πŸ’‘Read our Relationships & Couples guides β†’

Often goes alongside

🌧Postpartum DepressionπŸ”₯Parental BurnoutπŸ¦‹MatrescenceπŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘ΆPaternal Mental Health