Couples Counseling in Plymouth, MA

Stop Having the Same Arguments. Start Feeling Connected Again.

Are you tired of having the same fight over and over? Feeling more like roommates than romantic partners? Wondering how two people who once loved spending time together now struggle to have a conversation without arguing?

Maybe one of you wants to talk about everything while the other shuts down. Perhaps resentment has been building for years, intimacy has disappeared, or a betrayal has left you wondering whether your relationship can survive.

You don't have to keep repeating the same painful relationship patterns.

I'm Richie Pryor, LMHC, a Certified Relational Life Therapist specializing in couples counseling and marriage therapy in Plymouth, Massachusetts. I work with couples throughout the South Shore and Cape Cod who want to improve communication, rebuild trust, and reconnect emotionally.

My approach is direct, compassionate, practical, and sometimes humorous. I don't believe couples should spend session after session arguing about last week's argument.

Instead, we work to understand why the same problems keep happening—and what each partner can do differently.

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Why my approach is different than other therapists that do couples counseling.

Does This Sound Like Your Relationship?

Most couples don't wake up one morning and suddenly discover their relationship is struggling.

It usually happens gradually.

The little arguments become bigger arguments. Conversations turn into criticism and defensiveness. Affection disappears. Eventually, you may begin wondering whether you're even compatible anymore.

You might recognize some of these experiences:

• You're having the same argument repeatedly, but nothing gets resolved.

• One partner pursues conversations while the other withdraws or shuts down.

• You feel criticized, dismissed, or misunderstood.

• You're walking on eggshells to avoid another argument.

• Resentment has replaced affection and appreciation.

• You feel lonely even when your partner is sitting right next to you.

• Your physical and emotional intimacy has diminished.

• Infidelity or betrayal has damaged your trust.

• You're wondering whether to stay together or separate.

Here's what I often tell couples: The argument you're having probably isn't the real problem.

You may be fighting about money, household responsibilities, parenting, sex, or whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher.

But underneath those arguments are often deeper feelings of rejection, inadequacy, abandonment, resentment, and disconnection.

Until those underlying patterns are addressed, couples often keep having different versions of the same fight.

That's where Relational Life Therapy can help.

Why Do Couples Keep Having the Same Argument?

Imagine this:

Mark comes home after a long day at work. Lisa asks why he hasn't helped with something around the house.

Mark hears criticism.

Lisa feels ignored.

Mark becomes defensive. Lisa gets louder because she wants him to understand how frustrated she feels.

Mark shuts down and walks away.

Lisa follows him because she feels abandoned.

Twenty minutes later, they're arguing about everything except the original problem.

Sound familiar?

This is what I call your relationship dance.

The subject of the argument changes, but the dance stays the same.

In couples counseling, we identify that repetitive cycle and explore how each partner contributes to keeping it going.

The goal isn't to determine who started the argument or who is the better partner.

It's to help you recognize the pattern early enough to make a different choice.

How Relational Life Therapy Helps Couples

A Different Approach to Marriage Counseling

I specialize in Relational Life Therapy (RLT), an approach developed by psychotherapist and author Terry Real.

RLT focuses on helping couples identify destructive relationship patterns, understand the emotional experiences driving those patterns, take accountability for their behavior, and develop healthier relational skills.

Communication techniques matter, but knowing the right words doesn't necessarily help when you're angry, frightened, ashamed, or feeling rejected.

That's why we work on more than communication.

We explore what happens inside you when your partner triggers an emotional reaction, how you protect yourself, and how those protective behaviors affect your relationship.

You can't control your partner's behavior. But you can learn to change how you respond.

And when partners begin responding differently, their relationship patterns can begin to change.

Understanding Your Adaptive Child and Wise Adult

One of the concepts I teach in Relational Life Therapy is the difference between your Adaptive Child and your Wise Adult.

Your Adaptive Child developed protective strategies earlier in life.

Perhaps you learned to avoid conflict, become defensive, shut down emotionally, criticize others, control situations, or please everyone to avoid rejection.

Those strategies may have helped you cope with difficult experiences when you were younger.

Unfortunately, the same behaviors can create problems in adult relationships.

Your Wise Adult is the part of you capable of emotional regulation, accountability, compassion, honesty, boundaries, and connection.

In couples therapy, we work on recognizing when your Adaptive Child is taking over and learning how to respond from your Wise Adult instead.

My Four-Step Approach to Couples Counseling

Step 1: Discover Your Relationship Dance

Every couple has patterns.

One partner criticizes. The other withdraws. One pursues. The other distances.

Before you know it, you're having the same argument for the hundredth time.

We begin by identifying the patterns keeping you stuck.

What triggers each partner? How does each person respond? What happens next?

Recognizing the dance gives us something concrete to change.

Step 2: Understand How Your Past Affects Your Present

Many of our emotional reactions were learned long before we met our partners.

Perhaps you grew up in a home where conflict meant yelling, silence, criticism, abandonment, or emotional withdrawal.

Those early experiences can shape how you respond to relationship challenges today.

We explore those patterns with curiosity and compassion.

Understanding your past isn't about blaming your parents or excusing harmful behavior.

It's about understanding why you react the way you do so you can begin making different choices.

Step 3: Heal Relationship Injuries and Take Accountability

Understanding why you behave a certain way doesn't mean you get a free pass to continue doing it.

Real change requires accountability.

We work on recognizing harmful behaviors, addressing unresolved hurts, repairing relationship injuries, and learning to take responsibility without becoming overwhelmed by shame.

When betrayal or significant relationship injuries have occurred, accountability and emotional safety become especially important.

The goal is to create an environment where both partners can begin making meaningful changes.

Step 4: Learn Practical Relationship Skills

Insight is important, but relationships improve when people begin behaving differently.

I help couples develop skills such as:

• Communicating without criticism or contempt.

• Listening without immediately becoming defensive.

• Recognizing emotional triggers.

• Taking effective timeouts during conflict.

• Establishing healthy boundaries.

• Expressing needs clearly and respectfully.

• Taking accountability without blaming or shaming.

• Repairing after arguments.

• Rebuilding emotional and physical intimacy.

• Responding from their Wise Adult rather than their Adaptive Child.

These are skills you can practice outside therapy and continue using long after counseling ends.

Relationship Problems I Help Couples Work Through

Communication Problems and Constant Arguments

If every conversation turns into an argument, couples counseling can help you identify your communication patterns and develop healthier ways to express needs, listen, and resolve conflict.

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Infidelity and Betrayal Recovery

An affair or other betrayal can leave partners feeling devastated, angry, and uncertain about their future.

I help couples address the impact of betrayal, establish accountability, and explore whether trust and connection can be rebuilt.

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Emotional Disconnection and Resentment

Sometimes couples stop fighting because they've stopped connecting.

You may feel more like roommates, business partners, or co-parents than romantic partners.

We explore the unresolved hurts and patterns contributing to emotional distance and work toward healthier connection.

Sex and Intimacy Problems

Differences in sexual desire, resentment, emotional distance, and unresolved conflict can all affect intimacy.

Couples counseling provides space to address these challenges and explore ways to restore emotional and physical closeness.

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ADHD and Relationships

Adult ADHD can affect communication, emotional regulation, household responsibilities, follow-through, and relationship satisfaction.

I help couples understand these dynamics while developing realistic expectations, stronger communication, and mutual accountability.

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Considering Separation or Divorce

Not every couple begins therapy knowing whether they want to stay together.

Sometimes one partner is considering leaving while the other wants to repair the relationship.

Counseling can help you understand your options, clarify your needs, and make more thoughtful decisions about your future.

What Makes My Couples Counseling Approach Different?

I've been married to my wife for 40 years, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that even good relationships can be challenging.

Marriage requires more than love.

It requires emotional maturity, accountability, flexibility, forgiveness, and the ability to laugh at yourself occasionally.

As a Certified Relational Life Therapist, I bring an active and practical approach to couples counseling.

I'm not the therapist who simply sits back while you argue about what happened last Tuesday.

I'm involved in the process.

I ask difficult questions, challenge destructive behaviors, and help you recognize the patterns you may not be seeing.

When one partner is engaging in behavior that damages the relationship, we address it directly and compassionately.

And when both partners are contributing to a destructive cycle, we work on helping each person take responsibility for their part.

My job isn't to declare a winner in your arguments.

It's to help you build a healthier relationship.

I also believe humor has a place in therapy. Sometimes recognizing the absurdity of our relationship patterns helps us become less defensive and more willing to change.

Therapy can be serious work without being serious every minute.

What to Expect in Your First Couples Counseling Session

Starting couples counseling can feel intimidating, especially when your relationship is already strained.

You may worry that your partner will blame you, that the therapist will take sides, or that you'll spend the entire session arguing.

My goal is to create a respectful environment where we can understand what's happening in your relationship.

During our initial work together, we'll explore:

• What brought you to couples counseling.

• Your most significant relationship challenges.

• How your arguments and conflicts typically unfold.

• What each partner hopes to change.

• Important relationship history and past experiences.

• Whether couples therapy is appropriate for your situation.

• The goals and next steps for treatment.

From there, we begin identifying the patterns that need attention and developing a plan for meaningful change.

Couples Counseling in Plymouth, Cape Cod & the South Shore

I provide in-person couples counseling and marriage therapy at Richie Pryor Psychotherapy in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

My office serves couples from Plymouth and nearby communities, including Kingston, Duxbury, Marshfield, Carver, Wareham, Bourne, Sandwich, and other South Shore and Cape Cod towns.

I also offer online couples counseling for eligible clients throughout Massachusetts, making it easier to attend sessions without traveling to my office.

Whether you're looking for marriage counseling in Plymouth, couples therapy on the South Shore, or online relationship counseling, my focus is helping you understand your relationship patterns and develop practical skills for change.

Frequently Asked Questions About Couples Counseling

Does couples counseling really work?

Couples counseling can help partners improve communication, understand recurring conflict, address relationship injuries, and develop healthier ways of relating. Outcomes vary depending on the circumstances, the treatment approach, and each partner's participation. No therapist can guarantee a particular result.

How long does couples counseling take?

The length of treatment depends on the challenges you're experiencing, your goals, and your progress. Some couples seek help with a specific issue, while others need more time to address longstanding patterns or significant relationship injuries.

What if my partner doesn't want to attend counseling?

You can still work individually on your emotional reactions, boundaries, communication, and relationship decisions. Although individual counseling cannot replace the participation of both partners in couples therapy, it can help you make meaningful personal changes.

Will you take sides during couples counseling?

My role is to support healthier relationship functioning, not to automatically assign equal responsibility for every problem. I address harmful behaviors directly and compassionately while helping each partner understand their responsibilities. Safety, respect, and accountability remain essential.

Do you offer online couples therapy?

Yes. Online couples counseling is available to eligible clients in Massachusetts. Virtual sessions provide an alternative for couples who cannot conveniently attend appointments in Plymouth.

What if we're considering divorce?

Couples counseling doesn't have to begin with an agreement to stay together. Therapy may help you understand your relationship, clarify your options, and make more informed decisions about the future.

Do you accept insurance for couples counseling?

Coverage for couples counseling varies by insurer, plan, treatment circumstances, and the services provided. Contact my office to discuss current fees, payment arrangements, and whether any insurance benefits may apply.

Ready to Stop Having the Same Argument?

You may have spent years trying to change your partner.

And your partner may have spent years trying to change you.

What if the answer isn't changing your partner—but changing the relationship patterns that keep you both stuck?

Couples counseling can help you recognize those patterns, understand your emotional reactions, take accountability, and develop healthier ways of communicating and connecting.

You don't have to wait until your relationship reaches a breaking point to seek help.

Start Couples Counseling in Plymouth, MA

Richie Pryor, MA, LMHC
Certified Relational Life Therapist
Richie Pryor Psychotherapy, LLC

225 Water Street, Suite A-150
Plymouth, MA 02360

Phone: 508-591-0141
Email: richie@richiepryor.com

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