Couples Therapy Marin County

Transforming Relationships with Deep, Lasting Change

“We are not meant to heal alone. We heal through relationships.”
— Terry Real

What is Relational Life Therapy (RLT)?

Relational Life Therapy (RLT) is a highly effective, results-driven approach to couples and individual therapy developed by Terry Real. Unlike traditional talk therapy, RLT dives deep into relational patterns, helping individuals and couples break destructive cycles and build authentic, intimate connections. RLT emphasizes both compassionate truth-telling and practical skill-building, ensuring that clients gain real tools to create healthier, more fulfilling relationships.

How Does RLT Work?

RLT helps individuals and couples move out of old, conditioned survival strategies (what Terry Real calls the Adaptive Child) and into a more balanced, connected way of relating, led by the Wise Adult. This therapy is direct, effective, and designed to produce rapid, transformative change rather than years of passive processing.

Key elements of RLT include:

  • Loving Confrontation – Helping clients recognize their dysfunctional patterns in a direct but supportive way.

  • Breaking the Cycle – Understanding the negative feedback loops that fuel disconnection.

  • Relational Mindfulness – Learning how to regulate emotions and stay present in conflict.

  • Skill-Building – Practical strategies to foster intimacy, accountability, and mutual respect

Who Can Benefit from RLT?

RLT is powerful for individuals and couples experiencing:

  • Recurring relationship conflicts

  • Emotional disconnection or lack of intimacy

  • Patterns of retaliation, withdrawal, or control in relationships

  • Grandiosity or shame-based self-perceptions

  • Family-of-origin wounds affecting current relationships

  • Struggles with vulnerability, trust, and communication

RLT provides a practical, actionable approach to fostering relational healing and personal empowerment.

Take the First Step

As RLT-trained therapists, we take a no-nonsense but deeply compassionate approach to helping you break through old patterns and create the relationships you truly desire.

Healing your relationships starts with you. If you’re ready for real change, schedule a consultation today and begin your journey toward deeper connection and emotional freedom.