Robert Tierney

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) | Couples & Relationship Therapist

Appointments

Online

Professional Statement

I help couples who care about each other but keep getting pulled into the same arguments, misunderstandings, and emotional distance. Often, one partner wants to talk things through while the other shuts down, withdraws, or feels overwhelmed. Before long, both people feel unheard.

I’m Robert M. Tierney, M.Ed., LPC, a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than 30 years of counseling experience. My work focuses on couples and relationship problems, including communication difficulties, recurring conflict, loss of trust, emotional disconnection, jealousy, intimacy concerns, and major life transitions.

My approach is practical and conversational. We look at what keeps happening between you, identify the patterns that make conflict worse, and work on better ways to talk, listen, repair hurt, and reconnect. I draw from evidence-based couples therapy approaches, including Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and attachment-based work.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. If you’re wondering whether couples therapy could help, we can begin with a brief consultation and talk about what’s happening in your relationship and what you’d like to change.

Certifications

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

Education

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville - M.Ed.
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville - B.S.

General Info
Book a Session

Couples Therapy for Communication and Recurring Conflict

$200.00

Book a Session

Subcategory

Relationships

Videos

Couples Therapy for Communication and Recurring Conflict

Appointment Length

0 hour 50 minutes

Service Description

For couples who keep having the same arguments, feel misunderstood, or get stuck in criticism, defensiveness, withdrawal, or emotional shutdown. We’ll identify the patterns that keep conflict going and work on practical ways to communicate more clearly, reduce escalation, and reconnect.

Service Requirements

Please briefly describe the communication or conflict pattern you would most like help with. For example, you might mention repeated arguments, difficulty feeling heard, one partner shutting down, criticism, defensiveness, or trouble resolving disagreements.

Please do not include detailed medical, diagnostic, trauma, or other sensitive health information in this form. More complete clinical information can be discussed through the appropriate secure intake process.

FAQs

Q: Do both partners need to attend?
A: Couples therapy usually works best when both partners participate, but we can discuss your situation if one partner is unsure about attending.

Q: What kinds of problems do you work with?
A: This service is designed for couples dealing with recurring arguments, communication breakdowns, criticism, defensiveness, withdrawal, emotional distance, and difficulty resolving conflict.

Q: What happens in the first session?
A: We’ll talk about the concerns bringing you in, identify the patterns that tend to repeat between you, and begin clarifying what each of you would like to change.

Q: Is the goal to decide who is right?
A: No. The focus is on understanding what happens between you, reducing the patterns that keep conflict going, and helping both partners communicate more effectively.

Q: What if we argue during the session?
A: That can happen. If it does, we can slow the conversation down and use the moment to understand the pattern and practice a different way of responding.

Q: How long are sessions?
A: Standard couples sessions are 50 minutes unless another session length has been arranged.

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