Couples Counseling
Is your relationship in crisis? Rest assured, we will help you to recover the love you once felt for each other.
We offer online and face to face couples counseling in the English language out of our Amsterdam office. Stop wasting your energy with arguing and start using it to revive your relationship.
Couples counseling practice De Relatiespecialist was founded by Annemieke Visser and her husband Arjan Geurtsen
Your relationship is in trouble and you’ve made the decision to get help. Well done, every change starts with a decision.
Now it’s time to push through. Even though it may feel scary. Because you don’t know the outcome in advance.
Couples counseling at De Relatiespecialist means that your relationship is our client. Not you. Not your partner.
Sometimes you will find the therapist in your corner. And sometimes in the corner of your partner.
We do whatever is necessary for the both of you to gain insight in yourselves and each other.
The goal of the therapy trajectory is set by yourselves. Do you want to overcome a crisis? Or do you want to find out whether the two of you have a future at all?
You determine what you want to achieve and we will make sure you get there. With a deep conversation, a friendly nudge and sometimes a loving kick in the pants.
“Instead of letting our marriage deteriorate, we should have started this therapy 2 years earlier. We are happier than ever!”
– Patrick (41) and Audrey (42), Amsterdam
Why couples counseling at De Relatiespecialist?
According to Coachscore.nl, De Relatiespecialist is the highest rated couples counseling practice in the Netherlands.
We have deep knowledge about relationships because we are specialized: we only do couples counseling. Nothing else.
We have experience with cross-cultural relationships and the challenges this poses to relationships.
We offer all therapy sessions in the English language.
You can choose between face to face or online couples counseling. Even if you change your mind on the day itself: no problem.
Us, together, we are back
Going to couples counseling felt like a big step. Despite a very pleasant first conversation, we started somewhat hesitantly and doubtfully. Was this really for us?
But soon, we found ourselves gaining surprising new insights—about ourselves and each other. Topics were discussed and issues were addressed that we hadn’t thought of or didn’t feel comfortable talking about, but which were necessary for us to move forward together.
It was a turbulent, exciting time with many ups and downs, but the counseling did us a world of good. Annemieke’s guidance was perfect for us. She listened well, asked the right questions, made connections, and saw in us what we had really lost sight of. In a very pleasant and calm manner, she led us back to each other, and we are incredibly happy and grateful for that!
Us, together, we are back! But now equipped with tools, tips, and experiences so that we won’t easily lose ourselves again“
– Ernst and Hilda, Budapest
We could feel that she genuinely wished the best for us, even through the screen!
A very positive experience. It was a difficult time for us, but Annemieke brought glimmers of hope into our relationship that grew larger as the therapy progressed. We look back on it with gratitude and often think of what Annemieke has done for us.
– Willemieke, Ede
Starting with couples counseling is probably a good idea if:
There is an acute crisis in your relationship. For example as result unfaithfulness or lying (e.g. about smoking, drinking, gambling, etc.).
When you feel that your relationship is at a crossroads and you want to take a well-informed decision on whether to break up or stay together.
When your relationship lacks intimacy, you feel more like siblings than lovers.
When the goodwill towards each other is completely gone. Any unexpected event results in the two of you playing the blame game.
When you secretly dread your partner coming home because you have to walk on eggshells again.
When prefer cuddling with your pet or kids over your partner.
You’ve seen other couples counselors before. Everybody works differently. Your prior results don’t predict the success you’ll have with us.
It’s difficult for you to put your feelings into words. Rest assured: we are experts in helping you with this.
You have already decided to separate but want to do this in a peacful way, for example because both of you want to ensure that the interest of your children is top priority.
Both of you are non-Dutch or only one of you.
You are a same-sex couple.
You have children, if you’re about to have children, if you would like to have children or if you can’t even imagine having children.
You live in Amsterdam or somewhere else: sessions through Zoom as just as effective as face to face.
You have the feeling that you have already tried everything out there and you feel hopeless.
Your proficiency of the English language is not sufficient to have a meaningful conversation.
The crisis you are experiencing is the result of years of lack of “maintenance” of your relationship. In this case it’s better to rebuild your relationship from scratch and learn all relevant relationship skills through our Premium Marriage Relationship Counseling program. More information? Click here.
Only one of your wants to start with the couples counseling. It takes two to tango.
You’re not prepared to invest energy, time and money in the process.
You blame everything on your partner. Sure, things may have been said or done that shouldn’t have been. However, a relationship is an interaction, and it takes both of you to resolve the issues.
The cost per session is 200 euro. We start with a package of 5 sessions. So it is not possible to only have only 1 session with us.
Why?
We’re not in the business of applying a band-aid so you can move on for one or two years before the same issue pops up again.
Couples counseling at De Relatiespecialist means dealing with the root cause of the issues you’re facing. And this takes time.
On average couples need 5 – 10 sessions with us.
According to a research done by the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant among 500 couples counselors, the average number of sessions needed is 15. According to that same reseach, the average cost of a full couples counseling package is 1850 – 2250 euro.
So, even though the cost per session is slightly higher at De Relatiespecialist (which reflects the high quality of the therapist), the total cost of the full package is in line with Dutch standards because fewer sessions are needed to achieve your desired goals (which is also the result of the skills of our highly qualified therapists).
Enriching, inspiring, decisive, and positive!
Over the past few months, we have enjoyed a coaching program with De Relatiespecialist. Talking about our feelings together seemed quite daunting at first, but Annemieke immediately created a safe and inviting atmosphere.
Right after the first session, our feelings for each other and our perspective on our relationship began to change. It involves looking at yourself and how you can become a better, more pleasant, kinder, and more positive partner for the other person. Truly appreciating the other person again.
Additionally, discovering what lies beneath the other’s ‘behavior.’ And all this under Annemieke’s loving, decisive, sometimes confrontational but always supportive and involved guidance. Always with a positive outlook.
We communicate much more, understand each other better, and feel more connected with each other again. We continue to seize learning moments to further deepen our relationship and truly see and appreciate each other, and we have full confidence in doing so with the tools we have learned.
We are super happy and very grateful that we were able to undertake this program with Annemieke. Highly recommended!
– Two women from Utrecht
Want to get started? This is what you can expect:
First we get to know each other through a Match Call. To hear what’s going on, to explain how we work and what we think is the best way forward for you. You can schedule the Match Call by clicking here.
If you decide to move ahead you will be matched with the best therapist for your situation.
You are in charge of the pace of the program as you can plan the sessions yourself through an online calendar.
Almost immediately the improvement in your relationship will be noticeable. And after a couple of months you start beating yourself up for not starting earlier. But in the end you don’t care: the love has returned and that’s what matters.
WARNING: many of our former clients ended up getting married or having (more) kids. Starting couples counseling is therefore at your own risk!
We feel much closer to each other
We are very grateful that we followed online relationship therapy with De Relatiespecialist. Initially, I had serious doubts about whether an outsider could understand me. My partner also wondered if a stranger could help us grow closer together. But nothing could have been further from the truth! We now feel much closer to each other.
We have learned to look at each other in a different way, making it easier to get over annoyances. We gained more insight into each other’s thoughts by talking to each other. That is a huge benefit.
– Emily from Flanders, Belgium
Are you ready for a relationship filled with love?
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Amsterdam | Amersfoort | Ede | Haarlem | Utrecht | Veenendaal | Zeist
