User Reviews

Anyone who has ever been in any therapy-couples or otherwise-should appreciate this show. People communicate differently, patterns get established, feelings are hurt. Some people need to talk "right now" when there's a problem in their relationship, and others need to stew for a while. This show captured it all. I was in couples therapy with my ex and, much later, my spouse. What I learned in the first go around definitely helped me become a better person and partner and what I learned in the second did even more of the same-and helped save my marriage. But you have to be open to recognizing your patterns, changing your behaviors, and listening. I think the four couples focused on are all very compelling. Personally, I liked DeSean and Elaine best because their issues were so relatable, but Mau and Annie are enigmatic and fascinating. I also liked this show because it really represents contemporary people in NYC very well: therapy is not for the rich, it is for everyone. The therapist is very good and I enjoyed seeing her discuss her concerns with her mentor. There were a lot of surprises with how things turned out with the couples. This is as real as it gets and it was a pleasure watching some of the individuals have moments of clarity in their sessions because that's how it happens in therapy. Sometimes you just see the light and realize something crucial. Loved this show and I hope it comes back.

"Couples Therapy" (2019 release; 9 episodes of about 27 min. each) is a TV documentary series about couples therapy. As Episode 1 opens, we are introduced to Annie and Mau, married for 23 years. They are in session with psychoanalyst and couples therapist Orna Guralnik, and they start telling their story and why they are seeking therapy. Next up are Elaine and DeSean, married for 11 years. At this point we are less than 15 min. into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: first and foremost, this documentary series has nothing to do with the reality TV show of the same name that aired on VH-1 in 2012-2015. Second, the premise of this documentary is to follow 4 couples (the other two are Lauren and Sarah, married for 2 years, and Evelyn and Alan, married for 6 years). There is a reason why at the end of each episode we get a note that "The producers wish to thank the participating couples for their bravery and honesty". Indeed, the strength of this series is that these 4 couples leave it all out there, I mean, at times it is almost too much to take in. And it must be that the couples therapist feels likewise, as she is seen consulting with her clinical adviser, and she comments that she sometimes can't sleep at night due to the couples needs and her power/responsibility over these couples. If one were a cynic, one could say this series plays out like a soap opera as we become completely invested in these people, except that these are fictional characters but instead real people with real life problems.

"Couples Therapy" originally aired last Fall on Showtime, and I recently bingw-watched all 9 episodes in a single setting on SHO On Demand, yes, it is that good! A second season already has been green-lit and will be airing later this year, Can't wait for that!

Just finished season 2 and thought it was even better than season 1. I don't normally watch reality TV, but this show is very compelling and heartwarming to say the least. Its real people, real struggles and Orna is just mesmerizing at times. Sometimes she says very little and just lets them talk, but then she can say something so profound it just punches you in the gut. I did some reading about her and gotta say her background and how she came to do this show is worth the read. I think the series is over which is a bummer. I highly recommend watching this for the profound conversations and just sheer will of the show.

I found this show fascinating. We start by listening the the four couples state what their conflicts are. It is easy to take sides at this point. Then, episode by episode, the therapist leads them to dive deep into what is causing the behavior and it is an amazing process. It becomes clear how past experiences/traumas are creating the self-sabotaging behavior in the present. Makes one wonder what one may be burying in oneself...?

My husband and I use your show to talk about topics that we may not discuss otherwise-it has brought us closer and wiser. Thank you.

Watching therapy sessions will of course, not be for everyone. But this is a heart breaking and hope filled journey of human beings.

Every nuance, plot line, emotion and character you have ever enjoyed in literature, TV, Theater or Movie unfolds in Orna's office. We laugh, cry and cheer at the struggles, comedy and ultimate triumph over the human condition. Beautiful! Please come back - we have so much more to learn.

As you're watching this series (I'm referring to Season 2, as that is all I have watched so far), you notice parts of yourself in these very different couples and people. They all relate to the world differently. Truly the casting directing was amazing in choosing the participants, bravo.

It honestly gives you a reflection of how we may be seeing the world ourselves and our relationships. Awareness is key in any mental health change.

It also gives great insight into what couples therapy is and should be for those of us stuck in the fear of never trying it. Because honestly as well, this therapy is beyond expensive, so to have a show dull our fears of trying it out for ourselves, its really a public service.

Everyone participating was honest, open and willing to try. It was amazing to witness.

I have spent hours in marriage counselling and can say this is a very accurate portrayal of couples counselling. Loved the parts when the therapist talks about her experience with counselling the couples and her opinion or struggles that she has with the couples or certain individuals.

Fascinating to watch. We can all identify with some of the issues discussed. Orna is phenomenal and it's beautiful to see how some of these couples commit to freeing themselves from all the resentment, learning (and being willing) to change and compromise in order to find happiness again. It also shows what sessions are like from the therapist's perspective as we get to see Orna in session with her own counselor. A must watch.

I enjoy this. It could be improved with less time spent showing stock footage of random people on the street.

It's like every viewer receives free therapy by watching other couples voice your own issues. It's an incredibly well done show, and I am so bummed that it's over! WHY??

Even though she mentions constantly that she is an analyst (as in psychoanalysis), she veers a lot of times towards CBT and advice giving. She appears to be talking more than listening. She interrupts the clients, finishes their sentences. She uses quite a lot of jargon, which is not necessary unless she speaks to peers. It seems like she has a theory that she's trying to persuade them of by bringing pro arguments.

The therapist doesn't address personal individual issues in the couples. She just acts as a mediator for them to "understand" each other. So let's say we have an abusive relationship or a codependent relationship, she will not address that at all. Basically she will be like "so how are you going to live with this abusive behavior" and "how are you now as the abuser going to navigate true your emotions"

To be fair I like her approach of not labeling people with the common dsm 5 and trying to look at people as individuals but at the same time she doesn't look AT ALL at multiple personal factors that can influence a persons response or the response of set behavior to their partner.

On top of that there seems to be this forced agenda the producers or editors want to push.

A great eye opener in human behavior. A wonderful documentary, very well made and insightful. Refreshing after all the silly shows. Season 1 and 2 were better then season 3.

Fascinating to see real people dealing with real problems. I cried and laughed. Loved certain patients and was angry at others. Yelled at tv at times. This is really well done!

This show might not be for everyone but for those who have gone through marital issues, they will easily identify with some of the stories. In a few occasions I felt they were talking about my story and that gave me chills and goose bumps. On the contrary, having been on a couch like that, I can say the show feels very real to me.

As a lifelong student of human behavior, who also did a lot of couple counseling, this show is well beyond my scope of intervention. It zeros in to the most effective places within the couples psychological system and framework in order to effect change. The intelligence of the counselors as well as many of the patients, is pretty stunning. The show is so effective, To watch the couples move through their 'coupleness' to their individual traumas and systems, coming back to being a couple is quite the viewer experience. I began to realize that schooling is a fragment of being a good therapist. School may open your eyes to technical awareness such as recognizing disorders, but to intervene in a truthful and effective manner takes a certain innate talent.

There's a lot I like about this show. After finishing Series 3, I think what's most appealing is that I trust it. I trust it is as real as TV can get. I trust that Orla is a great therapist. I trust that the couples will get somewhere. I trust that really good work will be done. That's amazing! TV never delivers this kind of stuff.

The show is very moving. You witness some moments that are horrifying and some that are exquisite. You side with one partner and, the following week, the other. You recognise your own patterns and sympathise with how others receive them. You don't know what will happen next. Who really cares for whom? Who simply appears to? Who doesn't seem to but, maybe, *really* does? We don't know until we hear them out, and then, when the show ends, we are encouraged to look more closely at ourselves.

Someone else mentions here how privileged we are to have access to this show: that therapy is (very often) extremely expensive but that this show is free, and helps us to understand if it is really worth it. With a therapist like Orla, it is. It's certainly worth watching all three series. You will be surprised at how much you can relate.

Couples Therapy

This programme set out to show us the inner workings of a series of therapy sessions on a group of couples.

Initially we were shown the forming and storming sessions as people vented and slowly the therapist, as they became comfortable about talking through their issues, targeted and pinpointed the key areas of distorted truth within their relationships.

The camera work was inspirational as we were up close but not voyeuristic, I think this degree of careful presentation made the show.

For all the naysayers it was self-evident the progress that was made on the whole with all of the couples. Whilst the therapist was involved she steadfastly maintained a professional distance, however she revealed her biases towards feminism, conventional parental role models and the idea that staying together was necessarily a success. I thought she was brilliant and her manner and tone were totally on the nail.

I took away two things of use, couples create a truth between them that may be an entire fabrication and "we live in those little things" - an explanation as to why not putting the mug in the dishwasher maybe grounds for divorce lol!

I'm giving this show a firm 8 outta 10, as it totally validated the need for therapy and it's palpable results. Also it demonstrated that only very special qualified people are suitable to do this work.

Couples Therapy - Series 3

Episode 1

Orna started with the forming stage of the therapy sessions, and a brief overview of where the issues lay in each couple. I did feel she was more confrontational, however perhaps it was the case she needed to be to maintain control. It really was an excellent display of semi-judgemental intervention. "It you done care about him, why are we here!"

I think we could be treated to an explanation of the techniques that lay behind therapy in simplistic terms, we are in series 3.

It was interesting when Orna said "it's not enough to say you're not attracted to her anymore, there is more going on!" In same sex relationships it is easier to end up in the friendship zone, this is one of the fundamental differences in relationships. Let us see if this can be recovered.

Episode 2

The detail started to amass as we moved to the familiarity of the setting and the work of understanding began. The cutting of the action is masterful and remains a constant in all three series.

It was interesting that intimidation of another come from a place of fear, another version of the bully in the playground. The identification of being motherly as being a turnoff sexually is so obvious and yet this needs stating.

Peer advisory group, a new facet, I thought the insights presented were trite! Orna accepted the racial generalisation from the group but in session when is was suggested black women were high maintenance Orna jumped all over it, this suggests an unconscious feminist bias that needs working on as it skewed the therapy session. Orna's know certain ethnicities use femininity as a way to manipulate men as a modus operandi, she needs to own this reality.

Molly & Josh, to my mind the issues cannot be resolved by mediation.

Episode 3,

The programme skewed to examining the dynamics of aggression and anger, "so that's your dance at the moment".

Episode 4

Orna decides to examine the progenitors of aggression and passivity in Ping and Dale.

Orna explains that intense personal relationships bring up childhood behaviours that need unpicking for any reset of that relationship, it all seems so obvious now it is explained, but this point is revelatory.

Episode 5, the therapists hatch a plan of confronting Josh so he has to participate, it was excellent to see this plan play out.

I think this programme turned a corner for us the viewer, we had a lot more quasi theory behind the applied techniques, whether this was the narration or the Peer Advisory Group is not entirely clear, but I personally prefer the narration from our star Orna.

I think the cases were different and perhaps more challenging than before, and I thought 2 were not possible to turn around from the start.

Overall it was excellent and I'm giving this a 10 outta 10, the editing was masterful.

I watched 2 seasons back to back in 2 days. I found it extremely interesting and even though I am not married, found the suggestions that the therapist was giving them could be useful in all relationships. I thought it was relevant that each person came into the therapy thinking it was their partner that needed the advice. Season 2 really made me understand just how difficult the lockdown was for others, especially those with small children. Trying to work from home, home schooling the children as well as many other changes must have put a huge strain on relationships. I could also understand how difficult it was for Orna to talk to the couples virtually opposed to being in the same room. Looking forward to season 3.

Fell in love with the season 2 couples - so moving and funny and heartwarming and wise. Wonderful casting, great insights. Just beautiful really! I hope there will be many more seasons.

Josh Kriegman's 'Couples Therapy' for Showtime gradually won me over. The therapy sessions conducted by insightful Orna Guralnik are probably the best the film-makers can do to be authentic. I would imagine the show focuses on 'successes' rather than 'failures', as participants would withdraw anything they weren't happy with, who knows what ended up on the cutting room floor? The candour and attitude of the participants, revealing, engaging, thoughtful ... even surprising in the outcomes experienced all suggest the documentary series manages to remain true to the processes of therapy, what Guralnik describes as 'The Work'!

I definitely grew into the series, struggling not to judge the participants in Seasons 1 & 2, but gradually won over by Season 3. The people the program makers chose to participate are emotionally intelligent, from different backgrounds, and certainly open to working on their relationships. The mistake I made early on was to look at each couple's situation from an individual's 'mindset', but Guralnik says that her aim in the sessions is to focus on each couple's dynamic and help them to work better on that. I don't think it's about judging people individually. Once I got over that hurdle, I ended up enjoying 'bumper' Season 3 with its 2 'sets' of couples (there was 4 couples in each of Seasons 1 & 2, but then 8 in Season 3).

Interviews are conducted professionally and with respect, it's hard not to get drawn into the private lives and emotional 'struggles' going on with each couple. We don't get to know that much about their lives outside therapy, just as well I think. I can't pretend to understand or empathize with everyone, the work of a therapist has so many aspects to it which would be beyond my abilities. Interviews are conducted with a camera behind a one-way mirror, so you do get to feel as if you're spending time with them alone with the therapist.

Sometimes the processes are quite frustrating, 'breakthrough or breakup' I kept asking myself, but the whole series made me appreciate the value of therapy, quite heartening for the human condition, particularly in our conflict-heavy current world. In 'Couples Therapy' participants learn to talk and listen more to each other, that's a great inspiring thing in my view. I was very touched by Josh & Natasha's story, for example, in which Guralnik actually admitted that she was struggling to understand and help them, and ended up consulting her counselor Virginia Goldner but also other therapists, makes you aware of the idea of support networks 'who counsels the counselor?' etc. Also impressed with the way Cyn & Yaya resolved their differences with love and maturity ... and fun!

I think there's a lot going on in 'Couples Therapy'. It's easy to be dismissive. I guess not everybody would enjoy the series in the same way therapy doesn't work for everyone. I do think it's brave to put all your insecurities and anxieties 'out there' to be scrutinized, brave or foolish, sometimes I can't decide? Interesting, too, that the series was actually made during the Covid-19 period, so they had to adapt a lot of programming around the lockdown restrictions (which were quite strict in New York where the series was filmed). The George Floyd murder in 2020 also impacted some of the black couples, and Guralnik also advised a Palestinian which I thought was very interesting given her Jewish heritage (she had to check herself and bring that into the discussion). Guralnik and her team are all involved in New York University's Post-Doctoral Programme in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis.

So, absorbing viewing if you can get over the initial biases and scepticism. Another 'side' of the US, impressive in a way. I hope the program makers decide to continue with the series, I imagine it opens up many things for Guralnik, now a celebrity, who demonstrated great abilities in her many roles in the series. Well done to all involved.

I've never seen such entitled whining in all my life. America is doomed.