Interpersonal Satisfaction

8 Sessions

Healthy relationships are central to emotional wellbeing. When our connections with others feel unstable, distant, or tense, it can lead to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and low self-worth. But these struggles are not fixed—they often trace back to specific, changeable patterns like early attachment experiences, difficulty with boundaries, or challenges regulating emotion in the moment.

The Interpersonal Satisfaction plan is an eight-session program designed to help you understand and improve the way you relate to others. Drawing from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and research by relationship experts Drs. John and Julie Gottman, the plan also includes complementary strategies to help you build confidence and emotional fluency in your personal and professional life.

The plan moves through three key phases:

Awareness and Assessment (Sessions 1–2): You’ll begin with mindfulness practices and explore how relationship patterns have taken shape over time.
Skill Development (Sessions 3–6): You'll learn and practice core relational skills like assertive communication, boundary setting, emotional regulation, and empathy.
Integration (Sessions 7–8): In the final sessions, you’ll apply what you’ve learned through guided exercises and real-life practice.

Sessions are delivered virtually, with limited in-person availability.

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The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed. — Carl Jung

Everyone experiences interpersonal challenges, but when the same patterns keep showing up across different friendships, romantic partnerships, or work dynamics, it may be time to take a closer look.

Maybe you feel disconnected even in social situations, find yourself repeatedly accommodating others at the expense of your own wellbeing, or struggle to express your needs without conflict. If your relationships tend to leave you drained, confused, or second-guessing yourself, this plan can help you create more satisfying, balanced connections.

Common indicators for this plan include:

Recurring conflicts or misunderstandings across multiple relationships
Difficulty expressing needs effectively or establishing appropriate boundaries
Patterns of excessive accommodation that compromise personal wellbeing
Challenges interpreting social cues or responding with calibrated empathy
Disproportionate emotional reactions during interpersonal exchanges
Persistent feelings of disconnection despite social engagement
Workplace relationship tensions that impede professional advancement
Dating patterns that consistently yield disappointment or distress
Feedback from multiple sources about communication style or emotional expressivity

Why you might choose this plan

What to expect

In-person, telehealth or both

How long does therapy take?

Our clinicians are trained in evidence-based therapies for relationship and communication issues, offering a structured space where you can examine patterns and develop practical skills without judgment.

Each session in this plan builds on the last, and between-session exercises help you apply what you’ve learned in everyday interactions. You’ll engage in interactive activities like role-playing difficult conversations, mindfulness practices to manage reactivity, and guided exercises that help you develop empathy, emotional awareness, and confidence.

Together, you’ll explore common communication pitfalls—including Gottman’s “Four Horsemen” of relationship conflict: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling. Then, you'll learn how to replace those patterns with proven tools like “I” statements, active listening, emotional regulation techniques, and clear boundary-setting. With practice, clients often experience more fulfilling relationships, improved conflict resolution, and a stronger sense of self in their interactions.

Therapy Lab clinicians hold advanced degrees in clinical psychology and related science-based clinical practices, with specialized training in DBT principles and interpersonal effectiveness techniques. Research demonstrates that structured interpersonal interventions are more effective in addressing relationship difficulties than both non-treatment and non-specific counseling approaches. To learn more, please see the resources below.

About Therapy Lab therapists

Gottman, J. M., & Silver, N. (2015). The seven principles for making marriage work. Harmony Books.
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Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
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Lopes, P. N., Salovey, P., Côté, S., & Beers, M. (2005). Emotion regulation abilities and the quality of social interaction. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 5(1), 113-118.
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Johnson, S. M. (2019). Attachment theory in practice: Emotionally focused therapy with individuals, couples, and families. Guilford Press.