Couples Therapy
with Dr. Eli Kraiem,
Clinical Psychologist
As Seen In
For 10+ years, couples come to me when they’re stuck, disconnected, or unsure how to move forward together.
I am a relationship expert: I am a professor teaching couples therapy and relationship dynamics, as well as a national lecturer on couples in crises.
I hold advanced training in the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Psychodynamic couples therapy, and Attachment-Based Therapy.
Are you having the same fight over and over again?
Do you feel more like roommates, coworkers, or opponents than partners?
Has trust or intimacy faded? Or has life become consumed by kids, careers, and other responsibilities?
Perhaps one of you shuts down while the other becomes dysregulated during disagreements.
Most couples tell me they have a communication problem.
In reality, communication is usually the symptom.
The real issues often run deeper: attachment wounds, unmet needs, resentment, disconnection, or patterns neither partner fully understands.
Couples Come To Me For:
Having the same fights
Feeling disconnected
Loss of intimacy
Difficulty navigating hard conversations
Don't “know how to fight” well
Feeling resentful
Trust issues
Feeling stuck
Relationships don't break overnight.
Over time, couples fall into patterns that slowly erode connection.
The good news is, patterns can be changed.
What Couples Therapy With Me Looks Like
Healthy communication matters, but lasting change requires understanding what’s happening beneath the surface.
Our work begins by slowing everything down.
In our first session, we meet together and next I meet with each partner individually to understand your personal history and perspectives on the relationship.. From there, we continue the work as a couple.
Together, we'll identify the patterns keeping you stuck, understand how your past experiences shape your expectations of each other, and create new paths that make the relationship safer and more secure.
I'm an active therapist. I don't sit quietly and watch arguments unfold.
I'll challenge both partners when necessary, point out blind spots, and help you understand how each of you are contributing to the cycle of conflict.
My goal is not to determine who's “more right.” My goal is to help you create a relationship that works.
Approaches I Use
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Helps couples understand the emotions underneath conflict and rebuild emotional connection and security.
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Identifies attachment ruptures, fears, needs, and relationship patterns driving disconnection and recurring arguments.
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Provides practical tools for improving communication, managing conflict, and strengthening friendship and trust.
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Explores internal conflicts, unconscious fear, needs, and desires, and how past experiences influence current relationship expectations and reactions.
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An active and structured approach to help couples take accountability, communicate more directly, and effectively break unhealthy relationship patterns.
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Helps identify thoughts and beliefs that contribute to conflict, defensiveness, and misunderstandings.
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Helps partners take accountability, communicate more directly, and break destructive relationship dynamics.
Build A Stronger Relationship Together
This work combines insight with action. We don't just understand the problem, we work toward changing it.
After Couples Therapy With Me, Clients Report:
More intimacy
Fewer fights
Greater emotional connection
Easier trust + honesty
Know “how to fight”
Clearer boundaries
Understanding and appreciation for each other
Looking forwards to a more hopeful future
The goal isn't to become a perfect couple.
The goal is to build a relationship that can tolerate changes while maintaining emotional closeness.
About Dr. Eli Kraiem
My therapy is designed for couples who want more than surface-level solutions. I help partners understand the deeper emotional and relational patterns shaping their relationship so they can create lasting change.
Clients often tell me they appreciate my balance of compassion and directness. I don't simply sit back and ask questions. If I see a pattern that's hurting the relationship, I'll point it out. If I think there's something important being avoided, we'll address it together.
In addition to my clinical work, I'm an adjunct professor teaching couples therapy and relationship dynamics, lecture nationally on relationships, and supervise other couples therapists.
These experiences continually deepen my understanding of what helps relationships thrive and what causes them to struggle.
Outside of therapy, I'm married with two children and live on Manhattan's Upper East Side. I enjoy music and singing, mindfulness and meditation practice, and exploring the intersection of psychology and spirituality. If you're ready to invest in your relationship, I'd be honored to connect.
Availability: I provide in-person therapy in New York City, and telehealth sessions for clients throughout the states of New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
Education, Credentials, and Trainings
Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Long Island University
Adjunct Professor, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
National Lecturer on Couples Therapy & Relationships
Supervisor of Couples Therapists
Advanced Training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Advanced Training in the Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Advanced Training in Attachment-Based Therapy
Training in Relational Life Therapy
Training in Psychodynamic Couples Therapy
Advanced Training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) under Dr. Camilo Ortiz
Advanced Training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) under Dr. Jill Rathus
Advanced Psychoanalytic Training under Dr. Danielle Knafo
3 Steps
To Get Started
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Fill out the contact form and tell me a little about what's bringing you to therapy. I'll personally respond.
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We'll have a brief complementary consultation to discuss your concerns, answer questions, and determine whether we're a good fit.
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We'll meet together first, followed by an individual session with each partner. This helps me understand both perspectives before we begin the deeper work as a couple.