Relationships can be one of our greatest sources of connection—and one of our greatest sources of pain.
Maybe you're having the same argument over and over, feeling more like roommates than partners, or finding it hard to understand one another. You might feel disconnected, caught in patterns that leave you both feeling hurt, or unsure how you got here in the first place.
Couples counseling offers a space to slow down and make sense of what's happening between you. Together, we'll explore the patterns your relationship gets caught in, better understand each partner's experience, and work toward new ways of communicating and reconnecting.
I'm Sarah Richardson, a couples therapist in Kansas City, Missouri. I work with married and unmarried couples, LGBTQ+ couples, and partners of all relationship backgrounds who want to better understand one another, strengthen their relationship, and move through conflict with greater clarity and connection.
Couples & Relationship Counseling
Kansas City, MO
I work with married couples, partners who aren't married, long-distance couples, couples in open or non-monogamous relationships, and LGBTQ+ couples of all configurations. All relationship structures and identities are welcome here.
WHO THIS IS FOR
What brings couples to counseling
- Recurring conflict that never fully resolves
- Emotional distance or feeling like roommates
- Difficulty communicating without it escalating
- Trust issues or recovering from betrayal
- Navigating a major life transition together (new baby, job loss, move, grief)
- Intimacy concerns — emotional or physical
- One or both partners feeling unseen, unheard, or unappreciated
- Pre-marital counseling or relationship check-ins
- Processing past relational trauma that's showing up in the relationship
Couples come to therapy for many different reasons. Some arrive in crisis; others come because they're doing okay but sense they could be closer. Whatever your reason, you don't have to have it figured out. Here are some of the things I most commonly work with:
my approach
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples
¹ Based on outcome research summarized by the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy and the work of Sue Johnson.
What does EFT look like in sessions?
My primary approach to couples counseling is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), one of the most well-researched approaches to helping couples strengthen their relationship. Rather than focusing only on communication skills or conflict resolution, EFT helps us understand why the same patterns keep happening in the first place.
At its core, EFT is based on attachment theory, or the idea that we all have a deep need to feel emotionally safe, understood, and connected with the people we love. When that sense of connection feels threatened, it's common to get caught in patterns of pursuing, shutting down, becoming defensive, or withdrawing. Those responses usually aren't the problem themselves, they're attempts to protect something more vulnerable underneath.
What is EFT?
In our sessions, we'll slow those moments down together. We'll begin to notice the cycle your relationship gets caught in, explore the emotions underneath it, and better understand what each of you is longing for from the other. As that understanding grows, it becomes easier to respond differently—to reach for one another in ways that create more safety, trust, and connection.
Research has found that **70–75% of couples who complete EFT move from relationship distress to recovery, and approximately 90% experience significant improvement in their relationship.**¹
Our first session is a space for me to get to know both of you, what’s bringing you in, what feels difficult right now, and what each of you is longing for in the relationship. We’ll begin exploring the patterns you find yourselves caught in together and the ways those patterns may be protecting deeper fears, needs, or hurts. I may also meet individually with each partner early in the process to better understand each person’s experience and history.
There’s no “right” pace for couples therapy. Some partners prefer weekly sessions while others need a different rhythm depending on their needs and capacity. We’ll work together to find an approach that feels both supportive and sustainable for your relationship.
My role isn't to decide who's right or wrong or to tell you who's to blame. I'm there to help both of you understand what's happening beneath the conflict, so the relationship itself becomes the problem we're working on together.
What to expect
in couples counseling
WHAT TO EXPECT
I see couples in person at KC Well Co., 3130 Troost Ave, Suite 202, Kansas City, MO 64109, in the Midtown neighborhood — accessible from the Plaza, Brookside, Crossroads, and the broader KC metro area.
Sessions are $120 for 50 minutes. I'm an out-of-network provider and can provide a superbill for insurance reimbursement if you have out-of-network benefits. HSA and FSA payments accepted.
Ready to take the next step?
Couples counseling
in Kansas City
Submit Form
My office is located at KC Well Co., inside the historic Helzberg Building.
There is ample street parking, or our private parking lot just south of the building entrance.
KC Well Co. | 3130 Troost Ave, Suite 202, Kansas City, MO 64109
sarah@sarahrichardsoncounseling.com | 913-601-7280
Let's connect
June 2025 | sarahrichardsoncounseling.com | Sarah Richardson Counseling, LLC
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Website Accessibility Statement
Sarah Richardson Counseling, LLC
June, 2025
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS THIS INFORMATION.
You may have additional rights under Missouri law. If you have questions about your rights, you are encouraged to seek advice from an attorney licensed in your state.
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your Protected Health Information (“PHI”). This Notice explains those rights and my legal duties.
I understand that your health information is personal and confidential. I am committed to protecting your PHI and maintaining its privacy. I create and maintain records of the care and services you receive to provide quality treatment and to comply with legal requirements. This Notice applies to all records of your care created or maintained by this practice. I am required by law to: Maintain the privacy of your PHI, provide you with this notice of my legal duties and privacy practices, abide by the terms of this Notice currently in effect, notify you in the event of a breach of unsecured PHI. I reserve the right to revise this Notice at any time. Any revision will apply to all PHI I maintain. The updated Notice will be available in my office and on my website.
I. How I May Use and Disclose Your PHI
The following categories describe ways I may use and disclose your PHI. Not every example is listed, but all permitted uses fall within these categories:
1. Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations: I may use and disclose your PHI without written authorization for: to provide, coordinate, or manage your care. This may include consultation with other healthcare providers, to obtain payment for services provided. This may include billing insurance companies or providing documentation required for reimbursement.To support business operations such as scheduling, quality assessment, supervision, licensing requirements, and administrative functions. Disclosures for treatment are not limited to the minimum necessary standard, as providers may need full access to records to ensure quality care.
2. Legal Proceedings: If you are involved in a lawsuit or legal matter, I may disclose PHI in response to a court order. I may also respond to subpoenas or lawful requests if proper legal procedures are followed.
II. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization
Certain uses and disclosures require your written authorization.
1. Psychotherapy Notes: I maintain psychotherapy notes as defined by HIPAA (45 CFR §164.501). These notes are kept separately from your clinical record. I will not use or disclose psychotherapy notes without your written authorization except: for my use in providing treatment, for training or supervision, to defend myself in legal proceedings initiated by you, for compliance investigations by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, when required by law, to avert a serious threat to health or safety.
2. Marketing: I will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes without your written authorization.
If you provide a testimonial or review and it contains identifiable health information, I will obtain a signed HIPAA authorization before publishing it. You may revoke authorization in writing at any time. Revocation will not affect prior disclosures made in reliance on the authorization.
3. Sale of PHI: I do not sell your PHI.
III. Uses and Disclosures That Do Not Require Authorization
Subject to legal limitations, I may use or disclose your PHI without authorization for: Appointment reminders, information about treatment alternatives or services, when required by federal or Missouri law, public health activities (e.g., reporting abuse or neglect), health oversight activities (audits, licensing), judicial or administrative proceedings, law enforcement purposes, to coroners or medical examiners, to prevent or lessen a serious threat to health or safety, workers’ compensation claims, specialized government functions
IV. Disclosures Requiring Opportunity to Agree or Object
You have the right to decide whether I may share information with family members, friends, or others involved in your care or payment for care. In emergency situations, I may share relevant information if necessary to prevent serious harm.
V. Your Rights Regarding Your PHI
You have the following rights:
1. Right to Request Restrictions: You may request limits on how I use or disclose your PHI. I am not required to agree to all requests. 2. Right to Restrict Disclosure to Health Plans: If you pay for services out-of-pocket in full, you may request that I not disclose related PHI to your health insurer. 3. Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that I contact you in a specific way (e.g., at a certain phone number or address). I will accommodate reasonable requests. 4. Right to Access Your Records: You may request an electronic or paper copy of your records. I will respond within 30 days. A reasonable fee may apply. 5. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of disclosures made for purposes other than treatment, payment, or operations within the past six years. 6. Right to Request Amendment: If you believe your PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you may request a correction. I may deny the request but will provide a written explanation within 60 days. 7. Right to a Copy of This Notice: You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice at any time. 8. Right to Appoint a Personal Representative: If someone has medical power of attorney or is your legal guardian, they may exercise your rights. 9. Right to Revoke Authorization: You may revoke any authorization in writing at any time. 10. Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201, Phone: (877) 696-6775, Website: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
VI. Changes to This Notice
I reserve the right to modify this Notice at any time. Revised notices will apply to all PHI maintained by this practice and will be made available in the office and on the website.