Marriage Counseling for Boston's High-Achieving Couples
Never rushed, physician-led care.
Dr. Caroline Fu, DO
Harvard & Tufts Instructor
Adult & Child Psychiatrist
Personalized practice
Total privacy & discretion
Marriage counseling with a physician ensures your provider understands the particular pressures of high-stakes careers, complex family dynamics, and the weight of expectations that come with success
The top marriage counseling practice in Boston
Dr. Caroline Fu, DO
Your marriage is one of the most important investments you've made. When it's struggling, everything else suffers—your focus at work, your patience with your children, your own sense of well-being.
You've tried talking it out. Maybe you've read the books. But the distance keeps growing, the same arguments keep cycling, and you're both exhausted.
You don't need a therapist who sees 40 patients a week and can barely remember your names. You need someone who understands the particular pressures of high-stakes careers, complex family dynamics, and the weight of expectations that come with success.
Or Call: 617-401-8838
The Concierge Difference
Most marriage counseling operates on an insurance-driven model: brief sessions, long wait times, and therapists stretched thin across overwhelming caseloads. Our approach is fundamentally different.
Extended Sessions, Not Rushed Conversations
Meaningful progress in couples therapy requires space to move past surface-level complaints and into the patterns underneath. Our sessions run 60 to 90 minutes, allowing time for both partners to be heard and for real work to happen—not just airing grievances before the clock runs out.
Direct Access to Your Physician
When a crisis emerges mid-week, you shouldn't have to wait until your next scheduled appointment. Our concierge model means direct communication with Dr. Fu when you need guidance, not a voicemail returned three days later.
Psychiatrist-Level Clinical Expertise
Many couples enter therapy without recognizing that underlying mental health conditions—anxiety, depression, ADHD, untreated trauma—are fueling their relationship difficulties. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Fu brings diagnostic expertise that most marriage counselors cannot offer. When medication evaluation or management would benefit one or both partners, that clinical integration happens seamlessly within your care.
A Curated Referral Network
Some situations require additional support beyond couples therapy. Whether you need an individual therapist, a family law attorney for prenuptial discussions, a financial planner to resolve money conflicts, or specialized care for a child, we connect you with trusted professionals we know personally—not a generic referral list.
Complete Discretion
For executives, public figures, and families with visibility in the community, privacy matters. Our practice maintains the highest standards of confidentiality, and our small patient panel means you won't encounter your colleagues in a crowded waiting room.
Now Accepting New Patients
I help couples navigate difficult times
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You're talking past each other, or you've stopped talking altogether. Conversations escalate into arguments, or worse, cold silence. You feel unheard, and your partner feels the same.
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An affair—emotional or physical—shatters the foundation of a marriage. Rebuilding trust is possible, but it requires skilled guidance through disclosure, accountability, and the slow work of reconnection.
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The demands of leadership positions, entrepreneurship, or dual high-powered careers leave little energy for your relationship. You're succeeding professionally while your marriage starves for attention.
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You disagree on discipline, screen time, schools, or how to handle a struggling child. Parenting differences that once seemed minor have become major fault lines.
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Physical and emotional intimacy have faded. You share a home but feel like roommates. The warmth that once defined your relationship has cooled.
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A new baby, a cross-country move, a career change, aging parents, a health diagnosis—major transitions stress even strong marriages. Having support through these passages makes the difference between growing together and growing apart.
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For engaged couples, investing in your relationship before the wedding is one of the wisest decisions you can make. We help you surface potential conflict areas, align expectations, and build communication skills that will serve your marriage for decades.
Every marriage faces challenges. The question is whether you'll face them together with the right support—or let them slowly erode what you've built.
Now accepting new patients.
My approach to marriage counseling
Effective marriage counseling isn't about assigning blame or declaring a winner. It's about understanding the patterns that keep you stuck—and building new ones.
Dr. Fu draws on evidence-based approaches including CBT, ACT, CPT and psychodynamic therapy, integrating them within a framework that addresses each partner as a whole person. This means understanding how your individual histories, attachment styles, family backgrounds, and current mental health all contribute to your relationship dynamics.
The goal isn't just to stop fighting. It's to rebuild genuine connection—the friendship, respect, and intimacy that brought you together in the first place.
For couples in acute crisis, we offer intensive therapy options with extended sessions scheduled multiple times per week, allowing for rapid stabilization when the situation demands it.
Or Call: 617-401-8838
Frequently Asked Questions about Marriage Counseling
Working with a physician offers unique advantages, including the ability to diagnose and treat underlying conditions that may be affecting your relationship.
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Yes. Research consistently shows that 70-80% of couples who engage in evidence-based couples therapy report significant improvements in their relationship. Success rates are highest when both partners are committed to the process, when therapy begins before problems become entrenched, and when working with a skilled clinician experienced in couples work. As a psychiatrist, I also address underlying mental health conditions that may be fueling relationship difficulties—a factor that traditional marriage counselors often miss.
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The best time to start is before you're in crisis. Warning signs include: repeated arguments about the same issues without resolution, emotional distance or feeling like roommates, communication that's mostly negative or has shut down entirely, loss of physical or emotional intimacy, infidelity or broken trust, and major life transitions causing strain. Many couples wait an average of six years after problems begin before seeking help—by then, patterns are deeply ingrained. Earlier intervention leads to better outcomes.
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The terms are often used interchangeably. Traditionally, "marriage counseling" referred to shorter-term, skills-focused work, while "couples therapy" involved deeper exploration of relationship patterns and individual histories. In practice, effective treatment integrates both approaches based on what the couple needs. What matters more than terminology is your provider's training, experience with couples, and clinical approach.
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A psychiatrist brings medical training and diagnostic expertise that therapists cannot offer. Many relationship problems are complicated by underlying conditions—depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma, or mood disorders—that go unrecognized. I can identify these issues, provide or coordinate medication management when appropriate, and integrate mental health treatment with couples work. This whole-person approach often accelerates progress for couples who've been stuck in traditional therapy.
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It varies based on the complexity of the issues and how long problems have existed. Some couples see meaningful improvement in 8-12 sessions. Others, particularly those dealing with infidelity, long-standing communication problems, or individual mental health concerns, benefit from longer-term work. In our initial consultation, I'll give you a realistic sense of what to expect based on your specific situation.
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Ideally, both partners participate. However, if your spouse is reluctant, individual sessions can still be valuable—you can work on your own patterns, communication approaches, and decisions about the relationship. Often, when one partner begins making changes, the other becomes more open to joining. I'm also happy to speak with a hesitant partner by phone to answer questions and address concerns about the process.
The Type of Couple I Work With
My practice is designed for couples who value expertise and personalized attention over convenience and cost savings.
I work with executives and entrepreneurs navigating the intersection of professional demands and personal relationships. Dual-career couples balancing two high-pressure trajectories. Families with complex needs—blended families, multigenerational households, children with behavioral or developmental challenges. International families adjusting to life in Boston while maintaining connections across cultures and time zones.
If you're accustomed to excellence in every other area of your life, you deserve the same caliber of care for your marriage.
I serve couples in Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Wellesley, Brookline, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the Greater Boston area. Telehealth available throughout Massachusetts.
I am now accepting in-person appointments in Cambridge, Mass. We are located at 186 Hampshire Street, in the heart of Inman Square.
Begin the Conversation
Taking the first step toward couples therapy is often the hardest part. Many couples wait years—until they're in crisis—before seeking help. The earlier you begin, the more options you have.
If you're wondering whether your marriage could benefit from professional support, we invite you to schedule a confidential consultation. This initial conversation allows us to understand your situation, answer your questions about the process, and determine whether our practice is the right fit for your needs.
Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
About Dr. Caroline Fu, DO
As a board-certified psychiatrist and a therapist, I offer comprehensive mental health care that integrates medication management and evidence-based psychotherapy.
My clinical experience spans multiple settings within the mental health system: Inpatient units, outpatient clinics, consultation-liaison services, and community mental health centers.
This diverse background gives me a top-down understanding of the American mental health system.
If you are feeling lost, we’ll find a path forward.