I work with couples to create secure-functioning partnerships built on mutual safety, fairness, and connection. That means learning how to have each other’s backs, regulate together under stress, and stop the patterns that leave you feeling distant, misunderstood, or on edge.
This isn’t about blaming or fixing one partner—it’s about building a relationship that actually works for both of you.
Couples counseling isn’t about taking sides or fixing one partner—it’s about understanding the system you’ve built together. In PACT, we focus on how you both respond under stress, how you repair after conflict, and how to create a relationship that feels like a safe home base—not a battleground.
This approach is active, present-focused, and built around real-time dynamics. Whether you’re early in your relationship or on the edge of a breakup, we work to build something that can actually hold you both.
This is a chance to briefly connect, talk about what you’re looking for, and get a sense of how I work with couples.
We’ll work in real time to understand your patterns, shift what’s not working, and strengthen the ways you connect, regulate, and care for each other.
Discover what it takes to be a dependable, secure partner—and to build a relationship that works in real life, not just in theory.
In PACT, we work quickly to get to the root of your relationship distress and move toward secure functioning—where both partners are attentive, responsive, and supportive of one another.
Sessions are experiential. I track subtle shifts in body language and help you notice them too, deepening your awareness of each other’s emotional states and needs. We may revisit challenging moments from your relationship in real time, giving you a chance to repair and respond differently—together.
PACT sessions last 1 hour and 50 minutes, giving us the time needed to go deeper, do real work, and create lasting change.
Understand the patterns that keep you stuck—and learn how to shift them in real time
Improve how you communicate, especially when things get tense
Learn to read and respond to each other’s emotional cues more accurately
Work through difficult topics with more honesty, safety, and respect
Rebuild connection and trust—emotionally, physically, and relationally
You are in good hands if you are seeing Dr. McGuffin for couples counseling. She is a PACT Level 3 Couples Counselor and seasoned clinician. PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy) is a cutting-edge counseling approach which incorporates principles of neurobiology, attachment and nervous system regulation.
Her PACT skills combined with her warm, intuitive counseling style and clinical experience will enable you and your partner to create the close, trusting relationship you both deserve. I highly recommend Dr. McGuffin!
Healthy relationships don’t just happen—they’re built.
Most of us didn’t grow up learning how to create relationships that feel safe, fair, and secure. In therapy, you’ll learn the principles of secure functioning—how to stay connected under stress, protect the relationship, and show up as reliable partners. This work builds stronger emotional bonds and helps create a partnership that’s both resilient and fulfilling.
Dr. Nicole McGuffin is a licensed therapist who specializes in relationships and trauma. She is accomplished in neurofeedback and therapy with more than 15 years of expertise in psychology, neurophysiology, and psychobiology. Dr. McGuffin empowers people to create real healing and transformation.
Individual Psychotherapy, PACT Couples & Relationship Counseling
