Couple Therapy and Relationship Counseling in Dhaka
For couples who keep having the same argument, feel distant, or are trying to rebuild trust. Married, engaged or dating, in person in Dhaka or online.
Quick facts
| Who it is for | Married, engaged and dating couples, including couples where one partner lives abroad |
| Format | Joint sessions, sometimes with one individual session for each partner |
| Approach | Informed by emotionally focused and behavioral couple therapy |
| Where | In person at the chamber in Monipuripara, Farmgate, Dhaka, or online by secure video call |
| Session length | 45 to 50 minutes |
| Languages | Bangla and English |
| Booking | WhatsApp +8801929446548. Fees are shared before you book |
Why couples come to therapy
Most couples do not come because of one big event. They come because the same argument keeps repeating, small things turn into big fights, or the two of them have slowly become polite strangers living in the same flat. By the time they sit in my chamber, both usually feel unheard.
The problems I see most often in Dhaka include:
- Constant arguments and poor communication
- Loss of trust, including after infidelity
- Pressure from in laws and joint family living
- Long distance when one partner works abroad
- Money, career and household responsibilities
- Emotional distance after children arrive
- Adjusting in the early years of an arranged or love marriage
- Disagreement about having children, parenting or the future
Signs it may be time for couple therapy
- The same argument keeps coming back without being resolved
- You avoid certain topics because they always end in a fight
- One or both of you feel lonely inside the relationship
- Trust has been broken and you do not know how to move on
- Family members are more involved in your decisions than either of you wants
- You are thinking about separation but are not sure
Most couples wait too long. Coming earlier usually means fewer sessions and less damage to repair.
Does couple therapy work?
Yes, and the evidence is stronger than most people expect. A 2020 meta analysis by Roddy and colleagues in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology combined 58 studies and 2,092 couples. Couple therapy produced large improvements in relationship satisfaction, along with better communication, emotional closeness and partner behavior. Couples placed on a waiting list, by comparison, did not improve on their own, and the gains from therapy were generally maintained at follow up.
One detail I find encouraging: couples who started out more distressed tended to gain more. Feeling that things are very bad right now is not a sign that it is too late.
How couple therapy works with me
We usually begin with a joint session to understand the relationship, its history and what each of you wants. Sometimes I also meet each partner once on their own, so both of you can say things that are hard to say in front of the other. After that, most sessions are together.
I draw on approaches with good research support, including emotionally focused and behavioral couple therapy. In practice we work on:
- Spotting the cycle you get stuck in, instead of blaming each other
- Talking about difficult topics without the conversation exploding
- Repairing after fights
- Rebuilding trust step by step
- Agreeing boundaries with extended family together
I do not take sides. My client is the relationship, and both of you should leave sessions feeling heard.
When only one partner is willing to come
This is very common, especially when one partner worries that therapy means admitting failure, or fears being blamed. You can still start on your own. Individual sessions can change how you respond in the relationship, and often the other partner becomes curious and joins later.
After infidelity
Discovering an affair can feel like the ground has disappeared. Therapy does not decide for you whether to stay or leave. It gives you a calmer space to understand what happened, deal with the hurt, and decide what you both want, whether that is rebuilding or separating with less damage, especially when children are involved.
Premarital counseling
Couples planning to marry can use a few sessions to talk through expectations before problems start: money, careers, where you will live, relationships with in laws, children and how you handle disagreement. In arranged marriages especially, it gives both people a safe space to understand each other early.
When couple therapy is not the right first step
If there is violence, threats, or you feel afraid of your partner, joint sessions may not be safe. In that case individual support comes first, and your safety is the priority. Please tell me privately if this applies to you.
Couple therapy, individual therapy or family therapy?
| Focus | Who attends | Best when | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Couple therapy | The relationship between two partners | Both partners, mostly together | Conflict, distance or trust problems between you |
| Individual therapy | One person’s thoughts, feelings and patterns | One person | Your partner will not attend, or you have personal difficulties such as anxiety or depression |
| Family therapy | Patterns across the household | Parents, children, in laws or siblings | Several family relationships are affected |
Online couple sessions
If one of you is abroad or you live outside Dhaka, sessions can happen by video call, either together from one place or with each partner joining from a different location. Read more about online therapy in Bangladesh, or my detailed guide to couple and marriage counseling in Dhaka. If the difficulty involves the wider family, family therapy may be a better fit.
Helpful reads
About your psychologist
I am Alal, a psychologist based in Dhaka. I completed an MS in Clinical Psychology at the University of Dhaka, an MSc in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at Jagannath University, and postgraduate training in psychotherapy at the Department of Psychiatry, BSMMU. My work is grounded in evidence based approaches such as CBT, DBT skills and mindfulness based therapy, adapted to the realities of life in Bangladesh.
You can meet me at my chamber at Model Addiction and Psychiatric Care, 113/A, Monipuripara, Farmgate, Tejgaon, Dhaka 1215, or online from anywhere in Bangladesh or abroad. More about me.
Written and last reviewed by Psychologist Alal, October 2026.
বাংলায় সংক্ষেপে
দাম্পত্য কলহ, বারবার একই ঝগড়া, বিশ্বাস ভেঙে যাওয়া, শ্বশুরবাড়ির চাপ বা দূরত্বের সমস্যায় আমি ঢাকায় এবং অনলাইনে কাপল থেরাপি দিয়ে থাকি। আমি কোনো পক্ষ নিই না, দুজনের কথাই সমানভাবে শোনা হয়। সব আলোচনা গোপন থাকে। যোগাযোগ: হোয়াটসঅ্যাপ +8801929446548।
Success Stories and Testimonials
Common Questions About Couple Therapy in Dhaka
No. Couple therapy is for any two people in a committed relationship, including engaged and dating couples. Many couples come before marriage to sort out expectations early.
It varies, but many couples notice change within the first several sessions and a typical course runs for a few months. Deep trust issues, such as after infidelity, usually take longer.
No. In couple therapy the relationship is the client, so my role is to help both partners feel heard and to change the pattern between you, not to decide who is right.
You can start individual sessions on your own. Changing how one person responds often changes the whole pattern, and many reluctant partners join later once they see therapy is not about blame.
Yes. Therapy helps couples understand what happened, manage the hurt and decide whether to rebuild or separate in a less damaging way. It does not force either outcome.
Not unless you choose to tell them. Sessions are confidential, and nothing is shared with parents, in laws or anyone else without your permission.
Yes. Engaged couples can take a few sessions to discuss expectations about money, family, careers, children and handling conflict before marriage.
A standard session lasts 45 to 50 minutes, in person at the Farmgate chamber or online, in Bangla or English.
Fees depend on the type of session, such as individual, couple, family or online, and are shared on WhatsApp before you book so there are no surprises. Message +8801929446548 to ask.
