Practice Heinis
Relationship and Couples Therapy
Mastering the Art of Love
Relationship and Couples Therapy: The Path to Deep Connection, Personal Growth, and Self-Discovery
Are you experiencing challenges in your relationship or in your interactions with others? Couples or relationship therapy can help you find constructive solutions and support you in navigating interpersonal difficulties.
In couples therapy, you have the opportunity to openly address your relationship challenges and work together to develop solutions. As in individual therapy, the process begins with a thorough initial assessment, clarification of your goals, and a deeper understanding of your relationship. You are the experts on your relationship, and my role is to understand its unique dynamics in order to support you in the best possible way. This may also include individual sessions with each partner to explore personal and relational histories. It is also possible to begin therapy individually before both partners decide to participate.
What really carries relationship therapy is brutal honesty with yourself. Plus openness, courage, and the willingness to face what is uncomfortable, even when it hurts. There are no blanket solutions, and the path looks different in every relationship.
Even if you are not currently in a relationship, relationship therapy can be highly valuable. It helps you better understand past relationships and your role within them. The capacity for healthy relationships begins with yourself. Through therapy, you can create meaningful changes within yourself that prepare you for future partnerships and strengthen your overall well-being.
I accompany relationships in every model. More on open and polyamorous relationships is on the page Polyamory & Open Relationships.
For couples who keep getting stuck in the same argument, I work with Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).
Support with the following topics
- Behavioral patterns and schemas
- Needs & desires
- Boundaries & consequences
- Communication & conflict management
- Feminine and Masculine aspects – as archetypes and themes, not as genders
- Love Languages
- Relationship development and maintenance
- Shame & Guilt
- Work, Sex & Relationship
- Dating & partner search
- Relationship models (monogamy, open relationships, and polyamory)
- Rediscovering or transforming love and desire
- Multicultural partnerships
- Influences of trauma & past
- Affairs & secrecy
- Loss & grief
The Capacity for Relationship Starts with Yourself
Every healthy relationship with others begins with the one you have with yourself. From there the rest becomes possible. So relationship therapy is always about both: what connects you with each other, and each of you on your own.
Self-awareness, communication, and empathy keep relationships running. When that stops, people grow apart.
I work integratively, because no single method fits every partnership. What has shaped me most is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) after Sue Johnson, along with the work of John and Julie Gottman, Esther Perel, and Ulrich Clement.
Who comes to a session is your own decision: the two of you, more than two, or on your own to begin with.
When the body has other plans. Chronic pain, a diagnosis, medication, a body that has changed, or one of you carrying the care for the other. Intimacy does not end here, but the old choreography usually does. We work on what closeness looks like now, and on the part nobody says out loud: what it does to desire when caregiving comes into it.
Two people wired differently. One of you needs things said plainly, the other listens for undertones. Different sensitivity to stimulation, different pace, different ideas of what closeness even feels like. This often gets read as too little affection. Mostly it is not.
When the cards are reshuffled. Menopause, growing older, a body that responds differently than it used to. Many couples stop talking about sexuality at exactly this point. It is worth starting right here: desire does not stop, it changes – and that can be negotiated.
When Coaching Is the Better Fit: RelatingWise
Alongside the practice I offer coaching, separately from my work as a state-authorized psychotherapy practitioner (Heilpraktikerin für Psychotherapie), through my company RelatingWise. There I work together with my husband: between the two of us we cover more ground, and he brings his own focus areas, especially in working with men.
The difference: in therapy I work with mental disorders and problems, in coaching it is about developing further and learning something new. Just as effective, simply a different focus. What is right for you is something we clarify in conversation.
Important Questions about Relationship and Couples Therapy
Effective therapy begins with a thorough initial assessment and diagnosis, which we will carry out together. We will also define clear therapy goals to give our work direction and a shared focus.
From there, we will explore which next steps, therapeutic approaches, and interventions are most suitable for you. If needed, I may refer you to other specialists or consult with them for further clarification.
In addition, we will include exercises during our sessions, as well as tasks between sessions, so you can make the most of the time in between.
You can easily book your free discovery call online using the button on this website. Therapy sessions can be scheduled either online via the booking link or directly during our sessions.
Services provided by a state-authorized psychotherapy practitioner (Heilpraktikerin für Psychotherapie) are generally not covered by statutory health insurance. However, private or supplementary insurance may cover part or all of the costs. Please check with your insurance provider.
An individual session lasts 50 minutes. For a couples session, 80 minutes are scheduled.
I can give you an honest estimate once I have seen what belongs to the picture, usually after the first few sessions.
As an orientation from my experience: most of my clients get by with five to ten sessions. Acute topics sometimes need fewer, deeper processes and longer support need more. And sometimes the first clarifying conversation already brings noticeable relief.
This depends on various factors, including your specific concerns and personal circumstances such as time and availability. As a general guideline, weekly sessions are a good starting point in the initial phase. For more acute issues, sessions may take place more frequently, while longer-term support can be adjusted more flexibly over time.
Please refer to my Fees page for details. Costs vary depending on the duration of the session and the time of day.
That is your decision, not mine. This is exactly what the free discovery call is there for: you get to know me, ask every question you bring along, and you notice fairly quickly whether you can talk to me.
Everything else shows over time, in what starts to move and in how safe and seen you feel.
Yes, from the age of 14. Stress at school or at home, anxiety, questions of self-worth, or simply because there is no therapy place to be found right now. For treating minors I need the consent of both legal guardians, and the first session takes place together with at least one parent. What is talked about after that stays confidential, including from the parents.
In accordance with my professional code of conduct, I am bound by strict confidentiality. If you would like me to communicate with other professionals or individuals on your behalf, I will ask for your explicit consent.
I offer sessions in my practice at Grillparzerstr. 23, 81675 Munich. It is beautifully located two bus stops north of Ostbahnhof and directly on tram lines 19, 21, and within walking distance of the Leuchtenbergring S-Bahn station. Paid parking is available in the surrounding streets. Resident parking regulations may apply.
About access: the practice is on the ground floor, but there is a step at the building entrance and no ramp, and the way in is narrow — possibly difficult if you use a wheelchair. I would rather tell you now than have you find out at the door. If the rooms do not work for you, online sessions are the same work; by arrangement I also come to you, and I bill travel and time on top. The toilet is gender-neutral. Whatever you need, just tell me. You do not have to explain why.
Yes. I have been working online for years, and with sexual topics many people find it easier to start online.
For video sessions I use Jitsi; if the technology gives up on us, we switch to Google Meet. How your data is processed there is set out in my privacy information. If you have doubts, talk to me and we will find a solution.
As a state-authorized psychotherapy practitioner (Heilpraktikerin für Psychotherapie), I am authorized by the state to provide psychotherapeutic treatment under the German Heilpraktiker Act. In contrast, psychological psychotherapists complete a university degree in psychology, followed by additional specialized training and state approbation in psychotherapy.
My training took place primarily at the Academy for Sexual Therapy (AkST), where I completed 112 hours of training in clinical psychology, along with an additional 112 hours focused on practical work and therapeutic methods in sex and couples therapy. I also engage in ongoing professional development and regular supervision. You are welcome to learn more on the About Me page or reach out if you have any questions.
In this practice, I offer psychotherapy only. Coaching is provided separately through my business, RelatingWise, where I offer additional support services. You are welcome to visit the website to learn more.
I work integratively, drawing on a range of therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, person-centered therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and systemic therapy. The approach is always tailored to your individual needs and concerns.
First, try to remain calm and reach out to trusted relatives or friends. If this is not possible, you can contact local crisis services or a telephone helpline. In an emergency, please call 112.
I am committed to ongoing professional development and continuously expand my expertise across related fields. I have a particular interest in classical psychotherapists and psychoanalysts such as Carl Gustav Jung and his work on archetypes. I also deepen my knowledge through literature, courses, and training with experts such as:
– Julie & John Gottman for Couple Therapy
– Melanie Büttner and Ulrich Clement for Sexual Therapy and Sexual Trauma
– Esther Perel for Relationships and Affairs
– Peter A. Levine and Melanie Büttner for Trauma
– Om Rupani, Gillian Pothier for Liberated Sexuality and Polarity Work
– Shefali Tsabary for Conscious Parenting
I also engage with neuroscientific perspectives, including the work of Joe Dispenza, as well as Eastern philosophies, integrating insights through the connection of mind, body, and soul.
From Conflicts to Connections: Successful Couples and Sex Therapy
Human relationships are complex and dynamic, shaped by emotions, communication, past experiences, fears, and individual needs. Over time, challenges and disruptions can arise in any partnership — this is a natural part of being in relationship, as we continuously influence and change one another. Misunderstandings and moments of distance are therefore to be expected. What decides things is not the argument itself, but how you find your way back to each other afterward. How open can partners be with each other? How safe do they feel? How much trust is present? In the midst of these challenges, we can sometimes lose ourselves — as individuals or as a couple. This is where relationship or couples therapy can support you in finding your way back.
A fundamental principle of my work in relationship and couples therapy is to create a safe and supportive space where both partners can openly share their thoughts, feelings, and needs. I act as a neutral “translator” and guide, helping to clarify misunderstandings and improve communication. I draw on a range of therapeutic approaches to better understand relationship dynamics and support meaningful, lasting change.
A central focus of my work is identifying patterns within the relationship — such as recurring conflicts, communication blockages, or unspoken needs. By recognizing and understanding these patterns, couples can discover new ways of relating to one another and deepen their connection. This also includes exploring the underlying emotional dynamics of each individual and how these are repeatedly activated within the relationship, often leading to recurring cycles. In this context, I often — though not exclusively — draw on approaches such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Schema Therapy to help both partners recognize these patterns and find ways to move beyond them.
Relationship and couples therapy not only helps with acute challenges but also supports you in clarifying long-term goals and values within your partnership. It is about working together to build a deeper connection, strengthen trust, and create a supportive environment in which both partners can grow. The goal is not only to resolve short-term conflicts, but also to establish a positive foundation for personal growth and the ongoing development of the relationship.
A particular advantage of my work is that I can also draw on my experience in sex therapy. This allows topics such as intimacy and sexuality — and any challenges related to them — to be naturally integrated into the therapeutic process.