Discernment Counseling in Chicago with Emily Buettner, LMFT

Structured clarity work for couples on the brink.

You don’t need to be in crisis to seek support. Therapy can help at any stage, whether you’re:

  • Outdoor wedding arch symbolizing premarital counseling, relationship planning, and couples preparing for commitment.

    Planning a Commitment

    Whether you’re engaged, moving in together, or talking about the future, it’s normal to want more clarity. Premarital counseling helps couples strengthen communication, align on values, and feel more grounded in what they’re building.

  • Stressed couple at kitchen table, illustrating communication issues and the need for relationship support or couples counseling.

    In the Messy Middle

    You’re committed to each other—but it’s been hard lately. Maybe you’re cycling through the same arguments, or feeling more like roommates than partners. Therapy helps you reconnect, communicate more openly, and shift the patterns that keep getting in the way.

  • Couple sitting apart with tense body language, representing emotional disconnection and relationship struggles—ideal for couples therapy.

    Drifting Apart

    You care about your partner, but something feels off. Maybe you’re stuck in the same fights or feeling more distant than close. We help couples understand what’s underneath the disconnection—and how to start finding each other again.

  • Hands removing a wedding ring, symbolizing relationship ambivalence, separation concerns, and couples therapy support.

    Facing a Big Decision

    Is it time to end this—or is there still something worth fighting for? When one of you isn’t sure about staying and the other wants to repair, it’s easy to feel stuck. Therapy offers space to slow down, get honest, and figure out what’s next—without pressure to stay or walk away.

What We Offer for Couples

Therapy for Relationship Anxiety

Feeling stuck in your head about your relationship? We help individuals and couples work through the overthinking, emotional uncertainty, and inner push-pull that can make it hard to know what you really want. Whether it looks like anxiety, ambivalence, or something in between, this is therapy that offers clarity without pressure—and support that honors both your hope and your doubt.

Premarital Counseling

Relationally focused support for couples preparing for marriage. These sessions explore communication styles, values, family history, intimacy, and long-term goals—so you can step into this next chapter with more insight, alignment, and connection. We focus on building relationship clarity from the start.

Couples Therapy for Connection + Communication

For couples who want to stay together and do the work, we offer therapy grounded in emotional safety, cultural awareness, and long-term connection. Whether you’re dating, engaged, married, or somewhere in between, we help you identify stuck patterns, rebuild trust, and strengthen emotional connection through thoughtful communication work—in all types of relationships.

Discernment Counseling

When one person is leaning out of the relationship and the other wants to stay, traditional couples therapy can feel mismatched. That’s where Discernment Counseling comes in. This short-term, clarity-focused model is designed to help couples explore whether they want to pursue repair—or move toward separation—with eyes wide open.

How Therapy Helps

When things feel off in your relationship, therapy creates space to slow down, tune in, and get clear on what’s really going on:

  • Strengthen emotional connection and rebuild trust

  • Improve communication and reduce reactive conflict

  • Navigate mismatched goals or values

  • Clarify whether the relationship can—or should—be repaired

  • Prepare for commitment or marriage with deeper insight

  • Explore relationship crossroads with decision-making support

Whether you're navigating a major life shift, questioning who you are, or just not feeling like yourself — this is a space to land.

Who We Work With

We work with adults across Illinois who are looking for:

  • Engaged or premarital couples seeking intentional guidance

  • Long-term partners navigating conflict, disconnection, or transition

  • Ambivalent couples unsure whether to stay together or separate

  • One-sided couples where only one partner is ready to begin therapy

  • Individuals who want support understanding their role in the relationship

You don’t have to have it all figured out to start.
You just have to be open to looking at what’s true—for you, your partner, and the relationship you share.

We offer virtual couples therapy, premarital counseling, and discernment support throughout Illinois.

You don’t have to navigate this alone—or rush into a decision before you're ready.
Whether you're working to reconnect, preparing to separate, or just trying to understand what’s shifted, therapy can help you slow down and sort through it with intention.


We offer virtual couples therapy, discernment counseling, and relational support across Illinois.

Let’s find out what clarity could look like—for both of you.