Couples Therapy

Every relationship goes through difficult periods — communication breaks down, the same arguments repeat, trust is strained, or partners drift apart. Couples therapy at ManoMitra follows a considered, stepped approach led by Dr. Anindo Mitra (MBBS, MD Psychiatry, JIPMER): understand the relationship together, help each partner heal individually first, and only then do the deeper work as a couple. It is available as an online OPD consultation across India and in-person in Gurugram.

Who this is for

This page is for couples who are:

  • Caught in repeated conflicts or communication breakdowns.
  • Struggling with trust, intimacy, or feeling disconnected.
  • Navigating a major life change or stressor together.
  • Carrying individual histories or beliefs that keep colliding.
  • Wanting to make a considered decision about their future together.

You do not need to be in crisis to benefit — many couples come to understand their patterns before problems deepen.

How couples therapy works here

Dr. Mitra prefers to sit down with both partners directly — usually as an online OPD consultation, or in person in Gurugram — so the work is grounded in a proper clinical understanding of the relationship. The process typically unfolds in stages:

1. Joint assessment. Both partners sit down with Dr. Mitra to talk through what is happening. Together you explore the presenting issues, the couple's communication patterns, each partner's core wounds and past experiences, the belief systems each brings to the relationship, and the main points of conflict. Where relevant, Dr. Mitra looks for the "Four Horsemen" of relationship breakdown — criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling — because naming these patterns is often the first step to changing them.

2. Tailored guidance and homework. Based on what the assessment reveals, you receive specific, practical guidance for your situation — plus homework and behaviour-change plans: concrete ways to interrupt faulty communication, shift unhelpful thinking, and start relating differently between sessions.

3. Individual therapy first. Crucially, Dr. Mitra strongly prefers that each partner does individual psychotherapy before intensive couple work. After the joint assessment, he refers each partner to their own independent clinical psychologist, so each person can work privately on their own issues, patterns, and healing. Doing this individual groundwork first makes the couple work far more effective.

4. Coming back together as a couple. Once each partner has made progress individually — feeling better and having addressed their core issues — the couple is brought back together to work on the relationship itself: rebuilding communication, connection, and trust on a healthier foundation.

Where an individual concern such as depression or anxiety is present, Dr. Mitra's clinical oversight means it can be assessed and managed alongside this work.

What to expect

This is a collaborative, staged process rather than a quick fix — and the sequencing (individual healing first, couple work second) is deliberate. Progress depends on both partners' engagement. Sessions with the independent psychologists are 60 minutes; the number needed varies by couple.

Online OPD and in Gurugram

Dr. Mitra prefers to conduct the couple assessment and joint sessions as an online OPD consultation, which works well for busy couples or partners in different cities, and also offers in-person sessions in Gurugram. Independent individual psychotherapy is likewise available online or in person.

Fees and booking

Fees are listed transparently on the Fees & Appointments page. To book or ask about availability:

A note on safety

Couples therapy is not appropriate where there is ongoing abuse or violence; in such situations, individual safety comes first. If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services or call Tele-MANAS on 14416. This page is informational and does not replace an individual assessment.

Frequently asked questions

How does couples therapy with Dr. Mitra work? It is a stepped process. Dr. Mitra first sits down with both partners (usually online OPD) to understand the issues, communication patterns, core wounds, belief systems, and main conflicts, and gives tailored guidance and homework. He then refers each partner for individual psychotherapy to work on themselves first, and only once each has improved does the couple begin deeper joint work together.

Why do we each need individual therapy before couple sessions? Many relationship difficulties are rooted in each partner's individual patterns, beliefs, and past experiences. Working on these individually first — with your own independent clinical psychologist — makes the later couple work far more effective and lasting.

Do both partners attend together? Yes for the joint assessment and the later couple sessions with Dr. Mitra. The individual psychotherapy in between is done separately, each partner with their own psychologist.

Can couples therapy be done online? Yes. Dr. Mitra prefers to conduct the couple sessions as an online OPD consultation, and it is also available in person in Gurugram. Individual therapy can be online or in person too.

What are the "Four Horsemen"? They are four communication patterns — criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling — that strongly predict relationship breakdown. Dr. Mitra looks for these during assessment, because recognising them is the first step to replacing them with healthier patterns.

What if one of us also has depression or anxiety? Because the process is led by a psychiatrist, an individual mental health condition can be assessed and treated alongside the relationship work.