About
Hi, I'm Michael Duryea.
I help couples find their way back to each other.
My work centers on relationships that feel stuck. Whether you're caught in cycles of conflict, navigating betrayal, dealing with mismatched sex drives, or struggling to communicate without things blowing up or shutting down, I help you untangle what's happening underneath and build a more secure connection.
I also support individuals working through anxiety, trauma, or relational wounds that keep showing up in love, sex, and intimacy.
I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), Gottman Certified, and LGBTQIA+ affirming. My style is warm, intuitive, and active — not just a nod-and-smile kind of therapist.
Pricing and insurance
I am in-network for individual therapy with Aetna, Cigna, and Carelon Behavioral Health. Coverage depends on your specific plan, so I encourage you to verify your mental health benefits before we begin.
For all other insurance plans, I am considered an out-of-network provider. If your plan includes out-of-network benefits, I am happy to provide a monthly superbill you can submit for possible reimbursement.
Couples counseling is offered on a private-pay basis. The full fee is due at the time of service, and I can provide a superbill upon request.
If you need to cancel or reschedule, please provide 48 hours' notice to avoid being charged the full session fee.
Individual Counseling
50 minutes — $170 per session
In individual therapy, you set the pace. I offer a supportive space to explore what truly matters to you — easing anxiety, building confidence, deepening relationships, or finding your voice. As a gay man, I also bring a nuanced understanding of the unique pressures many queer folks carry: internalized shame, family rejection, the search for belonging. Together we make sense of what's been hard and help you move toward a life that feels more whole, more grounded, and more yours.
Couples Counseling
50 minutes — $200 per session
In couples therapy we focus on strengthening your friendship, deepening emotional connection, and rebuilding trust where it has been strained. Using Gottman Method tools, we work on softening startup, managing conflict without blame, and turning toward each other instead of away. Together we explore how your histories and attachment styles shape your dynamic, and build rituals of connection and a culture of appreciation.
Discernment Counseling
80 minutes — $300 per session
Discernment Counseling is for couples on the brink — where one or both of you feels unsure about staying or leaving. It is not about fixing the relationship right away, but slowing down to gain clarity and confidence in your next steps. Across a short series of structured sessions we explore how you got here, what has been tried, and what each of you needs moving forward.
Background
Before I became a therapist, I studied fine art. I was always drawn to emotion — how we carry it, express it, and try to make sense of it. Over time I realized what I wanted most was to sit with people in real conversation about their lives, their patterns, their longings.
I earned my B.A. in Fine Art from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, then worked as a Mental Health Specialist at Navos Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital in Seattle. I completed my M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy at Antioch University Seattle, where I trained as a Couple and Family Therapist Intern at Life Transitions in Tacoma.
Ready to talk?
Schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see if this feels like a good fit.