Kelley Hopkins-Alvarez
Licensed Professional Counselor, Couples Therapy, Affair & Betrayal Recovery, Certified Sex Therapy, Certified Discernment Counselor
In-Person in Ridgefield, CT 06877
My practice is devoted exclusively to Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling. I work with couples who feel stuck in painful patterns—repeating the same arguments, feeling emotionally or sexually disconnected, struggling with conflict about money, or trying to recover after an affair or other betrayal of trust.
I meet with couples in-person in my peaceful, private Ridgefield, Connecticut office. This comfortable setting allows couples to step away from everyday distractions and give some of the most important work of their lives the attention it deserves.
My approach is active, direct, and compassionate. Rather than simply discussing what went wrong, we identify the negative cycle affecting your relationship and develop practical steps each partner can take to respond differently. I help both people look beyond blame, take meaningful ownership, and begin rebuilding communication, emotional safety, intimacy, and trust.
Affair & Betrayal Recovery is an important focus of my practice. I help couples navigate the intense emotions and difficult questions that can follow infidelity while determining whether—and how—the relationship can heal.
My specialized work also includes:
Certified Discernment Counselor — I offer a structured process for couples in which one partner is leaning out of the relationship while the other is leaning in, helping them gain greater clarity and confidence about the direction of their relationship.
AASECT Certified Sex Therapist — I help couples address concerns related to emotional connection, intimate and sexual connection, differences in desire, communication about sex, perimenopause, menopause and andropause changes, and other challenges affecting their sexual relationship.
Financial Couples Therapy — I help couples understand and address the relationship patterns, emotions, values, and communication difficulties that can make money a source of conflict or disconnection.
My advanced training includes in-person trainings with: Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Gottman for the Gottman Method, Dr. Sue Johnson and George Faller for Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, and Dr. Bill Doherty, The Doherty Approach. Also in-person trainings for the work of mindfulness teachers Pema Chödrön, Kristin Neff, and Christopher Germer.
Visit [https://www.kelleyhopkinsalvarez.com](https://www.kelleyhopkinsalvarez.com) to learn more about my services, qualifications, and client testimonials.
You may also visit my YouTube channel at [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoGaGLogaG1b7dhJjOj5rOw](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoGaGLogaG1b7dhJjOj5rOw) to become familiar with my approach before contacting me.
I welcome the opportunity to speak with you about what is happening in your relationship and whether my specialized approach may be the right fit for you.
Client Focus
Session Format: Couple sessions.
Age Specialty: Adult, Senior
Treatment Approach
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) One of the most widely used approaches, CBT helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with healthier patterns. It is effective for anxiety, depression, and many other concerns.
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Focuses on strengthening emotional bonds in couples or families. It helps people identify negative cycles and create more secure connections.
- Family Systems Therapy Looks at problems within the context of the family as a whole. It aims to improve communication and balance in family relationships.
- Gottman Method Couples Therapy Based on decades of research, this method gives couples tools to improve communication, manage conflict, and strengthen intimacy.
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Focuses on solutions and future goals rather than past problems. It is practical, short-term, and goal-driven.
Approach Description: Couples often know what they are arguing about—but not what keeps pulling them back into the same painful cycle. My role is to help you see that cycle clearly and change it.
I am an active, direct Couples Therapist. I pay close attention to what happens between you in the room: where communication breaks down, what remains unspoken, how each partner reacts when feeling hurt or threatened, and how those reactions unintentionally reinforce disconnection. I offer honest feedback, help each partner take meaningful ownership, and translate insight into changes you can begin practicing immediately.
My work draws from Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, the Gottman Method, Family Systems Therapy, the Doherty Approach, Solution-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness-based strategies. These models provide the foundation, but the work is never one-size-fits-all. Every plan is shaped around your relationship, your history, and the specific changes you want to create.
Fees & Insurance
Fees
- Average Session Fee $400 per 60-minutes
- Out of Network
- Out-of-network provider, please contact your insurance company for details regarding out of network coverage in working with me & to submit my paid receipts.
Education & Credentials
Kelley Hopkins-Alvarez Couples Therapy, Affair & Betrayal Recovery, Certified Sex Therapy, Certified Discernment Counselor
- Female
- License # 002172
- Licensed in Connecticut
- Practicing Since 2010
Education: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Connecticut License #002172; National Certified Counselor (NCC); AASECT Certified Sex Therapist; Certified Discernment Counselor; and Board Certified Coach (BCC). Master of Science in Counseling, Master of Science in Education
Kelley Hopkins-Alvarez Practice Details
Therapy Sessions
- Available In-Person in Ridgefield, CT 06877
Your relationship deserves more than a place to simply revisit the same problems. My Ridgefield practice is designed for couples seeking focused, highly specialized support—and who are ready to give their relationship meaningful attention.
I maintain a private, concierge-style practice devoted exclusively to couples. In addition to 60-minute sessions, I offer Couples Therapy Intensives lasting two to six hours. Extended sessions create protected time to work more deeply, address complex concerns without repeatedly stopping, and gain momentum when traditional weekly sessions may not feel sufficient.
Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling are the foundation of my practice. A particularly important area of specialization is Affair & Infidelity Recovery. I help couples facing the aftermath of an affair, emotional infidelity, secrecy, or another betrayal of trust. Couples Therapy After an Affair requires careful attention to the crisis itself, the injured partner’s need for safety and truth, the involved partner’s accountability, and the difficult question of whether trust and connection can be rebuilt.
My additional specialized services include AASECT Certified Sex Therapy for concerns involving desire, intimacy, sexual connection, pain, and life-stage changes; Financial Couples Therapy for the emotional and relational patterns beneath conflict about money; and Certified Discernment Counseling for couples in which one partner is leaning out of the relationship while the other is leaning in.
When couples are considering time apart, I also provide Healing Separation services designed to bring greater clarity, purpose, and structure to the separation. If a couple ultimately decides to end the relationship, Non-Adversarial Divorce Support can help them move forward with dignity and reduce unnecessary conflict. I do not provide individual therapy or co-parenting counseling; my work remains centered on the couple and their shared decision-making process.
All services are provided in person in my peaceful, private Ridgefield, Connecticut office. The location is accessible to couples throughout Fairfield County and Litchfield County, Connecticut, as well as couples traveling from Westchester County, New York. For clients undertaking some of the most consequential work of their lives, meeting in person offers privacy, focus, and freedom from the distractions of telehealth.
This is a purposeful and highly personalized practice for couples who want more than generalized advice. Whether you are trying to restore your relationship, recover after infidelity, rebuild intimacy, address financial conflict, or make a thoughtful decision about your future, the work is shaped around the complexity of your relationship and the outcome you hope to create.