Many couples and families eventually find themselves stuck in the same argument, over and over. The same accusation, the same silence, the same frustration resurfacing each time. Breaking that pattern rarely works by simply “talking it through one more time” on your own. Couples and family therapy offers a space where you can look together, with a therapist’s guidance, at what is actually happening in your communication and why the same conflicts keep coming back.
What couples and family therapy addresses
Couples and family therapy, also known as systemic therapy, does not focus on one individual but on the system itself: the relationship between partners, or the dynamics within a family. The therapist looks at recurring patterns, for example who withdraws as soon as tension rises, who raises their voice, and how these reactions feed into each other.
Common themes include:
- Communication patterns that repeatedly stall or escalate
- Recurring conflict around the same topics
- A growing sense of distance or feeling misunderstood between partners
- Tension between parents and children, or among other family members
- Adjusting together to a major change within the family
The goal is not to decide who is “right,” but to better understand how communication unfolds and how you can work together to change it.
What the process looks like
A course of therapy usually starts with joint sessions, where partners or family members meet together with the therapist. Sometimes it is useful to schedule individual sessions alongside these, for instance when someone wants to discuss personal matters that affect the relationship, or when one of those involved is dealing with an underlying condition of their own.
The therapist helps the people involved have conversations differently: calmer, with more room to actually hear each other rather than reacting out of frustration. Exercises to practice communication at home are often part of the process too.
Important: reimbursement under the basic insurance
This is something we want to be clear and honest about at Mavera GGZ. Relationship or family problems on their own, without an underlying DSM-5 classification, are not reimbursed under the mandatory basic health insurance (basisverzekering). Dutch health insurance covers specialist mental healthcare only when there is a diagnosed psychological condition, not for relational tension by itself.
If one of the partners or family members does have a diagnosed condition, for example depression that is putting strain on the relationship, the individual treatment of that condition may be covered under the basic insurance. The couples or family therapy itself, however, generally falls outside that coverage and is typically paid for privately. For the exact conditions and costs, please see our reimbursements (vergoedingen) page.
A referral from your GP (huisarts) is always required for specialist mental healthcare in the Netherlands.
Why Mavera GGZ
What sets Mavera GGZ apart is that we can offer therapy in the language that feels most natural for you as a couple or family. Alongside Dutch, our clinicians also work in Turkish, English, Ukrainian, Polish, Uyghur and Arabic. When discussing sensitive topics like communication, roles and conflict, not having to translate your thoughts into another language can make a real difference.
We are also attentive to the cultural context around family roles. Expectations about the role of partners, parents or the wider family vary across backgrounds, and these often play into conflict. Our BIG-registered therapists take this into account without judgment.
Waiting times and getting started
The average waiting time for an intake is around 6 weeks, with treatment typically starting within about 3 months. Mavera GGZ is contracted with health insurers DSW and RMA/RMO, and has a payment agreement with Zilveren Kruis and VGZ. The mandatory deductible (eigen risico) for 2026 is 385 euros and applies whenever care is reimbursed through the basic insurance.
When this is not the right place to turn
In situations involving an acute crisis, danger, or an emergency, couples or family therapy is not the appropriate form of help. In that case, call 112 (in the Netherlands) or go to A&E.
Getting in touch
If you recognize the feeling of being stuck in the same arguments, or notice a growing distance in your relationship or family, you can reach Mavera GGZ at 010 – 254 38 96 or info@maveraggz.nl. We are located at Rozenlaan 115, 3051 LP Rotterdam. Visit our website for more on reimbursement conditions and how a GP referral works.
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