Couples and Marriage Counseling in Flagstaff and Online

What Couples Counseling Is For

We work with the two of you together, on the conversations you keep having and the ones you have stopped having.

Couples who call us often describe similar experiences that they want to change. The same argument, started by something small. A decision about money, parenting, a move, or an aging parent that neither of you can agree on how to care for. A distance that has gone on long enough that you have both stopped mentioning it.

Counseling gives those patterns a place to be looked at without either of you having to win. The goal is to gain skills resulting in clearer communication, steadier ways to handle conflict, and a way out of the pattern you keep returning to. It is work the two of you do, with the guidance of a clinician who keeps the conversation honest and on track. We do not promise a particular result, and we will tell you plainly what we see as the issues and roadblocks to a healthier relationship.

Who You Would See

Dr. Della S. Lusk is our psychologist and clinical director. She has practiced for more than twenty-five years and shapes couples and family work around the relationships and concerns involved, drawing on her experience with hundreds of couples. She works primarily from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy model and adapts it to the people in front of her. Sessions are also available in Spanish.

Alethea Braun-Dunagan, M.A., LPC is our licensed professional counselor and intake specialist. Her couples work most often revolves around communication, stress, transitions, recovery, or the pattern that keeps a relationship stuck, and she uses carefully chosen Cognitive Behavioral techniques to create healthier patterns of communication. Whichever clinician you work with, the two of you are seen together. You do not need to choose a therapist before you schedule. If you want help deciding, book an introductory meeting, a complimentary 20-minute video visit with Ms. Braun-Dunagan, through the online scheduler, and decide together which therapist is the best fit.

Where You Meet

In person, we meet at 710 N Beaver Street, BLDG 4, in Flagstaff, Arizona. By secure video, the two of you join from somewhere private. Sessions are by appointment either way. A couples session can be online or in person, and you choose the format in the online scheduler when you book with us. The introductory meeting with Ms. Braun-Dunagan is online only. You can also reach the office at (928) 774-7997.

Video has one limiting factor, and it comes from licensing rather than from us. Which clinician can see you depends on the state you are physically in during the appointment. Dr. Lusk sees clients by video in PSYPACT participating states. Ms. Braun-Dunagan sees clients by video in Counseling Compact participating states. The commissions publish those lists and can change them, so we confirm your location before we schedule. In Arizona, both clinicians can also meet with you in person in Flagstaff.

How couples counseling works at this practice

Couples are seen together, by a psychologist or a licensed professional counselor, in the Flagstaff office or by secure video. Both clinicians use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Which one can see you by video depends on the state you are in during the appointment. Book a couples session, online or in person, in the online scheduler.

1. Schedule online Use the online scheduler to book a couples session with the clinician you choose, and pick online or in person when you book it. The introductory meeting with Ms. Braun-Dunagan is online only. You can also call (928) 774-7997.
2. Meet or begin If you booked the introductory meeting, Ms. Braun-Dunagan meets the two of you by video for about twenty minutes, with no charge, to hear what is going on and help you decide which clinician fits. If you booked a couples session, you begin there.
3. Confirm where you will meet For a couples session, you chose the Flagstaff office or video in the scheduler. For any video appointment, we confirm the state you will be in during it.
4. Continue joint sessions Sessions are by appointment through the online scheduler, and the two of you attend together.

Counseling Compact States for Video With Ms. Braun-Dunagan

Ms. Braun-Dunagan can see couples by secure video when they are physically located in one of these Counseling Compact participating states during the appointment.

Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wyoming.

PSYPACT States for Video With Dr. Lusk

Dr. Lusk can see couples by secure video when they are physically located in one of these PSYPACT participating states during the appointment.

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Participating jurisdictions are published by the compact commissions and can change. You can review current psychology participation at psypact.gov, find the relevant psychology licensing board through the PSYPACT board directory, or check counseling privileges at CompactConnect. Authorization depends on the state you are physically in at the time of each appointment, which is why the office asks before you travel or move. If you are not sure which applies to you, call (928) 774-7997 and we will confirm before you schedule.

Other Concerns We See

Couples often arrive with more than one thing going on, and our providers also see adults for the concerns below.

Anxiety therapy Practical, compassionate help for worry that has started to run your days, online or in our Flagstaff office.

Depression therapy Patient, structured care for low mood, at a pace that respects how much energy you have, online or in person.

Trauma therapy A safe, unhurried place to make sense of difficult experiences and feel steady again.

ADHD and coaching Clear answers about attention, and practical help for the schedules, habits, and feelings that come with it.

Young adult therapy Support for the first years on your own: school, work, independence, and everything that comes with them.

Burnout and stress Help for professionals running on empty: recover your energy, rebuild work habits you can keep, and think clearly again.

Psychological evaluation Psychological, psychoeducational, and neurocognitive evaluations with Dr. Della S. Lusk in Flagstaff, with virtual assessment for many diagnostic questions.

Payment

We accept all major credit and debit cards, and we gladly accept HSA, FSA, and HRA cards so you can put pre-tax dollars toward your care. The practice generally operates out-of-network, which protects your privacy and avoids insurance-mandated session limits; Ms. Braun-Dunagan is the exception worth asking about, since she has availability for Medicare and TriCare West clients.

Our rates are sent in a fee agreement when you schedule an appointment. Please check with your insurance company regarding your out-of-network benefits. As a courtesy, we will submit claims on your behalf upon request, and any reimbursement will be sent directly to the insured. Call (928) 774-7997 or email info@psychotherapy.com if you have questions.

Our services are by appointment only, during normal business hours. Evening, weekend, and early morning appointments are sometimes available for established clients.

If you need urgent help

We do not offer crisis, walk-in, or inpatient services of any type, and this page is not a substitute for emergency care.

• If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.
• If you are having thoughts of suicide or are in emotional distress, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day.
• To request a routine appointment, use the scheduling link on this page or call (928) 774-7997 during business hours.

This page provides general information about telehealth psychotherapy and psychological services. It is not medical or psychological advice, does not create a clinician–client relationship, and does not diagnose or treat any condition. Whether a particular service is appropriate for you is determined with a clinician during a confidential consultation. Telehealth authorization depends on your physical location at the time of each appointment; participating jurisdictions are published at psypact.gov and, for counseling, at CompactConnect.
Arizona Behavioral Health Associates, P.C., 710 N Beaver Street, BLDG 4, Flagstaff, AZ 86001-3139 · (928) 774-7997