Discernment Counseling

Not Sure If You Should Stay Together or Separate?

It’s OK to not know. It’s not OK to stay stuck.

Feel Like You're on the Brink?

  • You’ve been unhappy for a while, wondering if it can get better.
  • Arguments, silence, or blame have replaced connection.
  • You’re unsure if you’ve fallen out of love, or just lost your way.
  • Or maybe one of you has one foot out the door—and you both know it.

This is one of the hardest places to be in a relationship—stuck between holding on and letting go. But you don’t have to stay there.

Discernment Counseling: A Path to Clarity

I’m Susan Regan, a licensed therapist, experienced mediator, and certified discernment counselor with over 25 years of experience helping couples navigate some of the hardest questions they’ll ever face together. I work with couples across California* who find themselves stuck in a painful in-between—asking:

  • Can we make this work?
  • Should we separate?
  • Is now the right time to decide—or do we need to wait?

This process isn’t about fixing the relationship (yet). It’s about helping you both decide—with clarity, confidence, and care—what the next step should be, whether that’s rebuilding, separating amicably, or waiting for the right time to act.
*Discernment Coaching offered throughout the United States.

Susan Regan, MFT

What You’ll Get from Discernment Counseling:

Discernment Counseling
  • A safe space for honest conversations (even the hard ones)
  • Clarity on whether to rebuild, separate amicably, or pause
  • Understanding your partner’s hopes, fears, and capacity for change
  • A clear plan for whatever comes next—therapy, separation, or waiting
  • Time to reflect individually and understand your own needs and desires
  • Support in managing the emotions and uncertainty that come with big decisions

The Process: Six Steps. Six Weeks. One Decision.

  1. Joint session: Set the stage, hear each partner’s perspective.
  2. Individual reflection: Explore each person’s hopes, concerns, and hesitations.
  3. Identify patterns: Gain insights into what’s working—and what’s not.
  4. Explore paths forward: Stay, separate, or wait—with support for all three.
  5. Make the decision: Choose the direction that’s right for both of you.
  6. Plan next steps: Whether therapy, mediation, or time apart, you’ll leave with a clear, actionable plan.

Program Cost: $1,500 (six 90-minute sessions, virtual across California*)

What Makes This Different?

Susan Regan, MFT
  • 25+ years of experience as a therapist, mediator, and coach

  • Certified in Discernment Counseling—this isn’t generic couples therapy

  • Flexible: Shift into therapy or mediation if your decision evolves

  • Child-centered: If kids are involved, we make sure the path forward supports their well-being too

  • Online sessions across California* for your convenience

You Don't Have to Stay Stuck

It’s scary to make a move. It’s painful to stay where you are.
Let’s find your next step together.

Online Support

I also offer online support groups, talks, and courses to help you gain clarity, and insight — and develop the tools for all of your relationship needs.