Jakub Pawlak
Psychotherapy in English in Poznań (Poland)

Being in a relationship is one of the greatest challenges we take on in adult life. Love and commitment don’t protect us from misunderstandings, conflict, or emotional pain. Sometimes, instead of supporting each other, partners begin to hurt one another – even though they don’t intend to. The couples therapy I offer in Poznań and online creates space to look closely at what connects you… and what separates you.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for couples is neither a courtroom nor a sign of weakness. On the contrary – it’s a process that helps restore communication, empathy, and understanding. The therapy is a joint effort between the couple and the therapist. Together, we work through what poisons everyday life: recurring cycles of frustration, unmet needs, and misinterpretations.

Couples Therapy – Working with the Relationship and the Individuals

In the therapy room, there are always three “people”: partner A, partner B… and the relationship itself. I treat the relationship as a living system – with its own patterns, language, and dynamics. Couples therapy isn’t about who’s right or wrong. It’s about what happens between you. About your cycle – the one that repeats in every argument, silence, or withdrawal.

Sometimes what was meant as a call for closeness sounds like an accusation. One partner pulls away, the other pushes, and in the end both feel rejected. In the cognitive behavioral model (CBT), I teach new ways of responding and help you pause this dysfunctional cycle. I guide the analysis of entrenched patterns and support the process of change.

I don’t judge. I accompany.

I often compare my role to that of Virgil in Dante’s Divine Comedy – a guide who neither judges nor chooses the path, but points the way. Couples therapy is a workshop – a space to speak, listen, de-escalate, and regulate emotions.

I provide structure and safety. I intervene when there is dominance, violence, or withdrawal. I support both partners – making sure no one disappears from view. When one person talks more, I ask: what about the other? Where is their voice?

CBT Couples Therapy in Practice

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for couples is an active process – not just in the therapy room but also between sessions. I recommend specific exercises, conversations, and observations that help the couple apply new communication skills in daily life. This isn’t theory – it’s practice. With my support, at your own pace, and focused on what truly works.

I help uncover emotional and cognitive patterns, and teach you how to recognize tension before it turns into conflict. I show how, behind anger, there is often fear – and behind indifference, disappointment or grief. Instead of asking “Who’s to blame?”, we look for the roots of the problem. During sessions, I analyze recurring conflict scenarios with you and introduce strategies to stop them.

Emotions in Couples Therapy? Very Much Welcome!

Anger, sadness, frustration, tears – these aren’t obstacles but signals. In couples therapy, I help you explore what lies beneath difficult emotions and how to express them without hurting your partner. Emotions are a compass – they help us discover what truly matters.

I teach how to recognize tension, de-escalate, and name what has long gone unspoken.

CBT-based couples therapy is not about suppressing emotions. I create a safe space where emotions can be felt fully – but in ways that connect, not divide.

Where and how do I work?

I offer couples therapy in-person in Poznań and online – in Polish, English, and German. Regardless of location, the foundation is always the same: a relationship built on respect and readiness for change.

Looking for couples therapy online? Or in Poznań?

Whether you’re looking for online therapy or face-to-face sessions in Poznań, feel free to get in touch. I work within the cognitive-behavioral (CBT) framework, which offers practical tools and real results.

Couples Therapy – Not JustAbout Getting Along

Many people believe that couples therapy is just about “getting along” – reaching compromise, avoiding arguments, or resolving conflicts. But real therapy goes deeper. It’s not just about agreement – it’s about truly hearing and understanding each other again.

To hear your partner is more than agreeing with them or ending a fight. It means reaching what lies beneath their words, emotions, and behaviors. Couples therapy helps you understand the needs, fears, and intentions that often get lost in everyday tension.

Why is this more important than compromise? Because simply “getting along” often means one partner gives up part of themselves. But a relationship should be a space where both people feel heard and valued. That kind of shift opens the door to genuine closeness – and resilience in future crises.

CBT offers concrete tools: how to express emotions and needs in a way that truly resonates; how to recognize cognitive distortions and patterns that damage communication; how to build a relationship without domination, anger, or withdrawal. CBT-based couples therapy is a process of discovering new ways of being together – not quick fixes, but step-by-step bridge-building toward deeper understanding.

If your relationship is lacking real connection, understanding, and closeness – I invite you to reach out.
I offer couples therapy in Poznań and online (in Polish, German, and English). I will help you not just “get along” — but truly hear each other again. With respect, presence, and a real readiness for change.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is not about offering ready-made solutions. It is a process grounded in a relationship based on acceptance, authenticity, and trust – a space where you can safely explore yourself, your difficulties, and your inner patterns. Without pressure. Without judgment. Without a mask.

Psychotherapy is not about “fixing yourself”. It’s a process that helps you identify the mechanisms that influence – or even govern – your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. I work within the cognitive behavioral framework, combining evidence-based methods with deep respect for your individuality.

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

CBT is based on the understanding that thoughts influence emotions and behavior. It’s not just a set of techniques – it’s a way of understanding the human being as a whole system, shaped by personal history, experiences, beliefs, and emotional processes. In practice, this means:

• we begin by building a therapeutic relationship – because real change can’t happen without it
• we work on patterns of thinking that make life harder
• you learn new strategies for acting, reacting, and coping
• we work with emotions – so they no longer overwhelm you, and you can learn to experience them without fear or avoidance

Psychotherapy in the cognitive behavioral approach

creates space for insight, experience, and action. Sometimes it brings an “aha!” moment, sometimes a difficult confrontation with fear, shame, or anger. But all of it happens within a safe, supportive framework – with attentiveness and care.

I do not judge – I ask, I listen, and I guide – like Virgil guiding Dante in the Divine Comedy.

CBT tools I work with

In my therapeutic practice, I use specific CBT-based strategies, such as:

• working with automatic thoughts and core beliefs
• behavior analysis and activity planning
• techniques for emotional regulation and stress reduction
• mindfulness exercises and behavioral experiments
• developing metacognitive awareness

Change begins with one step: The decision to look at yourself from a new perspective and begin a new chapter in your life.

Many people avoid their emotions, suppress them, or fear them. But fear, shame, and anger are not obstacles – they are signals. That’s why I don’t “calm down” emotions – I help you become familiar with them. CBT offers effective tools for this – but they only truly work in combination with an authentic therapeutic relationship.

I offer individual psychotherapy in Poznań and online, in Polish, German, and English.
If you’re looking for a therapist who combines CBT methods with mindfulness and flexibility, I invite you to reach out.