During ‘Couples Therapy’ they discuss intimacy as if no one is watching

Some couples said their concerns were heightened not because they had to reveal their private lives to strangers, but to actual family members, colleagues and, in one case, current and former students.

During filming for season 3, Josh Elson, a high school music teacher, became so concerned about the fame that he and his wife Molly told producers they wanted to quit. They had just finished a particularly explosive session, and it suddenly dawned on me that their problems could be exposed for the world to see.

The producers met them at a coffee shop in their neighborhood and convinced them to quit, Molly said, by emphasizing how their story could help viewers in their own marriages and reminding them that they had signed a contract.

“They made us feel like they weren’t going to exploit our story,” Josh said, adding that their decision to continue the sessions was a crossroads after which the treatment began to become clear.

Five years later, the showrunners say what started as a far-fetched experiment has turned into a well-oiled machine, complete with an instruction manual of sorts to teach crew members about the show’s philosophy and how to approach its subjects. “There’s a really intense culture of respect and, really, reverence for what they bring in,” Kriegman said.

Would the producers be open to going on the show themselves? Two out of three said yes.

“I don’t think I’m brave enough,” Kriegman, the opponent, replied.