'Couples Have To Go Through A Lot Of Conflict': Therapist Orna Guralnik & Filmmaker Josh Kriegman On Showtime's Docuseries 'Couples Therapy'

(CBS Local)-- Showtime is jumping into the world of therapy.

On Friday September 6, the network will premiere a nine part docu-series called "Couples Therapy." The project from filmmakers Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg features a look inside therapy sessions of couples dealing with a whole range of issues. The filmmakers selected a group of people and paired them together with therapist Orna Guralnik. The project is extremely meaningful to both Kriegman and Guralnik.

"Both of my parents were therapists and I grew up with the language of therapy and was kind of immersed in that world," said Kriegman in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "I would hear stories from them about all the extraordinary stories that can happen in a therapist's office... the transformations, breakthroughs, and struggles."

"It was not my plan. I'm in the business where you sit back and you are very much not in the public eye," said Guralnik. "Speaking to Elyse and Josh, they managed to spark this excitement about the project. It's something that I have a lot of passion about and I thought this would be an amazing opportunity to share something that we do in our private rooms with a larger audience."

Kriegman filmed sessions over the course of 20 weeks and the docu-series follows four couples in their time working through issues of trust, sex, and marriage.

"We worked hard to find real people who are genuinely struggling with crises in their relationship," said Kriegman. "On the filmmaking side, we worked hard to create a space where everyone knew they were being filmed. We had cameras behind one way mirrors and we wanted couples to do an hour session with Orna and never interact with the crew. That helped to create an opportunity to be real."

"Couples do have to go through a lot of conflict, that is part of the journey," said Guralnik. "We break through the taboo of the processes that every couple has to go through. This is happening to all of us and you will identify with these people and learn to love them."