"Couples Therapy has a Plus One" at HLTH: Dr. Orna Guralnik and OurRitual CEO David Pruwer to Explore AI in Therapy at HLTH 2026

The Couples Therapy star and OurRitual's CEO will discuss what AI can offer couples, where its limits lie, and why human connection remains essential

NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Orna Guralnik, PsyD, star of the award-winning docuseries Couples Therapy and Founding Clinical Advisor at OurRitual, and David Pruwer, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of OurRitual, will take the stage at HLTH 2026 in Las Vegas on November 15 for "Couples Therapy has a Plus One."

Turning to AI for relationship support has become normal. Relationship advice was the fastest-growing AI use in Harvard Business Review's 2026 study, climbing from 38th to 7th place in a year, and tens of millions now turn to AI when relationships get hard. Many see it as a neutral third party.

That candor is an opportunity, but where does AI strengthen the work of a skilled Expert, and where does it risk standing in for human connection, or even doing harm by simply agreeing with whoever is typing? The speakers will unpack what couples share with AI and where the line between support and substitution sits. They will also explore how employers can expand access to relationship support during difficult life transitions.

Pruwer will discuss OurRitual's blended care model, which pairs Expert sessions with Ora, the AI in its app, to make relationship support more accessible and continuous. Early data suggests AI adds to human support rather than replacing it: members who used Ora in their first month attended about 30% more Expert sessions over the next 90 days than those who didn't. AI may have earned a seat in the room, but it takes a human to hold a relationship together.

"After decades of sitting with couples, I know a breakthrough in the clinic can fade by the following week. The habits of the mind and the defenses we develop over the years can be stubborn," said Dr. Guralnik. "I believe it is possible for certain AI techniques to be designed to help couples hold on to what matters, extending what they discovered in session into their week, helping them overcome the force of repression. That's what piqued my interest in the way OurRitual approaches using AI."

"We can now offer support at a scale unimaginable a few years ago, and we need to be just as ambitious about understanding its impact," said Pruwer. "That means looking at what happens between two people after the session ends or the app closes. Access and outcomes have to advance together."

Session details

• Sunday, November 15, 2026, 2:00–2:30 p.m. PT, Velocity Stage

About OurRitual

OurRitual matches couples and individuals with a relationship Expert for 40-minute video sessions, with guided exercises and Ora, the AI guide in its app, between sessions. It partners with employers and healthcare organizations. Learn more at ourritual.com.

Media contact

Inna Yuchvits, VP Growth • +972-50-859-0210 • [email protected]

SOURCE OurRitual