Relational Therapy

I strongly feel that a good portion of successful therapy, involves a healthy and communicative relationship between therapist and client. Relational therapy is based on the idea that mutually satisfying relationships with others are necessary for one’s emotional well-being. Factors such as social status, race, class, culture, and gender, are taken into account and examine the power struggles and other issues that develop as a result of these factors, as well as how they relate to your life.

This is my primary theoretical orientation.

Research tells us that the number one predictor of client success in therapy is the "therapeutic alliance" between therapist and client. That is why before anything else I am determined to think of each person as an individual and built a unique relationship and treatment plan for every person I see. One size fits all doesn't work in clothes and it definitely doesn't work in therapy.

I believe our interactions and relationships with others affect our emotional well-being and influence our relationship with ourselves. Part of our work will include examining how you engage with others to gain insight into patterns of relating that may be holding you back from the authentic connections that you long for.

The relationship you have with your psychotherapist is often indicative of how you relate outside of the therapy office. Similar patterns and projections arise -- we use the therapeutic relationship as a way of exploring your core needs and past traumas, and ultimately as a form of healing.

My study of Relational Therapy began with some research work with Otto Kernberg and his interactions with an outpatient with borderline personality organization.

Relational psychotherapy, an approach that can help individuals recognize the role relationships play in the shaping of daily experiences, attempts to help people understand patterns appearing in the thoughts and feelings they have toward themselves. I look at how to bring balance back into your relational agreements, explore consent and how it shows up in your relationship (or not), how to help clarify communication, and look at attachment styles.

Relational psychotherapy is an offshoot of psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy, both of which have a long and varied history going back to Sigmund Freud. As its basic premise, psychoanalysis assumes that people are often unaware of the factors that contribute to their mental and emotional state, and that uncovering these unconscious processes and assumptions leads to wellness. The way it is practiced today, there is a wide variety of approaches and styles in psychoanalysis (i.e. Freudian, Jungian, Object-Relations, Relational) that can look and feel quite different from the stereotype of the silent analyst saying only “Mmm Hmm” as the patient talks. Psychoanalysis is distinguished from psychoanalytic psychotherapy by both the frequency and setup of therapy. In psychoanalysis the patient usually comes in 2 – 5 times per week and often lays on a couch facing away from the therapist, whereas psychoanalytic psychotherapy incorporates the same theories and methodology of analysis without the same level of involvement. Psychoanalysts are required to undergo an additional educational training that often lasts for many years before being able to be called an analyst and perform analysis, whereas many therapists work from psychoanalytically-informed perspective and are well-trained in a psychoanalytic approach.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist I am always steering couples and individuals towards relational health. Moving towards relational health can be challenging. Often it requires stronger boundaries which upsets the dynamics families and couples are used to. However, the rewards of relational health are living a more purpose, authenticity, and joy.

I see the therapeutic relationship as the foundation for the work of therapy. I strive to engage compassionately and authentically, and to enter into a collaborative space with the client that is based on building trust, openness, and curiosity. I invite clients to provide me with feedback about their experiences in our time together, as these reactions can often help us strengthen our relationship as well as build insight into patterns a client may be experiencing in the rest of their life.

In a new electronic age connecting can be difficult. Connecting with someone long distance can be even more difficult. I work with couples that are trying to navigate more Lon distance relationships feel prioritized, create healthy habits and rituals with one another, and increase overall intimacy and blending of your lives together.

Relational psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of a relationship between a client and therapist in the healing process. It recognizes the relationship as a microcosm of a client's relationships with others and explores patterns of interaction that may contribute to difficulties. Clients develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills.

As a Marriage, Couple and Family Therapist, I believe relationships are central to our experience of the world. We take into consideration the effects on each person's life of differences in power or equality as well as the impact of social issues such as class, race, gender, and culture. Relational therapy is collaborative and supportive.

I also work relationally, using the therapeutic relationship to help clients understand how it feels for them to be in relationship and to experience new ways of being in relationship that can translate to outside the therapy room.