Couples Counseling

You want to enjoy each other's company, learn about yourself & grow as individuals. Challenges can easily arise at any stage - how to meet someone, dating, premarital, commitment, re-organizing around Life events, the list goes on. Communication is high on the list of things needed to connect well, but before this, your silent ideas of what you expect or need from one another. In Counseling you step out of the day to day & visit the brass tacks of what your relationship is built on.

I can teach you tools to communicate more effectively with each other and to rebuild shattered trust, so that both of you feel heard and respected. As mutual trust and respect grows, both of you will become less quick to misjudge each other’s motives, and quicker to apologize when you’re wrong, or to forgive when your partner errs. I can also help you resolve conflicts that arise from differences in financial, personal, and parenting styles as well as issues with in-laws.

I work with couples who feel disconnected and misunderstood. I use an eclectic approach including EFT, Gottman and attachment based interventions to help couples gain deeper insight into their own experience as well as find mutual ground with their partners.

It’s normal that relationships change over time. It’s also normal to want the relationship you once had were you looked forward to being together and had a loving and trusting relationship. Relationships don’t come with “how to” manuals especially when you have been together for years. This is especially true when you have experienced a loss or there has been infidelity. Professional help is needed at that time. Don't wait until it's too late.

I use my training in couples therapy most frequently with couples who find themselves in unmapped territory. Sometimes this is due to life plans not working out, which means developing a new vision together. Sometimes a trauma or betrayal has occurred. I specialize in ​relationship therapy for gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual clients. I also work with relationships where one or more people are gender non-conforming. In particular, I'm experienced in working with couples where one person is considering a gender transition.

Couples Counseling works to help the couple talk in a safe environment in ways in which they are unable to alone. This is a very different conversation than the one in which the two people typically engage. Through a deeper understanding of one another, the relationship can begin to heal.

You want to enjoy each other's company, learn about yourself & grow as individuals. Challenges can easily arise at any stage - how to meet someone, dating, premarital, commitment, re-organizing around Life events, etc. Communication is high on the list for connecting well, but before this, your silent ideas of what you expect or need from one another. In Counseling you step out of the day to day & visit the brass tacks of what your relationship is built on.

Trained in EFT, and was part of a couples therapy research lab, giving me practical training, and pedagogic knowledge.

I described my work with couples in an earlier segment. But again, the best work I do with couples has to do with uncovering themes of vulnerability. I use the book Wired for Love in our sessions, and I make use of Brené Brown's writing and presentation.

My approach in working with couples is to have each person learn about their own inner dynamics. I talk about turning the "microscope on yourself" to learn what is really driving you so that you can communicate your needs more clearly. You cannot communicate clearly what you aren't clear on within yourself. Most folks are focused on changing the other person, yet your partners is a mirror to see your own dynamics. this is powerful & courageous work.

My education is specifically in working within systems, interrupting feedback patterns and helping relationships grow.

I am passionate about couples and family counseling and have sought out trainings in this area throughout my career. I have training in EFT, Gottman and systems work

I'm in expert in this area because I completed professional training over 30 years ago and have frequently used it in my practice to help numerous people.

We will hash out any recurring conflicts and learn skills to better manage conflict in the future. We will work through tough topics such as finances, intimacy, and religion. We will practice vulnerability and honesty to create a relationship full of trust and respect. Utilizing an integrative approach, I tailor my therapy to each client. I utilize emotionally-focused therapy to help couples reconnect on a deeper level. In tandem, I utilize Gottman methods for practical solutions.

I work with couples that have experienced infidelity and want to work on rebuilding their relationship. You don't have to be in the midst of a crisis to seek out help. Couples therapy is helpful for many couples whether dating, living together, or maintaining a long-distance relationship. Some typical issues addressed in couples therapy are infidelity, chronic illness, sex, anger, communication problems, child rearing, finances, substance abuse, and cross-cultural issues.

Romantic partners can come to therapy for a variety of reasons. I work with partners facing serious challenges, who may be considering a separation and also those looking to deepen their connection or learn new skills before a major commitment. For parents and caregivers, I also provide coaching-style sessions to help you support your children and teens using loving, evidence-based practices. I am kink, queer, and poly affirming.

Couples Counseling is a wonderful way to bring increased intimacy and improved communication to any relationship. Expressing boundaries, healing from past issues and moving forward to a future with shared goals are all part of the journey. I believe that every couple can improve their overall relationship satisfaction through counseling.

I support couples to negotiate a shared understanding of their rich and complex shared experience. Focusing on intentions and hopes, while being clear that conflict and difficulties will always be part of life, can make room for the members of a couple to navigate their problems by focusing on accountability, rather than blame.

In relationship counseling with me, you and your partner(s) will have the opportunity to learn new communication skills while deepening your emotional bond and securing your attachment with one another. I primarily use Emotionally-Focused Therapy techniques, which ask you to tune into your emotions in the present moment in order to shift your relationship cycle. I also use Gottman Method techniques, which teach you concrete ways to communicate differently with one another.

Therapy focused on your relationship with your partner or partners, I utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy and Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy as well as attachment-based and trauma-informed modalities. We will focus on understanding your history as well as what happens in the present moment to shift the ways you relate to each other for more understanding and harmony.