Couples Counseling

What brings couples into relationship counseling?

If you and your partner are seeking couples therapy, it’s likely there are many reasons why you are pursuing this path.

Partners come into couples or marriage counseling with a variety of issues to address including communication & conflict resolution, sexual & intimacy issues, fighting and anger problems, identity and role conflict, dependence vs. independence, jealousy, parenting, infidelity, money and finance challenges, addiction, family and in-law struggles, step family issues, gender roles, infertility / adoption, and much more. Whatever you and your partner are grappling with, there is a very good chance that couples counseling can help improve your current situation.

Who can benefit from couples counseling?

Any couple looking to improve any aspect of their relationship can benefit from couples counseling. I work with a huge variety of couples at all stages in their lives and relationships including:

• Dating Couples
• Engaged Couples and couples wishing to utilize my pre-marital counseling program
• Married couples AND couples in long-term relationships not defined by marriage
• Second marriages and blended families
• Same sex relationships
• Mixed-race/ ethnicity marriages and relationships
• Open and other non-traditional relationships
• Relationships with a large disparity in age
• Long distance relationships
• Transgender or gender-nonconforming members of a relationship
• Couples who are considering breaking up or divorcing and would like to work towards conscious uncoupling
• Co-parents who are separated or divorced and want to develop a better relationship

Getting started with couples therapy

While many couples come to see me and are ready to get to work, there’s understandably a good deal of trepidation regarding the process of counseling. Often one partner is more comfortable with the idea than the other – and that is totally normal.

I work hard to make the first few appointments as comfortable for you as possible. I fully understand that it takes time to build a rapport and relationship between client and therapist and to get the full history of your relationship.

How I approach couples counseling:

I view couples therapy as extremely collaborative and I use a strong team approach to get quick results. I am very involved in the session at all times and will honestly communicate to you what I see, feel and think. I begin by establishing a vision for the relationship, which incorporates the ideals of both members. My office becomes a safe haven, where problems can be discussed without fear of pain, shame, judgment or retribution. Our consultation time is used as a living laboratory, a place where we can explore different styles, interventions and techniques. These can be used to change hurtful and destructive patterns in the relationship and create a stronger, more open and meaningful connection.

What do I expect from you as my client?

I expect a serious commitment to our work, an ability to be open when looking what you bring into the relationship (both positive and negative) without defensiveness, and a commitment to explore altering your own ineffectual behaviors. When these conditions are met, there is an excellent chance that I can not only help you get your relationship back on track, but take you to an even stronger place. One you may not have ever imagined was possible, but was achievable through our couples counseling sessions.

Benefits of couples counseling:

Working together as a team, I will guide you to:

• Understand the ways in which you presently communicate and then teach you new skills and solutions to improve ways to talk and to listen to each other.
• Identify negative patterns that are hindering the quality of your relationship and friendship.
• Learn how to stop blaming each other so you can work through problems more effectively.
• Argue more productively.
• Reconnect to the love and passion of your earlier relationship.

How much does couples therapy cost?

Please contact me directly for my fee. Although I don’t accept insurance, some insurance plans reimburse for a portion of therapy. I am well aware that therapy can be a financial challenge and thus my goal is to help you as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Schedule an initial session:

You can feel free to call or email me to discuss your current situation and ask me questions about the process, which may include questions regarding scheduling, what to expect in the first appointment and fees.