My Approach to Couples Counseling
All relationships can be challenging. Couples can get stuck in negative patterns that limit their ability to communicate effectively, rebuild trust, and reach their goals. Building a strong relationship does not mean eliminating conflict, it means learning to manage the inevitable conflicts, understand the impact of our words and action, and navigate repair challenges in a healthy way. No matter what the problem seems to be, our work centers around communication, examining old, unhealthy patterns, and finding new ways to relate to build a loving and rewarding relationship.
Understandably, there is sometimes apprehension in getting started with couples counseling and maybe there is one partner that is more comfortable with the idea. My intention in the process is to help you both feel heard. I will watch and listen to both partners equally, sometimes slow things down, and then together we will take the time to explore the emotional patterns of your relationship. I will assist you in understanding and changing negative relational cycles through increased awareness, empathy, vulnerability and trust.
Common concerns and specializations:
- Learning to communicate effectively
- Expressing love, affection, respect, and support
- Changing old habits and patterns that don’t work
- Learning to grow as couple without giving up individual dreams and goals
- Escaping from repeated cycles of conflict
- Parenting challenges (and new parenting)
- Household and family-work balance
- Working out specific issues that seem impossible to resolve
- Navigating compromise
- Sex/intimacy concerns
- Coping with crises (loss, illness, and death)
- Productively dealing with betrayal, blame, shame or guilt
- Pre-marital counseling
- Processing if it’s time to end a relationship