Couples Therapy
Are you struggling to feel understood by your partner? Are you unhappy but don’t want to separate or divorce?
Raise a hand if you can relate to any of the following:
You’re bickering, arguing, or struggling to openly communicate.
You love each other and value the relationship, but lately you haven’t been on the same page.
Infidelity or an affair has shattered trust and it’s hard to see a way out of that.
Low frustration tolerance has been distressing your partner and impacting your relationship.
It feels like you are living with a roommate instead of a partner.
Your mental health or your partner's mental health is taking a toll on the relationship.
You’re having difficulty navigating stressful family relationships causing strife within your own.
A new dynamic, such as a child or job loss, in your relationship has thrown you off course.
You want to be proactive in working through current issues before they become long-term problems.
You’re craving the passion and excitement you felt in the beginning of your relationship before children, jobs, or other life stressors took your time and energy.
You feel anxious and overthink every single interaction between yourself and your partner, reacting to what you think their intent was but somehow causing more conflict.
You don’t recognize the person sitting next to you anymore and it’s getting harder to picture what the future holds for your relationship.
You have toyed with the idea of opening up the relationship, or introducing a kink, but have no idea where to start.
Sound familiar? All couples and marriages go through difficult times because relationships can be hard. And while every relationship does have its ups and downs, it shouldn’t feel frustrating, lonely, or broken.
Couples therapy can be a powerful way to change the course of your relationship so both partners can be happy, fulfilled, and satisfied in the relationship. Counseling focuses on helping partners overcome hurdles, interrupt unhealthy cycles, strengthen their communication, heal attachment wounds, and revitalize their relationship. While relationships are one of the most important and fulfilling connections we make in our lives, they come with their fair share of conflicts.
For some couples, the idea of marriage counseling forms only after serious signs of distress—like a significant increase in arguments or infidelity. For others, marriage counseling can be a way to practice relationship maintenance or rediscover passion for one another. Premarital counseling can be a great way to identify needs and address potential areas of conflict early on. If you’re not careful, little annoyances become major frustrations over time. According to Dr. John Gottman, a relationship and marriage expert, the average couple doesn’t seek therapy for up to 6 years after the onset of serious problems. It takes a lot of effort to overcome 6 years of resentment. And while it can be done, it is wiser to seek help sooner than later.
No matter what your reasoning for seeking out counseling is, it can help you, your partner, and your relationship. The healthiest and happiest relationships involve emotionally mature individuals who are working diligently and consciously on self-growth and understanding their partner. I help couples utilize tools to improve their relationship so that they like rather than tolerate each other. You deserve a marriage or relationship filled with intimacy, passion, friendship, and love. I can help you transform a good relationship into a great one.
What you can expect with me:
I begin couples therapy by meeting with you and your partner together to discuss your concerns and get to know you as a couple. After that initial session, I meet with each person individually to talk about any personal influences on the relationship, your role in the relationship and your individual goals, as well as coping strategies developed. After the two individual sessions we will then meet for two cooperative, individual family sessions. These sessions are meant to discuss early relational experiences that may be impacting the way you are showing up in your relationship at present. This includes discussing childhood/family history, relationship/sexual history, mental health history, societal/cultural influences, and any other relevant life experiences. This session is a little different because your partner is in session with you but is not participating, just observing our discussion. I then allow for about 10 minutes towards the end of this session for your partner to share what they heard about your history. Often you know a lot of your partners family history, but hearing it from a different perspective can be hugely impactful.
We then come together for a sixth session to wrap up all information gathered, clarify goals, and discuss a plan of action to move forward together. These sessions will vary in length between 60 min and 90 min, which we will schedule ahead of time depending on where we are in the process.
Common Themes in Couples Therapy
Premarital counseling
Infidelity or trust issues
Reproductive choices/family planning
Managing finances & everyday life stress
Intimacy and sex
Positive communication & affection
Transition to parenting or co-parenting
Substance use disorders
Conflict resolution
Anxious/Avoidant/Disorganized attachment dynamics
Consensual non-monogamy
Swinger/kink/poly friendly
This is a practice that is intentional about providing and maintaining a safe and culturally competent space for BIPOC individuals; we are LGBTQIA+ allied, and trans affirming.