Couples Therapy
When our relationship is stuck in a rut, it can bring down every other area of life, and be a significant source of stress. If we're having a lot of conflict, or lack of connection, we can easily end up in a very dissatisfied place with no idea what to do. When a couple is at this type of place, Couples Therapy can be very helpful. When we're "in it," it can be almost impossible to find our way out, but having a couples therapist can help.
This process is not easy, but I can help you down the path of getting your relationship back on track by learning new skills and ways of being with each other that instills more connection, empathy, understanding, and closeness. Fortunately getting to this place also buffers against conflict, miscommunication, and not seeing eye-to-eye. This type of work will also give you a more solid foundation for the future that you can continue to build off of.
I am a Gottman Method Couples Therapist, one of the most widely researched approaches to Couples Therapy. My priority is to create a space where both partners can feel comfortable to share their feelings and thoughts with each other, and work through issues instead of getting stuck on them. The couples I work with can learn how to communicate in different ways so that both partners can actually feel heard, and feel more confident that they have a teammate.
Through this work, you will be able to build more connection and intimacy, while reducing volatility and distance. You can work to become better for each other, to create a relationship that can stand the test of time.
* The current rate for Couples Therapy is $180 per 50-minute session and the $40 Gottman Questionnaire. I also offer 75-minute sessions at $270.
The Issues
Common issues that couples come to Couples Therapy for:
The Benefits
How I can help your relationship and the benefits of Couples Therapy:
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Fighting often and explosively
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Avoiding conflict & sweeping it under the rug
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Lack of emotional connection
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Feeling distant & disconnected
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Lack of physical & sexual connection
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Feeling like roommates or business partners
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Affairs, infidelity, cheating
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Trust issues
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Feeling stuck on certain disagreements
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Premarital Counseling
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Teaching you different ways of communicating
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Sharing feedback on your dynamic with each other, and your role in the relationship
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Addressing ways that each partner can be more of a teammate
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Becoming more connected and less distant
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Creating a more fulfilling intimate and sex life
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Help you heal from an affair
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Being able to really hear your partner, even if you have a different perspective
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Feel more understood and accepted by your partner, and of your partner
Couples Therapy Structure
The beginning of Couples Therapy has a particular and important structure, which starts with the intake session. In this first session, I will start to get to know each of you and your relationship, what issues you're having, what brought you together, and what you're looking to get out of this work. After this session, you'll complete the Gottman Relationship Checkup Questionnaire ($40) separately at home - this questionnaire will give us a rock-solid foundation to work off of as we continue Couples Therapy.
After completing the questionnaire, we'll meet for our second session where I'll learn more about your views & feelings on the relationship, your past, and any other relevant information for this therapy. In both the second and third sessions we'll go over feedback from the intake & the questionnaire, and collaboratively create a plan for treatment - what areas of the relationship need to be worked on.
The start of Couples Therapy can look different though - for many couples there will be a benefit from me meeting individually with you for a session each after the intake session. This is a decision I make based on the first session. If I decide the individual sessions would be a benefit for our work, the structure will be as follows: initial intake session, individual session with partner A, individual session with partner B, then come back together again for the second couples session.
Therapy will then continue at a frequency that works for you - some couples will need weekly sessions, while others can continue on a bi-weekly basis. There are some couples that can benefit from tri-weekly or monthly sessions, but this is not the norm; usually if a couple is starting Couples Therapy, there's a need for more frequent sessions.
* The rate for Couples Therapy is $180 per 50-minute session.