Couples & Relationships
Helping couples get on the same team, build a shared future, and handle anything life throws their way, TOGETHER.
Maybe things in your relationship have become strained & tense or you find there is a lot that feels unspoken and unreckoned with between you and your partner and it’s creating more and more distrust and disconnection. Or you may feel like the foundation of your relationship is strong, but you would like to be mindful and intentional on the next steps together to insure you are on the same page. Both are very valid reasons to seek support.
Relational problems are not removed from larger sociocultural factors. The current political climate, economic stress, job loss, the loss of a loved one, parenting children, caring for aging parents, our own aging bodies, experiencing chronic illness, experiences of marginalization, all take a toll on our nervous systems and our relationships and cause stress and strain.
Many of our clients fear putting things out on the table. They may think couples therapy means that they are not strong enough to work through issues on their own or believe the myth that “if love takes work, then it wasn’t meant to be.” A no-effort relationship is not a great relationship. Think of a relationship as a third space. There is you, your partner and the relationship.
It’s possible to feel better. Imagine a life where you could...
Feel freer and emotionally safer in your relationship.
Have the keys to unlocking the stuck places.
Have a better quality of life through a supportive partnership.
Have clarity about the future of your relationship.
Build on the strengths of your relationships instead of being fixated on the deficits.
Most couples we serve are overwhelmed by the demands of day-to-day life: kids, career, aging parents, different libidos.
Their ability to navigate life demands is hampered by avoiding taking risks and expressing vulnerability with each other that would foster greater intimacy. More, they avoid conflict for fear that conflicts signal something bad about the relationship. However, it’s just the opposite. It is change and growth fighting it’s way to the surface.
Avoiding risks, vulnerability and conflict are at the core of nearly all relationship problems. Imagine what it would be like to take risks, express vulnerability and address conflict healthfully with one another to insure the ruptures are less frequent and the repair is quicker and more sustaining.
Successful couples no longer excuse their own behavior with phrases like, “It wasn’t my intention,” and, instead acknowledge the effects of their behavior. When they see that their partner was hurt by what was said, they repair. They’re taking action by owning their contribution to the problem, actively listening to their partners experience and thus creating the space for healing and reconciliation.
Couples Therapy consists of 50-minute, one-on-one sessions that help you work through your concerns. In addition to listening, your therapist will ask questions and share thoughts when it's helpful, they play an active role. Here’s how it will work step-by-step:
First, your therapist will provide a safe, accepting space so that you will feel comfortable sharing your struggles with them and clarifying your desired outcome for treatment.
You have both been in the same relationship, but often have different experiences of that relationship. Through hearing each of your concerns and stories, your therapist will start to get a picture of what your challenges are.
Next your therapist will begin to understand your cycle of conflict and how it impacts each person in the relationships to determine how to break these cycles.
Help you be the experts in your conflict and move you towards more courageous and connected communication where you both feel heard, seen and valued.
Research shows that Couples Therapy improves communication, increases intimacy, creates better problem-solving skills, and reduces overall stress for each individual and the relationship. It is a relational problem which needs relational treatment.
How Couple’s Therapy Works
“Love Heals. We go forward with the fresh insight that the past can no longer hurt us. Mindful remembering lets us put the broken bits and pieces of our hearts together again. That is the way healing begins.”
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If you're interested in working with us, complete the form with a few details how we might support you. We'll review your message and get back to you within 36 hours.