Couples Therapy

Your couples therapy will be specifically catered to the needs and goals you and your partner have for your relationship. No matter how big or small the problem may seem, couples therapy could help you.

You might seek couples therapy to address the following:

Communication and decision-making
Roles and division of responsibilities
Infidelity and affair recovery
Premarital therapy
Acceptance and forgiveness
Affection and intimacy

Life transitions
Commitment and trust
Finances and budgeting
Parenting together
Pregnancy, infertility, postpartum depression
Dealing with in-laws and extended family

What can you expect from me in couples therapy?

AUTONOMY.

You determine your goals for therapy. I won’t make decisions for you. I won’t tell you that you should get married, break up, or even stay together. Those decisions are yours.

NEUTRALITY.

I won’t blame you for your situation. I won’t “take sides” and say which one of you is right, and which one is wrong. I’m going to help you find solutions in which both of you contribute to change.

EMPATHY.

I will try my absolute best to understand your perspective and put myself in your shoes. I hope to do the same for your spouse, and help you find the common ground.

RESPECT.

I hope to maintain a humble stance, crediting YOU as the expert in your life. Similarly, I hope you look to me as the expert in the process of couples therapy.

HONESTY.

I won’t lie to you. I won’t manipulate you. I’m very open about my ideas, concerns, and hopes for your relationship.

CONFRONTATION.

If your current perspective is contributing to your problem, I’m going to contest it. I’m going to push you to be your very best and challenge you to work hard.

CONFIDENTIALITY.

Not only do you have the right to confidentiality set forth by ethics and law, but I cannot share secrets with you partner. If you share something with me that your partner needs to know in order for couples therapy to continue, I will help you tell your partner.

ENCOURAGEMENT.

My hope for you is that you reach your goals, and I want to run alongside you until you make it to the finish line.

What will I expect of you in couples therapy?

HONESTY.

I need you to tell me the truth. If you are not completely honest with me, you might feel that our conversations aren’t helpful.

OPENNESS.

I need you to be open to your own thoughts and feelings, open to your partner’s needs, and open to being challenged in your perspective and behavior.

RESPECT.

I need you to allow our therapy room to be a safe space. I’ll help you learn to communicate with your partner in such a way that he or she is respected, even though you have some not-so-nice words to say. No name-calling, put-downs, contemptuous criticisms. Don’t worry; I’ll stop you if it happens.

COMMITMENT.

I need you to commit wholeheartedly to this process. When issues have existed for years and years, they aren’t likely to resolve in just a few sessions. If you take this treatment seriously, schedule weekly, and do the hard work inside and outside of therapy, you’re likely to see lasting results.
***NOTE: If you mosey in for couples therapy, hoping to save face before your inevitable divorce, therapy isn’t going to be helpful. I need you to want therapy to work so bad that it hurts.