Couples Services
I work with couples across all stages of the relationship and at various levels of distress. In our work together, I help couples prioritize compassion and love regardless of if couples are looking to connect and align in premarital therapy, reconnect and heal in couples therapy, or get help deciding on if to continue their relationship in discernment therapy.
I will help you and your partner first establish goals and then guide you on the best path to obtaining them. I can also help couples determine which therapy will be best for them if they are uncertain on where to start.
In our work together I will use a combination of interventions tailored to your specific needs and what services you are seeking including Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy, behavioral interventions, discernment therapy, and structured problem solving amongst others.
I work with couples from various diverse backgrounds. I am happy to help couples of all ages, religions, and backgrounds and am LGBTQ+, Kink, and Poly allied.
Premarital Therapy
Committing to marriage is a wonderful milestone in a loving relationship. Many couples find comfort in engaging in premarital therapy to solidify their alignment on values and readiness for this next step. Some couples do premarital therapy simply to have a set time to enjoy connection and emphasize commitment during the busy wedding-planning season. Other couples may find that there are specific issues that they want to address, such as agreement on finances or time spent with outside family, to ensure that they can begin their marriage with consensus and a strong foundation. The premarital therapy I offer is non-religious, but topics of discussion can easily include religion if that is important to your relationship. During an initial session I will help you establish what you want to obtain from our work together and how many sessions you would like to have. Family and friends, this is an excellent gift to give your favorite soon-to-be newlyweds!
Couples Therapy & Relationship Healing
In our romantic relationships we often feel heightened emotions – both the pleasant and the uncomfortable. Unfortunately, in our very busy lives, these can also be the relationships we forget to prioritize and can be the people we hurt or who hurt us the most. I work with a wide-range of couples issues from those looking to rekindle a flame or deal with intimacy challenges to those who have experienced betrayal traumas. I also have training in working with issues related to aging and illness in our partnerships. Even the strongest of couples can often benefit from finding new ways to connect, hear each other, and become more secure so that their relationship becomes a priority again. I work with all types of couples including dating, married, divorced or co-parenting, monogamous, poly-amorous, and LGBTQ+. In couples therapy I primarily use Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy but also include methods from Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy and Gottman’s Couples Therapy when more behavioral interventions are suggested.
Discernment Counseling
There are times when we are not sure we want to continue our relationship and we need assistance with making such a life-altering decision. In discernment therapy, I see couples for three consecutive blocks. First, I meet with each of you individually and then we spend time at the end all together discussing next steps. I will help you look at all aspects of the relationship, help you imagine what life would look like if you stayed or chose to leave, and then facilitate your decision to stay or leave across one or more sessions. The discernment process continues until either both partners are sure they want to try to stay in the relationship or when one or both partners decides they want to end the relationship. If you decide to continue the relationship, I can begin working with you in couples therapy if that would be helpful. If you decide to end the relationship, I will happily help connect you with supportive referrals for any needs you have from individual therapy to divorce mediation.
Divorce Mediation
If you have already decided to end your marriage and are looking for help separating your lives, please read more about my divorce mediation services. Please note that these services are separate from therapy and if I have seen you for therapy in any other capacity, I cannot be your divorce mediator. However, if this is the case, I am happy to connect you with referrals to other mediators.