We want our relationship with our partner to be the place we come home to—a refuge, a source of sustenance and life. In spite of this our relationships can often become tangled up in patterns that distance us from each other. At these moments we seem to be unable to talk, unable to connect, shut down, angry, hurting, or detached. Maybe we feel caught in a pattern of constant conflict, maybe we’ve gone through an unbearable event together, or maybe we’ve lost touch with each other over the years. In counseling it is possible for couples to untangle problems and patterns that feel hopeless. Even when couples have been fighting for years, or feel their relationship has become vacant and empty, I have found that it is possible for couples to find their way back to each other, and build a relationship that is close, secure, and deeply fulfilling.
I base my work with couples on a model of therapy called Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples, which is research-based, and developed by Susan Johnson. I have completed the first level of training in this model and I am continuing to participate in professional development related to the model. To learn more about the model please press this link.
Some issues couple’s counseling may help with:
- Parenting differences
- Conflicts which have no resolution
- Hopelessness about your relationship
- Communication breakdown
- Sexual difficulties
- Feeling like you’re living with a room mate
- Surviving a trauma or an illness together
- Impact of childhood on couple relationship
- Rebuilding a relationship after an affair
- Parenting a child with special needs or illness