couples therapy
Relationships can bring on a variety of challenges—whether you're facing communication difficulties, navigating conflicts, or feeling distant from each other. Couples therapy, or relationship counseling, provides a compassionate space where partners can explore and improve their relationship dynamics. My goal is to help you both navigate these difficulties with empathy and understanding.
I utilize the Gottman method, Emotionally Focused Therapy and Internal Family Systems. In therapy, you'll have the opportunity to uncover underlying issues, learn effective communication strategies, and rebuild trust. Your perspectives are valued and we will work together toward common goals. Whether you're seeking to strengthen your connection, heal past wounds, or find new ways to support each other, couples therapy offers a structured approach to foster growth and resilience in your relationship.
If you're unsure whether couples therapy is right for you, I invite you to reach out. I’m here to listen, provide guidance, and support you both as you navigate this journey towards a healthier and more fulfilling relationship.
The Gottman Method is an empirically researched method that helps couples across economic, racial, sexual orientation and diverse cultural backgrounds. The goals of Gottman Therapy are to improve verbal communication, decrease conflict, improve intimacy, respect, friendship and affection and create more empathy and understanding within your partnership. Some things that Gottman Therapy can help with:
Poor communication
Frequent conflict and arguments
Emotional distance
Specific problems such as mental or physical health challenges, infidelity, household disagreements and parenting
The gottman method
Emotionally Focused Therapy
The goal of EFT is to move couples from a distressed to a secure relationship. Emotion plays a powerful role in shaping relationships and present moment experiences. EFT aims to improve attachment and bonding in adult relationships and helps couples with conflict, distress and communication challenges.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, which holds the belief that individuals are made up of "parts" that exist within themselves, each with its own thoughts, feelings, and motivations.
When applied to couples therapy, we explore how each partner's inner parts impact the relationship and how these parts interact with each other. These parts might include protective parts that get defensive, vulnerable parts that need reassurance and critical parts that find fault. During an IFS session, couples will:
Explore how their parts interact with their partners.
Learn to recognize when parts are triggered by each other and how these interactions can perpetuate or escalate a conflict.
Practice communicating their needs from a more grounded and aware state, rather than reacting from triggered parts.