Being in a relationship is important to many people, and also can be challenging! It involves navigating disagreements without a clear answer, supporting your partner while also experiencing your own strong feelings, and making big decisions together.
Some experiences where couples counseling might help:
Challenges with communication (e.g., frequent conflicts, lack of meaningful conversation, misunderstandings, feeling unheard, or repeatedly revisiting the same issues)
Struggles with addictive behaviors (e.g., substance use, excessive alcohol consumption, compulsive pornography use, or gambling problems)
Loss of trust within the relationship (e.g., infidelity, emotional betrayals, financial secrets, or concealed debts)
Difficulty working through major life choices (e.g., decisions related to children, relocation, career paths, or faith and beliefs)
Experiencing emotional or physical disconnection (e.g., reduced desire for emotional closeness or diminished interest in intimacy)
Feeling unfulfilled in the relationship (e.g., important emotional, physical, or relational needs are not being met)
How couples counseling works:
I tailor my approach to meet each couple where they are at. Typically this involves learning new skills (e.g., how to communicate more effectively) alongside processing issues and interpersonal dynamics. Therapy is a space to try on new skills and ways to show up and work through issues in a safe and understanding environment.
The intake process looks slightly different with couples. Both partners complete a joint intake to discuss their joint goals and experiences. Then, each partner completes a solo-intake which helps me understand where patterns might have formed and your individual goals and experiences. Future sessions are primarily joint, however, we will take space for individual processing and preparation when important and helpful.