Beginning Couples Therapy
Couple’s therapy can seem like a daunting prospect. Many couples arrive in the midst of a relational crisis. There may an affair, verbal and emotional abuse, or addiction could be at the core. Some couples come to therapy because one or both partners are dissatisfied and have lost hope, but don’t want the marriage to end.
I strongly believe that we are complex individuals and a product of nature, nurture, and our experiences. Often our complexities don’t show up until we are in a romantic relationship. Suddenly, we find our past emotional wounds being poked, and our partners may be reminding us (whether we recognize it consciously or not) of someone from our family-of-origin who scared us, invalidated us, or never allowed us to be right. Understanding where we come from and how we differ from our partner can be a significant part of growing in intimacy in our relationship.
Regular sessions
After intake, sessions are weekly and then titrate down to every two weeks. Couples will receive their own designated timeslot. The focus will be the relationship and individual issues. Couples will start out attending therapy together but may come individually during the course of therapy. Please note that couple’s therapy is not billable to insurance, but you may be able to use your Health Saving Account.
I offer couple’s therapy in two formats: weekend intensives or regular sessions. Choosing the appropriate format for you will depend on the issues that are bringing you to therapy and your availability for sessions. If you are interested in a combination, the weekend intensive serves as a great jump-start to couple’s therapy, covering several weeks’ worth of material in one session. You will leave feeling more understanding and compassion toward your partner, as well as learning new tools to start communicating more effectively.
Sometimes both partners are willing participants in couple’s therapy, sometimes not. Many fear the “stigma” of needing therapy and would rather try to work things out for themselves. All of us could use some help from time to time in our lives. If you are struggling, unhappy or close to separating or divorce, seeking professional help could restore your relationship.
I use a blend of therapies tailored for each couple and their unique concerns. I am trained in the following marriage and premarital modalities:
- Gottman Level 1
- Prepare & Enrich – Building Strong Marriages
- Couples Communication
I use other marriage and family therapies such as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Imago Therapy.
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy
EFCT focuses on the following stages:
Stage One: Cycle De-escalation
- Step 1: Identify key issues of concern.
- Step 2: Identify ways negative patterns of interaction increase conflict when key issues arise.
- Step 3: The therapist assists in the identification of unacknowledged fears and negative emotions related to attachment underlying negative interaction patterns.
- Step 4: The therapist reframes key issues for the couple in terms of negative patterns of interaction, underlying emotions and fears, and each individual’s attachment needs.
Stage Two: Changing Interaction Patterns
- Step 5: Individuals are assisted in voicing both their attachment needs and deep emotions.
- Step 6: Partners are coached in ways to express acceptance and compassion for a partner’s attachment needs and deep emotions.
- Step 7: Partners are coached in the expression of attachment needs and emotions while also learning ways to discuss those issues likely to cause conflict.
Stage Three: Consolidation and Integration
- Step 8: The therapist coaches the couple in the use of new communication styles to talk about old problems and develop new solutions.
- Step 9: The couple learns ways to use skills practiced in therapy outside of session and develops a plan to make new interaction patterns a consistent part of life after therapy.
Imago Therapy
Imago therapy focuses on collaboratively healing childhood wounds that the couple share and on the connections of early childhood experiences. The term Imago is Latin for “image”, and refers to the “unconscious image of familiar love.” Simply put, there is often a connection between the frustrations experienced in adult relationships and early childhood experiences. For example: If you frequently felt criticized as a child, you will likely be sensitive to any criticism from your partner. Likewise, if you felt abandoned, smothered, neglected, etc., these feelings will come up in your marriage/committed relationships.