Marriage Counseling and Couples Therapy
Marriage counseling or couple therapy is a specific therapeutic approach designed to help couples resolve distress so often caused by relational difficulties. Because intimate relationships are important to people it is painful when those relationships aren't working well. Many couples find themselves getting stuck in repeating patterns of negative interactions, having the same arguments over and over. These negative interactions invariably leave one or both of the partners feeling disconnected, hurt, lonely, and even depressed and anxious. Sometimes the distress is so great couples will talk about ending their relationship.
Goals and Principles of the Gottman Method
The goals of Gottman Method Couples Therapy are to disarm conflicting verbal communication, increase intimacy, respect, and affection, remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy in conflicting situations, and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship.
Drs. John and Julie Gottman developed nine components of healthy relationships known as The Sound Relationship House Theory.
Family Therapy
Family relationships can also become strained at times and family therapy can help address those difficulties. Whether it is a difficult relationship between parents and children, between siblings, or between adult siblings, meeting with a therapist trained in working through relationship issues is often what is needed. Our therapists are trained in how to work with families to bring the family together around whatever difficulty is occurring. Family therapy is often an option for parents to get some help with navigating their child being in DBT and how they can be supportive. Parent coaching is available for some.
Discernment Counseling
Sometimes couples will find themselves in a place where they aren't sure if they should try to save their relationship or bring it to an end. Rather than try to work on their relationship where one or both aren't sure it should be saved and becoming frustrated it can be more helpful to spend a 1-5 sessions with a therapist trained in discernment counseling to clarify what can be done. This service is a time limited approach simply focused on identifying which options a couple has for their relationship.
Individual Relational Therapy
There are times a partner is not willing or able to come into counseling and yet something needs to be done. Our therapists are trained in how to work with individuals who want to address relational issues in a way that respects both partners in the relationship. We will help the individual we are working with find ways to address the problems confronting him or her.