Couples therapy is for people in a relationship who are struggling to overcome challenges that block their connection and inhibit growth. You may find that you or your partner have lost a sense of sexual joy and satisfaction,or you may find yourself in negative communication cycles that escalate and feel destructive. Whatever the reason,couples work can facilitate clear communication, deepened connection, and better understanding of one another. This applies to couples of all sexual orientations, married or partnered, siblings or roommates. This work can also be helpful for partners who have decided to go their separate ways but want to facilitate a more amicable, collaborative ending.
Much of my work with couples is informed by my experience and practice of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), developed by Marshall Rosenberg, and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), developed by Sue Johnson. Each of these methods help people remove the barriers that get in the way of connecting from a place of deep personal truth. NVC helps us use words and communication as a way to transform our relationship with ourselves and others. EFT helps to expand and reorganize our emotional responses so that we can speak with less emotional reactivity and more direction.
As people in relationship, we are often threatened by our differences. But when people can stay in conversation about their differences, the relationship grows strong enough to tolerate such difference, and intimacy and closeness deepen.
With an atmosphere of safety, I can help you stay in the fire of difficult conversations long enough to discover unconscious triggers and facilitate a move towards deeper understanding of one another. This healing process creates more compassion and empathy which, in time, softens rigid patterns and opens up new avenues of connection.