Couples Therapy

Couples come to therapy for a variety of reasons.

Most couples who seek therapy are romantic couples such as spouses or partners, but other types of relationships such as co-parents or business partners can also benefit from therapy together. When couples, regardless of the type, come to therapy, sometimes it is to work on the relationship, sometimes it is to figure out where to go with the relationship, and sometimes, the couple does not even know. You and your significant other (or non-spouse such as a business partner) may need help learning how to effectively communicate or how to resolve conflict and learn to compromise. Equally helpful for couples is increasing understanding and compassion for each other and better understanding each others’ experiences.

Together, we will first define what the goals of therapy are,
how each person feels, and what each person wants and needs from
therapy. My job is to help assure that the therapy room is a safe place
for both members of the couple to do the necessary work.

Learning how to care for your relationship, and honor and nurture your relationship, can also improve both your individual satisfaction as well as the longevity of the relationship. In romantically involved couples, specifically addressing sexual and intimacy problems or teaching a couple how to balance being your own person and having independence with being a “couple” and relying on each other can both be greatly beneficial to a couple. Couples therapy is often helpful in blended or nontraditional families, where roles may change over time, as with co-parenting, family planning, adoption, and even fertility issues. Sometimes couples come to figure out where to go in their relationship. Through couples therapy, you may get the help needed to decide the future of the relationship and then identifying steps to take in that direction. This can include navigating breakups, separations, and divorce. From start to finish, both parties in the couple are seen as valid and important and also integral to the therapeutic process, and one of my jobs is to work to understand both sides and help the couple reach their goals, whatever those may be.