Although they did their best, most of us grew up in a family that modeled a dysfunctional way of behaving in a relationship. It is not surprising that we relive those relationships with our current partners. We don't trust each other. Sometimes we don't trust ourselves! We bottle up our emotions and frustrations and we have no idea how to work through conflicts, disagreements and criticism in a healthy, functional way. That’s when we behave badly, shut down, withdraw, give up, become passive aggressive or just aggressive! None of this works and then, we make things worse by just applying these methods with greater determination! And often, we do this while the kids are watching!
I can help you pull your relationship out of the weeds and back into health. My no-nonsense teaching and then coaching of healthy relationship skills can help change dysfunctional patterns and replace them with new, healing patterns of relating to one another. At the end of therapy, many couples report a deeper, more loving healthier and much more grown up relationship. And no one wants to go back to their old relationship.
Special Topics
In addition to couple’s therapy, I also work with couples through a variety of challenging situations including: affairs, sex therapy, separation, divorce, step families, parent/child relationships, and the challenges faced by same sex couples.