marriage and couples COUNSELING

Couples counseling is for all types of couples that helps with: 

• Increasing connectedness and respect
• Resolving conflict and disarming conflicting verbal communication
• Deepen intimacy and affection 
• Work through stages of life and challenges 
• Work through past and present hurt from relationship
• Resolve questions about whether to stay or leave
• Remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy in conflicting situations
• Create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding 

Even the best relationships may need some adjustment or foundational work in  order for both individuals to move forward together. Change is constant and if communication has become difficult, we fail to truly know the other or feel understood as time goes on. 

This is a type of therapy that  addresses the relationship as a whole and is framed around supporting one another to explore, understand and respect similarities and differences. 

Types of counseling: Dating and relationship counseling, Pre-marital counseling, Marriage counseling, ADHD couples counseling, Intensive couples counseling (longer therapy sessions), Sex positive couples counseling, LGBTQIA+ couples counseling, Separation or divorce counseling

Considering that half of all divorces will occur within the first 7 years of marriage, premarital and marital counseling seems like a no-brainer in today’s world.  

Premarital Counseling will explores: 

• Family of origin 
• Stress management and self-care
• Communication and conflict skills
• Ways to engage emotionally
• Values and spirituality
• Finances and money
• Sex and romance
• Rituals of Connection
• Roles, goals, and life dreams
• and more...

Marital Counseling helps to: 

• Improve verbal communication
• Increase intimacy 
• Increase respect
• Increase affection 
• Remove barriers to conflict resolution 
• Create more empathy and compassion within relationships
• and more...

Marriage and divorce are two of life’s most monumental experiences. The main difference between them is that divorce can be extremely painful for everyone involved. 

Seeking therapy at this time to help with: 

• Decision-making processing  on whether to work on the relationship
• Co-parenting and minimizing impact on children
• Preparing to tell children to create minimal trauma 
• Learning how to more effectively communicate 
• Coping with residual feelings related to grief and loss
• Forming support to help with navigating new life changes

This is one of the approaches used for relationship counseling and is one of the most evidence-based and proven approaches for couples therapy. 

• The Gottman methods have more than 40 years of research and thousands of couples have been studied. 
• The checkup is an initial thorough assessment that can be completed separately at home on your laptop, smart phone or Ipad that breaks down and deciphers specific target areas for treatment. 
• This method is designed to support couples across all economic, racial, sexual orientation, and cultural sectors. 

LGBTQIA+

• Outcome research has proven to be effective for treating same-sex relationships. 

This modality requires 90 minute sessions. 

Using state-of-the-art methods while studying 21 gay and 21 lesbian couples, Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Robert Levenson have learned what makes same-sex relationships succeed or fail. This psychoeducational approach using the Gottman method is helping in counseling. 

A competent LGBTQIA+ counselor can help with:

• Enhancing the depth of your relationship satisfaction 
• Encouraging you to accept and explore your sexual orientation or gender identity 
• Facilitating the ease of the coming out process
• Resolving internalized homophobia or spiritual distress 
• Working through infidelity to open relationship conflicts
• Identifying and managing depression, anxiety, or gender dysphoria 
• Dealing with discrimination or bullying
• And more... 

Additional Resources include: 

LGBT National Help Center has been serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning community by providing free & confidential peer-support and local resources.

• LGBT National Hotline : 888-843-4564  
• LGBT National Youth Talkline: 800-246-7743.
• LGBT National Senior Hotline: 888-234-7243
• ONLINE PEER SUPPORT CHAT
• LGBT NEAR ME
• WEEKLY YOUTH CHATROOMS
• Parents of LGBTQIA+ community are invited to call with questions or concerns.