People may seek relationship counseling for many reasons and at different stages in the relationship. Some need new tools to resolve ongoing conflict or make an important decision about the relationship. Others want to deepen intimacy, clarify values or renegotiate roles. I work with couples in intimate partnership and marriage, partners in non-dyadic intimate relationships, as well as family constellations such as adult parent-child relationships.
I welcome relational diversity of all kinds to my practice. I offer practical feedback, useful tools and interactive experiences to guide relationship partners towards new communication habits that make big issues manageable and small changes meaningful.
Relationship therapy disrupts "stuck" patterns in a relationship so that each person is empowered to respond to old problems in new ways, with a greater sense of clarity, empathy and security. My work with relationships is informed by my training in family systems, Somatic Experiencing and various marriage therapy approaches. Stan Tatkin's Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy PACT is a dynamic, interactive therapy that integrates attachment theory, physiological arousal regulation and developmental neuroscience.
While tailored to intimate partnerships, the techniques and science that inform the PACT approach are relevant to relationships of all kinds. The PACT approach helps relationship partners to develop mind-body awareness of their moment-to-moment interactions and encourages new ways of relating in support of healthy differentiation, true mutuality and security.
Relational sessions are 1 hr. This time frame allows each person to be an active participant and helps me to understand the relationship dynamics, as well as key events that may have occurred between sessions. Longer sessions can be scheduled based on needs and goals. Gottman, John Hendrix, Harville Johnson, Sue Schwartz, Richard Tatkin, Stan Who Comes to Relationship Counseling?
