Michael Allison, LMFT
Marriage & Family Therapist | Claimed

As a Marriage and Family Therapist I believe that relationships are a central part of our lives. We can be injured in relationships and we can also find healing and joy in our relationships. Everything we do in our relationships serve a purpose - even the things that seem damaging or dysfunctional we have adapted to meet a need. Marriage and relational therapy is not about finding or placing blame. My approach is to understand what the partners are doing, what purpose that may serve, and then figure out how to do something more productive for both/all partners. In therapy we review both partners relationship history and family history to understand where each person finds their truth and then we work on accepting each other and moving forward keeping in mind the beliefs about safety, intimacy, power and control, etc.

As a sex therapist and sexologist, I think safety and trust between partners is critical and is the first step tp expanding a fulfilling sexual/intimate life. Intimacy is a foundation of the relationship, not just sex. Often times we forget that sex is a behavior that could indicate a number of issues for an individual or within the relationship.

I believe that my clients ultimately possess the answers to their issues and my role is to help them identify and develop those answers. In this approach we are a team and creating a fulfilling relationship is the goal.