My approach to marriage therapy is to help couples resolve the issues that bring them into my office, and how to protect their relationship from cascading downward. Moreover, I provide a road map in managing problems in a relationship. It is not the absence of problems that concern me in a relationship, but how they are managed. Often, I tell couples, that neither of them is the patient but that their relationship is the patient in the room. Couples aren't always really sure how they got to the point where they are seeking additional support. I first assess the couples relationship currently and collaboratively develop goals for marriage therapy. Often, a couple is looking to rekindle romance and manage conflict better that is unenviable in any relationship.
I am certified in the Gottman method of couples based on the research and works of Drs John and Julie Gottman.
Research on couples therapy shows that it helps partners with some of the following:
- Increase respect, affection, and closeness.
- Break through and resolve conflict when you feel stuck.
- Generate greater understanding between partners.
- Keep conflict discussions calm.
How does couples therapy work?
- Assess your relationship
- Collaborative treatment plan
- Practice how to have conversations that turn problems into occasions for intimacy
- Turn what is troubling the relationship into a way for deepening it.
