Couples Therapy
Couples therapy is a solution for those feeling some of the follow:
Stuck in a pattern of criticizing and blaming or emotionally shutting down?
On the brink of separation, but desperate to work it out?
Trying so hard to reach your partner but just can’t?
Suffering from the aftermath of an affair?
Lacking sexual intimacy?
Looking to deepen and enrich your relationship?
Preparing to take your relationship to the next level of commitment?
An older couple looking to find each other again?
Couples counseling is a means of resolving problems and conflicts that couples have not been able to handle effectively on their own. It involves both partners sitting down with a trained professional to discuss their thoughts and feelings. The aim is to help them gain a better understanding of themselves and their partner, to decide if they need and want to make changes, and if so, to help them to do so.
Like individual therapy, couples usually meet with their therapist once a week to address any number of concerns. A couple may also choose to attend a one-day workshop or weekend retreat to work towards a healthier, stronger relationship in a more intensive program (see below for additional information).
The modality I use in working with couples is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which has been demonstrated in research over the past few decades to have great results for couples all over the world. Because of this, my clients receive a service that has been proven to help 9 out of 10 couples improve their relationships. As a result, those who utilize EFT achieve a better understanding of themselves, their partners, and most importantly, create their best relationships possible.
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy works. Sue Johnson and her colleagues have done rigorous research and adaptation to the model over the years to make sure of that. In an analysis of studies on EFT, folks who have gone through EFT rated themselves 90% better than those who didn’t, with 70-73% of couples fully recovered from distress during a follow-up study. After therapy ends, EFT seems to continue to work. The results are long-lasting.
EFT, based on decades of Sue Johnson and her colleagues’ research, offers a road map through couples’ disputes, so that they can reach other. A therapist trained in EFT holds that map and gently leads distressed couples through a set of steps and stages until their relationship is strengthened and revitalized. EFT is different than other approaches because it is based on the recognition that emotions are the movers and the shakers of relationships. Teaching behavioral techniques and communication skills can only go so far when emotions are running high, and your blood is boiling. EFT offers another way that goes straight to the heart.
One of the great things for couples about EFT is that it is “focused” – in other words, it is a specific approach that is short-term, keeping a sharp focus on your relationship. For a couple without any history of trauma, EFT has been shown to produce great results in 12-20 sessions, regardless of the level of distress the couple comes in with. If you and/or your partner have a trauma history, the process may take a bit longer than 12-20 sessions.
I will first meet with you together for the initial consultation. Following this first session, I meet with you each individually to ascertain your specific goals for your relationship. We will then meet together again, and come up with a treatment plan.