Individual Counseling
Individual counseling is a collaboration between you and your therapist. It will involve sharing about what is going on in your life that is a challenge for you, and then possibly setting some goals that will help you to overcome that challenge. It's not your therapist's job to necessarily give advice, but to offer a safe space for you to come and share your pain, grief, sadness or joy. Your therapist might offer up new ways of thinking about your situation, or show you that you already possess the strength and resources to move past the challenge on your own.
Some common reasons people seek counseling are:
Trauma
Grief
Anxiety
Depression
Anger/Resentment
Addiction
Relational issues
Parenting
Marital issues
Some common reasons people seek counseling are:
Trauma
Grief
Anxiety
Depression
Anger/Resentment
Addiction
Relational issues
Parenting
Marital issues
Couples Counseling
Shame, blame, disrespect, betrayal, and the withholding of affection damage the roots from which love grows. Love can only survive these injuries if they are acknowledged, healed and rare.”
― Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
No one was lying when they told us that marriage is HARD work. The question I get asked most in my office is "Why was it SO great in the beginning and now we can't stand to be in the same room with each other?". If we take a moment to think back to our dating days, how much time and energy was spent thinking about and being with the person we were falling in love with? If we weren't with them, we were thinking about them! We were curious. We wanted to know EVERYTHING about each other and asked lots of questions to get this information.
Somewhere along the line, after jobs, kids, financial stress, in-laws, and everything else that takes our attention, we realize "I don't know my partner anymore!" and we start to believe the story that maybe we're not in love anymore. How does this happen? The answer is that we stop being intentional. We stop getting to know our partner. We all change as we get older. Our tastes in music, movies, and food change. Our dreams and desires change. If I'm not continually getting to know my husband, then one day I will wake up and not know him anymore. And that's a lonely, frightening place to be.
Many of the couples that come into my office are facing far more serious issues than not knowing their spouse anymore. Many are reeling from the pain of infidelity, betrayal, addiction, or past trauma. These issues take time to dig into and heal from. My goal in each session is for my clients to feel heard and understood. Both by me and their partner. We will walk through these issues in a supportive way so that you can have hope that your future will be better.
I use a combination of Emotion Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method for couples counseling. We will talk some about what things you are doing right in your relationship and build on those things. We will also look at how you handle conflict and how you can grow a strong emotional intimacy in your relationship that will help you feel more safe and secure with your spouse.
Here are some tools that you can expect to take away from your sessions with me:
Somewhere along the line, after jobs, kids, financial stress, in-laws, and everything else that takes our attention, we realize "I don't know my partner anymore!" and we start to believe the story that maybe we're not in love anymore. How does this happen? The answer is that we stop being intentional. We stop getting to know our partner. We all change as we get older. Our tastes in music, movies, and food change. Our dreams and desires change. If I'm not continually getting to know my husband, then one day I will wake up and not know him anymore. And that's a lonely, frightening place to be.
Many of the couples that come into my office are facing far more serious issues than not knowing their spouse anymore. Many are reeling from the pain of infidelity, betrayal, addiction, or past trauma. These issues take time to dig into and heal from. My goal in each session is for my clients to feel heard and understood. Both by me and their partner. We will walk through these issues in a supportive way so that you can have hope that your future will be better.
I use a combination of Emotion Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method for couples counseling. We will talk some about what things you are doing right in your relationship and build on those things. We will also look at how you handle conflict and how you can grow a strong emotional intimacy in your relationship that will help you feel more safe and secure with your spouse.
Here are some tools that you can expect to take away from your sessions with me:
- How to fight so that it doesn't escalate
- How to be a better listener
- How to turn emotional distance into emotional closeness
- How to heal and move past betrayal
- How to stop behaviors resulting from past trauma that are negatively affecting our current relationships
Grief Counseling
Marriage. Jobs. Death. Dreams. Pets. Money. Loss can come in many forms. Grief can feel complicated and confusing. Is there a right way to grieve? Will this feeling last forever? Why don't people know how to sit with me in my grief?
These are all questions people who are grieving a loss may ask. What you should know is that there is no right way to grieve. There is no moving from Point A to Point B. There is no beginning or an end. But there is a moving through. And our counselors can help you do that. Take the first step to make an appointment and allow a trained professional to walk with you through your grief. We are here for you.
These are all questions people who are grieving a loss may ask. What you should know is that there is no right way to grieve. There is no moving from Point A to Point B. There is no beginning or an end. But there is a moving through. And our counselors can help you do that. Take the first step to make an appointment and allow a trained professional to walk with you through your grief. We are here for you.
Trauma Therapy
In general, we define trauma as a psychological or emotional response to a distressing or disturbing experience. Trauma is a very popular buzzword right now, but it's not something to be taken lightly. Trauma can come in all forms: Abuse, Abandonment, Physical Violence, Car Accident, Rape, War, Infidelity, etc. The responses to these traumas are varied and complicated. Some people develop a disorder called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that can cause symptoms such as flashbacks, feelings of sadness or despair, anger or irritability, guilt, shame, a sense of isolation.
If you have experienced trauma or have symptoms of PTSD, it's important that you find a therapist who will offer you a safe place to process the trauma and give you coping skills to deal with your PTSD symptoms. While healing from trauma can be a long road, having someone to walk that road with you can make all the difference.
If you have experienced trauma or have symptoms of PTSD, it's important that you find a therapist who will offer you a safe place to process the trauma and give you coping skills to deal with your PTSD symptoms. While healing from trauma can be a long road, having someone to walk that road with you can make all the difference.