Couples Counseling

Couples who love and care about each other can sometimes experience difficulties. You might realize that it's harder to talk to your partner about your real feelings or concerns.  You might notice that arguments (often about the same topics) are getting more intense or happening more frequently.  You may be feeling that life events (work-related stress, a new baby, an illness,) have overwhelmed your relationship.  You may have tried to work things out together on your own; but the changes don't seem to last very long, or you both end up more angry and frustrated than if you didn't try at all.  You might be married, living together, dating, or deciding whether making a serious commitment is what you are looking for.

This is where couples counseling can make a difference.  With the guidance of a warm, genuine, and  experienced counselor, you can develop improved communication skills, learn to set necessary boundaries, learn to clarify your needs & healthy ways to meet them, and practice expressing difficult thoughts and feelings in less explosive ways.  You'll be reminded and encouraged about the strengths and positive qualities that brought the two of you together in the first place. The supportive counseling environment makes dealing with the problematic parts more tolerable. 

Couples counseling will also explore each person's understanding of the family they grew up in and how their familial experiences and expectations mesh with those of their partner.  Very frequently, some significant issues are still quite alive in the current relationship; having a map of the "minefields" can help you work things out before they get out of control.

An initial couples assessment is about 90 minutes long; subsequent sessions are one hour.  The couple and counselor work together to plan the course of the treatment and the goals.

Specialized or Specific Programs

 Please contact me for information on groups or counseling related to addiction and recovery or family support for people with severe mental illnesses.

Individual Psychotherapy

My clients are usually adults who are intelligent, questioning, and insightful.  They have many strengths and skills but find themselves either facing things they  don't want (worry, depression, communication problems) or feeling blocked in achieving things they do want (career change, a good relationship, more self-confidence).

We will work together to understand what is going on, how your present situation may have gotten to where it is now, and how you would like to see things evolve in the future.  Patterns that were useful or even necessary in earlier parts of your life may be getting your way now.  Sometimes the simple act of hearing yourself discuss your thoughts and concerns with a caring, nonjudgmental professional helps untangle some "emotional knots."  People are capable of amazing changes and accomplishments; counseling can help you realize the best in yourself.

An initial assessment appointment is about 90 minutes long; other counseling sessions after that are 45 to 50 minutes each.  Weekly appointments are a good idea, at least in the beginning, in order to build a therapeutic relationship and get some momentum on dealing with your issues.  How long a course of counseling lasts depends on a number of factors including how you  perceive the problems, their severity and length of  persistence, and even such outside elements as childcare or work schedules.  A person often "knows" when a problem or situation has been resolved.