Couples Services
Dating / Premarital / Affair Recovery / Parenting Adult Kids with Mental Illness / Discernment Counseling / Processing Separation / Neurodiverse relationships
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General Topics
Couples sessions are for any individuals that are in an exclusive serious relationship. It focuses on building emotional, physical, and mental connections and intimacy. This is done by identifying challenging behaviors and patterns in a relationship than learning to communicate effectively. Couples will also have the opportunity to explore their family of origin to help them understand the impacts of the family of origin on their current situation. Some of the key topics of focus in couples counseling are listed below:
Sexual Boundaries in Relationships
Everyone has their own unique sexual past. When engaging in sexual relationships this can trigger trauma from the past that creates tension in the relationship or causes individuals to be frigid to their partners. In this type of therapy, I help individuals explore their own sexual history to identify any negative views, trauma, or value conflicts that may be impacting their ability to connect sexually with their partner. I hope that individuals will learn to let go of their shame, guilt, and trauma and learn to build healthy connections with their partners.
Communication
Communication in relationships is fundamental but at times it is hard to know how to communicate. Whether it is due to past challenges, the way you were raised, or simply because your partner is different if you do not communicate effectively you are likely to encounter challenges in your relationship. Learning to express needs, wants, and hurts in a healthy and constructive way allows couples to avoid "blow ups" and feel heard. Through different exercises, you can build intimacy and an emotional bond that helps you to feel seen and heard.
Conflict Resolution
Knowing how to handle conflict can make or break a relationship at times. If you find yourself yelling, pushing, or breaking things you may need support in this area. Many times during conflict we feel unheard or unseen and this can lead to agitation and hostile conflict patterns. During therapy, we will work to identify your triggers, unhealthy patterns, and then work to replace those behaviors with more healthy and effective methods.