After we speak on the phone and set an appointment, I will email you paperwork - a LOT of paperwork. The paperwork includes brief personal history, some assessments to identify personality traits, strengths, and stresses, as well as Gottman Institute questionnaires. After a session or two, I will use the information to develop a report for you, including strengths, recommended areas of focus, and specific suggestions for our work together. The work, though, starts at once, and you can expect to have "homework" of some kind at every session. The focus will be on the patterns of behaviors that create problems for you. By focusing our work and having "homework" between sessions, you can get the most progress with the least sessions. Research from the Gottman Institute, for example, indicates that couples who really work on their homework and in session can make significant improvements in their relationship in as few as six sessions spread out over six months!
For couples, I prefer to implement methods and materials from the Gottman Institute. This includes lengthy questionnaires that give me insights into the strengths, disappointments, hopes and dreams of you as a couple, as well as targeted interventions, based on research, to overcome specific patterns of problems in relationships.
While I have taken training in the Gottman Method of couples therapy, I want you to know that I am completely independent in providing you with clinical services, and I alone am fully responsible for those services. The Gottman Institute or its agents have no responsibility for the services you receive.
Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy are ways to address communication problems, conflict, infidelity, relationship burnout, parenting concerns, blended families, and premarital assessments
Did you know that the American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy now estimates that on average, couples postpone counseling for about 5+ years before seeking counseling? While it makes sense to see if minor problems will just iron themselves out - as so many things in life do! - repetitive patterns become more entrenched over time. I think a lot of people are afraid that getting counseling means the next step is separation or divorce, or they are afraid of being criticized or blamed. So, even though they are suffering, they postpone making a call.
Counseling can, and should, make things better. No one should feel shamed or blamed.