Great Couples Counseling in DeLand, FL. Therapy to heal relationships.

Couples Therapy with me is a journey from feeling alienated to emotional engagement. It can help you be less defensive and more open. It can help you to see the dance of your communication pattern and change the steps. It can help you stop blaming and to see how you both make it hard for the other to be caring. You can learn to stop focusing on each other’s flaws and discover your own fears and longings. You can move from isolation to connectedness by learning how to speak from your heart.

We are passionate about and skilled with helping couples to repair and strengthen their relationship by utilizing techniques from evidence-based practices such as Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy and the Gottman Method. These techniques help get to the heart of the matter to increase relationship satisfaction and heal emotional injuries that may have occurred throughout the relationship or as a result of previous trauma. Individual therapy for each partner is also recommended as best practice for helping each person to work through their personal traumas.

Couples work is unique and interesting. What a lot of people don't understand it that of course you have different viewpoints - you are in different bodies, have different life experiences and are actually looking at different views! Many times the problem is simply communication: no matter how many times you tell your partner what you need, they just don't hear it. That is where I come in- helping people to get heard and also to hear clearly! In this way there can be a softening and a coming together, with both partners feeling loved and understood. You don't have to continue fighting, and counseling doesn't mean you failed. It is a gift you give your relationship to help nurture it.

Let me guess. One partner feels alone and like they don't matter and the other feels they are always being criticized and can't get anything right. The more one asks for the other to show up, the more the partner disappears physically and emotionally. You both bicker and fight and the idea of sitting and just hanging out seems elusive, if not impossible. Something like this? Often we crave connection but are blocked by the pain and the history that gets in the way. Small fights about little things become battles that highlight our struggle to have our basic relational needs met. I can help you get under the bickering to the parts crying out for connection- to an enriching relationship.

I use many different therapeutic approaches in my work with couples, including my training in the work of Drs. John and Julie Gottman, and the work of Dr. Sue Johnson (Emotionally Focused Couples Counseling). I help couples improve communication, reduce conflict and argument, increase commitment and passion, heal from infidelity and other breaches of trust, and reach better understanding on financial, sexual, child-raising and discipline, and blended family issues.

Working with couples is the reason I first decided to become a therapist. A majority of my caseload consists of couples. In my approach, I help couples establish or re-establish a connection with each other, and change the environment of their relationship. I don't find it helpful to focus on specific issues that drive fights. Rather, I will help you understand the process working beneath the surface. This process has kept you locked in one dance. The good news is that either one of you can choose to change that dance!

The frustration of feeling misunderstood by a partner can lead to intense emotions and disconnection. In our sessions, will work together to increase awareness of your needs and dig deep to understand where those needs come from. Through that deeper understanding of yourself and your partner, intimacy and connection feels more natural and safe. As your therapist, I will help you communicate in ways you each can hear and strive to provide a safe, non-judgemental space where couples can share honestly and openly.

Couples counseling with me is a safe, inviting space to deepen your connection, resolve conflicts, and strengthen your bond. I bring a warm, modern approach that focuses on understanding each partner’s unique needs while fostering open communication and trust. Whether you’re navigating challenges or simply seeking to enrich your relationship, I’ll guide you with compassion and tailored strategies to rebuild harmony and intimacy. Together, we’ll create a roadmap for growth and connection that feels authentic and meaningful.