Great Couples Counseling in North East, MD. Therapy to heal relationships.

When couples have problems that they cannot fix, oftentimes they will turn to a therapist to help to sort things out. When a therapist works with a couple, it is the relationship that is the client; not the two people in the relationship. So, when working with a couple, the goal is to help them to understand what is not working in their relationship, and why, and also what to do to improve how they are doing the relationship.

Couples therapy can be like inviting someone into your “home,” the special relational zone that you share with your significant other. Teletherapy can offer further enrichment to the therapeutic process, in addition to convenience factors. I strive to maintain a neutral and gentle perspective, helping you each observe and better manage your relational patterns of communion or disconnect. I can adapt my style to help you learn and practice new ways to empathize with your partner’s perspective, communicate effectively, resolve conflict and enjoy healthy connected-ness. I use tools such as the Myers-Briggs temperament styles, IMAGO techniques, and the Prepare-Enrich assessment survey.

The most important thing in couples therapy is helping both people learn what they can do differently to transform negative patterns into a mutually respectful, loving relationship. When people learn to really listen to each other, communication improves. Understanding and compassion take the place of anger and resentment, transforming power struggles into mutual support. What a relief! I specialize in helping couples move beyond the crisis of infidelity to create a relationship that's better and stronger than ever. When this happens, trust is rebuilt and both partners gain confidence that they will never again suffer the pain of an affair

There are two most basic fears of intimacy that we all have: one is fear of abandonment, the other is fear of being taken over, of losing my autonomy. In a relationship, people often become polarized with one clinging and the other seeming distant. With awareness of our fears and how to take care of ourselves and each other, we will bring out the best in each other. Everyone knows how to speak and listen, right? Not so. The most difficult skills to learn are to speak self-responsibly about your own experience and to truly listen and understand the other person's experience even when you don't like it. To learn these skills enables love. I can help.