Like family therapy, couples therapy is complex. It is valuable to acknowledge that couples do many things together to solve problems and are resourceful in their pursuit. The benefit from outside support in couples therapy including information gained in therapy, time to discuss issues combined with personal study can go far to create lasting change, which is why we encourage self study outside of therapy sessions.

Couples therapy that is tailored to your relationship

We have more than one therapeutic approach we use in couples counseling. Gottman Method Relationship Therapy is a resource we use that revolves around a detailed assessment of the couple’s perspectives about their relationship. The therapist takes time to observe the couple in problem solving conversations or providing historical information to learn the ways they discuss and interact with one another around issues. Systemic family therapy (SFT), explores interactional patterns and interventions that have contributed to maintaining problems, not solving them, as well as the impacts from outside influences or people as contributing factors to ongoing conflict.

Identifying the causes of conflict and creating new solutions

Ongoing assessment is essential to help couples identify what contributes to conflict. Individual family-of- origin beliefs, and how those cultural beliefs are impacting the couple, can be invaluable in understanding the reasons for feeling reactive with one another. Identifying life dreams that undergird conflict can bring about increased empathy and lead to a desire to help one another. Negative and repeating patterns of behavior, unmet needs, useful or destructive styles of communication, attachment styles, emotional themes, and understanding the role of childhood injuries in relationships are all examples of issues couples deal with in the life of their relationship.

In therapy, curiosity about each other and receptivity to new solutions can bring about effective new interactional patterns.