What is Couples Counseling?

Couples Counseling is counseling which helps two people involved in a romantic relationship gain insight into the dynamics of their relationship, resolve conflict, and improve relationship satisfaction. Couples Counseling can be beneficial for any relationship, whether partners are straight, gay, mixed-race, young, old, dating, engaged, or married. Couples therapy or counseling can resolve a current problem experienced in the relationship, prevent the exacerbation of problems, or simply provide a “check-up” for a happy couple in a period of stress, transition, or looking to regain excitement or intimacy within the relationship.

How does Couples Counseling help?

Effective couples therapy helps people communicate more constructively, look at their problems differently, and stop the “blame game.” Clients learn to stop doing what doesn’t work and to do more of what does, within their relationship. It is not enough to simply stop fighting with your partner. Emotional avoidance can be just as, if not more, toxic to relationships because the message it communicates is “our relationship doesn’t matter.” Couples learn to stay connected with each other, unite against the difficult things in life, and increase intimacy.

During couple’s counseling:

• You’ll develop a love map.
• Identify patterns that help and hinder the ability to build intimacy.
• You’ll learn to identify your partner’s deepest longing.
• Turn complaints into an opportunity to give your partner what they need most. And experience this being reciprocated.
• Own and change the patterns that simply do not work.
• Learn to be honest and genuine, vulnerable, and create sacred space.

Jennifer has experience helping couples get back on track.

Jennifer is a Gottman-Trained Level One Counselor. This means she studied with John & Julie Gottman to learn the most effective methods for positive outcomes in romantic relationships based on almost 50 years of research on couples and their communication. In addition to a Master’s degree in Family and Marriage Counseling, she has over a decade of working with couples for stronger relationships. Many couples come to counseling with Jennifer when they hit a hard bump in the road of their relationship and continue to “check-in” occasionally to maintain their high level of satisfaction and happiness. Jennifer says,” I help individuals and couples who are discouraged with their relationships to communicate clearly and develop more intimate connection. I have seen couples move from barely speaking to each other to the deepest connection of their lives. My purpose is to assist everyone seeking relationship counseling to experience increased closeness and satisfaction in their relationship.”

No matter what issues you are struggling with in your relationship, Jennifer can help.

Some of the most common issues couples bring to counseling include concerns about money, sex, parenting, infidelity, in-laws, health issues, infertility, substance use, emotional distance, and frequent conflict. No matter what issues you may bring, Jennifer will help you recognize the strengths in your relationship and build resilience for dealing with conflict. You will learn how to “turn toward” each other more frequently, rather than “turning away” or “turning against.” This builds connection, trust, and intimacy. Jennifer uses her “Get Over It” methodology, informed by Brene Brown’s pioneering research on vulnerability and John Gottman’s long-term (45+ year) study of couples’ communication to provide research-based strategies and results. Clients learn to build a culture of appreciation, take responsibility, and use a gentle start-up during conflict. They discover how to create sacred space within the relationship so that both people can feel safe being vulnerable and experience increased intimacy.

Whether your relationship is in distress, or you just have a few concerns, don’t suffer alone or “wait for it to get better.” Get on the path to getting more enjoyment out of your relationship. Contact Jennifer today – you can have a free 20 minute phone consultation and find out for yourself if you think her services would be a good fit for what you two are going through.