couples
My Approach
I work from a Humanistic and Solution Focused perspective, which means:
I see you both as whole, resourceful people—not problems to be fixed.
I hold a warm, non-judgmental space where each of you can share openly.
We focus on what’s already working in your relationship, and build from your strengths.
Sessions are purposeful and future-oriented: we clarify what you want to be different and move toward those changes together.
I also draw from two well-researched approaches to couples therapy:
Gottman Method – to help you understand and change unhelpful patterns of communication and conflict, deepen friendship and intimacy, and strengthen your shared “relationship house.”
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) – to get underneath repeated arguments and understand the deeper emotions and attachment needs driving them, so you can turn disconnection into closeness.
Together, these approaches support both practical skills (how you talk and listen) and emotional connection (how safe and loved you feel with each other).
Relationships are one of the most meaningful parts of our lives, and also one of the most challenging. Couples therapy offers a safe, structured space for you and your partner to slow down, be truly heard, and work together toward a healthier, more connected relationship.
Whether you’re feeling stuck in the same arguments, dealing with a breach of trust, or simply noticing more distance than you’d like, therapy can help you understand what’s happening between you and create new ways of relating to each other.
What Our Work Together Looks Like
While I tailor the process to each couple, therapy generally follows this kind of flow:
Initial Session – Understanding Your Story
We meet together to talk about what brings you in now, how your relationship began, and what you each hope will be different. I’ll ask questions to get to know your strengths as a couple as well as the places where you feel stuck.Clarifying Goals
We’ll identify clear, shared goals for our work. For example:“We want to communicate without it turning into a fight.”
“We want to rebuild trust and safety.”
“We want to feel closer and more like a team again.”
From a Solution Focused lens, we’ll also explore what life and your relationship might look like when things are better, and use that as our roadmap.
Mapping Your Patterns
Using elements of Gottman and EFT, we’ll gently explore:The repeated cycles you get caught in (“here we go again” moments)
The triggers that set those cycles off
The deeper feelings and needs underneath your reactions
The goal is not to find out who is “right” or “wrong,” but to understand the pattern you’re both stuck in—and then work together against the pattern, instead of against each other.
Building New Ways of Relating
In sessions, you’ll have the chance to:Practice new communication tools in real time
Learn ways to calm conflict before it spirals
Share emotions and needs more openly and safely
Rebuild trust and repair past hurts
Strengthen friendship, appreciation, and connection
I’ll support you in having conversations that may feel too hard or too emotional to have at home on your own.
Between-Session Practices
I often suggest small, manageable “home practices” based on Solution Focused and Gottman strategies—such as specific ways to check in with each other, appreciation exercises, or communication tools to try—so you can bring what you’re learning into daily life.Review and Next Steps
Throughout our work, we’ll pause to notice what’s improving, what still feels hard, and what adjustments we might make. As you begin to feel more confident in your connection and skills, we can space sessions out or move toward a natural ending, knowing you have tools to keep growing together.
Couples therapy is not about proving one person right and the other wrong. It’s about understanding, healing, and creating a relationship that feels more secure, respectful, and alive for both of you.