Marriage and Couples Counseling

Marriage counseling is a sub-specialty of mine. Occasionally, couples treatment occurs after an individual comes to treatment alone to scope/scout out the therapist and report back to the partner at home. It works best when the initial request is for couples therapy, but it is not uncommon for conjoint therapy to proceed after a small number of individual therapy sessions with one partner of the couple. As long as both partners understand that they can choose any other therapist than continue with me if not satisfied with this ad hoc couples therapy arrangement, I have found that whichever way couples treatment continues, the couples treatment can be transitioned nicely from individual therapy with one partner.

Couples work can be extremely challenging, especially if the couple’s issues are long-standing, chronic, and/or intransigent. Similarly, when each person is engaged in a power struggle of sorts, see the partner as wrong and want the therapist to be the tie-breaking vote, the work is especially hard for everyone involved here. My goal is to advocate for the marriage by doing what is best for their relationship per se, and for the physical safety of each member. If it becomes clear that at least one of the individuals is taking a course that does not have the best needs of the relationship in mind, then I will work to assist each partner to get what he or she needs whether that be in the confines of couples therapy, or assisting a referral to an outside therapist.