Reconnect, Communicate, and Thrive in Parenthood Together
COUPLES Therapy
Parenthood will stretch your relationship to its limits.
And sometimes beyond.
With all the demands of work and family, it may feel impossible to attend to each other and keep your connection afloat.
You set out on this journey together. A team ready to become a family. You felt love, support, excitement and connection.
But things have changed.
Now you feel like ships passing in the night.
You have different views on parenting.
You argue in front of the kids.
One of you is carrying too much of the mental load.
One of you feels like you’re growing and evolving and your partner is lagging behind.
You wonder if you’re even compatible.
You worry you’re repeating your parents' relationship patterns.
And everyone feels unseen, misunderstood, disappointed, alone and unappreciated.
There is a path back to connection.
To improved communication. To a deeper understanding of each other and the collective dynamics between you.
To feeling loved, supported, and like you’re in this together. To growing side by side, and keeping pace with each other as the world around you move full steam ahead.
How It Works
Are you seeking to:
Improve your coparenting partnership
Rebuild your trust and intimacy
Rebalance the labor and invisible work of parenting and family management
Create a new foundation to sustain you through this phase of your life together
Learn communication skills to navigate conflict
Become better equipped to respond to each other’s needs
My approach to couples therapy is an integrative approach that incorporates Relational Psychotherapy, EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy), CBT and mindfulness modalities to support couples in building insight, compassion, agency, practices and skills.
What worked for your relationship before kids may not hold up to the demands and responsibilities that come with parenthood. With the right guidance, skills and insight your relationship can adapt, allowing you to thrive together now and grow together in the chapters yet to come.
What You Can Expect
Initial Sessions
My intake process for couples is a series of 3 sessions: 1 joint session and 2 individual sessions.
We will meet collectively to explore the current dynamics of your relationship and identify your goals for couples therapy.
In individual sessions, I will explore deeper the individual experience of the relationship, individual needs and goals for the relationship, as well as individual medical and mental health histories, and individual family and relationship histories.
Understanding the Self and the Other
Going forward, sessions will be held jointly.
During this phase of treatment, we will spend significant time building awareness into each individual’s patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving in the relationship as well as the role these underlying influences have on your interactions with each other.
We will also explore how each of your individual histories and social and cultural influences may be shaping your inner experiences of each other and reactions to one another.
This phase is a period of discovery, where each partner is encouraged to learn about and build compassion for both the self and the other.
Building Skills and Applying Insight
In conjunction with this learning is the teaching and practice of new communication and emotional regulation skills, and relationship supportive practices.
Integrating new tools and behaviors will leave you equipped to leverage your insight into tangible actions that support achievement of your relationship goals.
A New Rhythm
As momentum builds, you and your partner begin to see the benefits of your new rhythm. You will begin to see yourselves move through day to day challenges with a new perspective, mindset, and skillset and most importantly, with more collaboration and positive regard for each other.
In time, you will build a deep confidence in your ability to work together and stay connected as you move together through the ups and downs of parenting, and life.
Common issues I help couples with:
Communication challenges
Disconnection
Lack of physical and/or emotional intimacy
Navigating extended family dynamics
Establishing a new foundation for the relationship in the transition to parenthood
Major family transitions like: new baby, separation, blended family, empty nest
Disagreements about parenting styles, discipline or family values
Imbalances in parenting, household work, and invisible labor
Differences around expectations of roles and responsibilities
Conflict Resolution
Let’s Get Started
Take the first step toward a healthier, more connected relationship. Together, we can identify patterns, strengthen your bond, and create the partnership you both want and deserve.