Services
Fees
I am available to speak with you for 20-30 minutes without charge to answer questions and see if you are comfortable working with me. I offer a Sliding Fee Scale, based on need, when possible.
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$180 per session (50 minutes) of individual psychotherapy/counseling
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$200 per session (50 minutes) of family or couples psychotherapy/counseling
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Fees are collected at the time of service. Cash, checks, and credit cards can be used
I am considered an out-of-network provider on all insurance plans. That means clients pay the full fee directly to me at the time of service. I am happy to provide you a monthly invoice, if desired, which can then be submitted to your insurance carrier for any allowable reimbursement.
About Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
I choose to use Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy with my clients due to its proven research results and because it out-performs most other models of couples therapy. EFT is the only couples treatment approach with over two decades of research to indicate both immediate AND long-lasting results.
The research shows that with EFT:
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The majority of couples improve with treatment
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Couples who complete EFT treatment often do not relapse. Two years after ending therapy, couples who created a secure bond will still have it. In other words, you won’t need to return to couples therapy year after year. Most other forms of couples therapy cannot make this claim
Leading experts praise EFT:
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“EFT is one of the best documented, most substantive and well-researched approaches to couple therapy.” Alan S. Gurman, Ph.D., leading authority on the clinical practice of couple therapy
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EFT is “one of the few approaches to marital therapy that has been proven to be effective.” Jay Lebow, Ph.D., LMFT, ABPP, Past President, Division of Family Psychology, American Psychological Association
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The New York Times calls EFT “one of the most promising methods” of couples therapy
You can learn more about EFT research here. You might also find it informative to check-out the books by Dr. Sue Johnson, the creator of EFT: “Love Sense” or “Hold Me Tight”. If you are unsure if EFT is right for you, I am more than happy to provide a free introductory consultation to answer any questions you might have about EFT or couples counseling in general.
How long will EFT take?
How long EFT takes varies significantly from couple to couple. Some couples come in with a relatively strong bond (trust, love for each other) and have only one or two stuck places in their relationship. For these couples, short term treatment is generally enough (8-15 sessions). Other couples come in with major ruptures (an affair or other significant breach of trust), or with one person ready to end the relationship, or with a very strong or long-standing negative pattern that has greatly eroded the trust and safety in the relationship. These couples will understandably take longer to recover, as re-building trust and safety takes time (30+ sessions). I will do my best to set your expectations for therapy realistically, and you are always welcome to ask about prognosis and treatment timeframe at any point during our work.
Help for Couples
Are you longing for love and instead feeling alone, unappreciated, criticized, or like you “can’t ever get it right” with your partner?
You are not alone.
It is not uncommon to feel abandoned, rejected, misunderstood, or other painful emotions in a distressed relationship. And often, it seems that no matter what you do, you can’t resolve the arguments or eliminate the distance. You may have started to feel hopeless and may be having thoughts like “I have to do it all by myself,” or “Why bother? My partner can’t be satisfied.” You may be thinking there is something hopelessly broken in you or your partner. You might feel it is shameful that the two of you can’t make it work.
Many couples struggle to figure out how to repair their relationship when it’s gone off track.
Approximately 50% of first marriages end in divorce, with half those divorces occurring in the first 7 years. These facts support the idea that relationship struggles are normal. Maintaining a successful relationship is challenging and many couples get stuck. Additionally, research suggests that the problems couples face generally do not improve, and may get worse, without outside intervention.
Couples counseling that really works.
My approach to couples work involves using EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy), a scientifically proven method, through which you can:
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Fall in love again
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Rebuild trust, safety, and connection
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Understand what has kept you stuck, and find new ways to communicate and connect
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Finally be heard and appreciated by your partner
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Have a more satisfying sex life
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Heal the wounds of infidelity and find safety and love again
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Resolve even decades-long distance and fighting
Your relationship is worth investing in.
You probably intuitively know that a better marriage makes for a better life. Research indicates that those in happy relationships enjoy a number of benefits, such as better physical health, psychological well-being, and financial success. It is possible to deepen your sense of connection and safety in your relationship, leading to greater commitment and happiness. With counseling, you too can experience those “aha moments” where change happens. Real shifts can happen between you and your partner when you begin to see the relationship, your partner, and yourself in a whole new way.
Help for Individuals
Life probably feels like a struggle right now. You might be hard on yourself, thinking that there is something wrong with you – that somehow, you should be doing better than you are or that you should be able to hold everything together, regardless of how difficult things become.
If you are feeling stressed out, anxious, angry, down, numb, or just plain stuck, you have come to the right place. I work with a variety of clients, many of whom come to me because they:
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Feel empty and unsuccessful, despite the fact they’ve had some good successes in their life
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Struggle with anger or anxiety (worry, OCD, panic attacks) and want to get off the fear merry-go-round
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Want to understand why their relationships aren’t working and what they can do to make things better
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Want to stop feeling “not good enough” and unworthy
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Recognize that their efforts to fix the problem aren’t working
If you can relate to any of those statements, there is hope. Millions of people have helped themselves feel better and make lasting, important changes in their lives through counseling.
As your therapist, I can assist you in becoming clearer about what is getting in the way of your ideal life so that you can remove obstacles and change ineffective patterns or ways of thinking. Counseling can help strengthen your self-esteem, coping skills, and relationships.
What to expect
Our initial work is getting clear on what your goals are and what problems bring you to therapy. While this may seem obvious, having a clear and detailed working definition of your problem (what exactly is the problem, what happens, when does it happen, and what do you do) is an essential component that is too often missed.
In all sessions, I will carefully attend to what is happening in the moment (inside of you and between us). For example, how are you experiencing and conveying feelings? What is not being said or said indirectly? What patterns are emerging in your interactions with me that may also be prevalent in your life? To what extent and in what circumstances are you aware/unaware of your feelings? Are certain feelings more difficult for you than others? I have experience and training in varied techniques to explore and address feelings, belief systems, relationship patterns, and behaviors which often become barriers to peace of mind and well-being, and may be keeping you from experiencing a healthier, fuller, and more rewarding life.
I will share my observations in real-time, with the intent of helping you self-observe. My observations could be inaccurate and you can tell me what I missed or misinterpreted. You may or may not like what I say and I welcome your feedback as well. We can learn about you very quickly by observing together how you handle your feelings and interactions with me, which is most likely how you handle the same feelings and interactions outside of therapy. This focused immediate experiential component can be essential to getting to the bottom of problems and shortening the duration of therapy.
Individual clients say that thanks to therapy they:
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deal more effectively with life’s ups and downs
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feel more at ease and experience greater peace of mind
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have useful tools to deal with their thoughts and feelings
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found relief from feelings of anger, anxiety, or depression
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improved self-esteem and self-understanding
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make better choices in relationships
Together, we can identify what is getting in the way of living the life you want and address those issues. Our shared process can help you make desired changes and ultimately transform your life.
Why not start your journey today?
If you are unsure whether to pursue therapy or wondering if I might be the right therapist for you, I can provide a brief phone consultation to answer any questions you might have and to make the process of starting therapy a little easier. This is essentially a get-to-know-your-neighbor session as opposed to actual therapy or counseling. You can ask me questions about my background, training, approach, or anything else that is important to you. This also allows me to determine whether your specific issues and concerns fall within my range of expertise.
Premarital Help
Fireproof your relationship.
Do you want to make sure that your relationship can stand the test of time? Do you want to make sure you have a fulfilling, close relationship? Are you willing to spend some time and effort to make sure that happens? Have you explored such topics as faith, values, money, vulnerability, flexibility, rigidity, life goals, sex, whether or not to have children and the ways you might parent or discipline, things which may concern you about your partner, or beliefs about what makes for a good relationship?
Did you know that researchers are 90% accurate in predicting which engaged couples will end up divorced?
Does this mean your relationship might be doomed no matter what? Of course not. Counseling can help you assess your relationship and learn the skills that will ensure you and your partner stay happy.
Couples who struggle to communicate when difficult topics come up are at the highest risk of divorce. The negative behaviors that come with conflict or avoiding conflict eat away at the positive feelings and behaviors in relationships. Over time, couples shift from trying to understand each other to withdrawing from the relationship, defending their own point of view, or blaming their partner. When these negative behaviors become chronic, they lead to distress and divorce. This can be prevented – and the earlier you seek help, the better.
You and your partner can learn how to be the best partner to each other.
You can develop skills that ensure you can:
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Keep your trust and connection strong
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Communicate and connect on even the most difficult issues
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Find understanding and common ground on hot-topics, such as money, faith, sex, extended family
Arguing happens in even the happiest of marriages. It is how you argue, and whether the argument gets resolved, that matters.
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” – Lao Tzu
You probably intuitively know that a better relationship makes for a better life. Research indicates that those in happy relationships enjoy many benefits, such as better physical health, psychological well-being, and financial success.
It is possible to deepen your sense of connection and safety in your relationship, leading to greater commitment and happiness. With my help, you too can experience those “aha moments” where change happens. Real shifts can happen between you and your partner when you begin to see the relationship, your partner, and yourself in a whole new way.
Couples say that thanks to counseling they:
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have a greater awareness of their partner’s and their own emotional experience and, their relationship is better than ever
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found even greater joy and closeness
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made changes they could not have made on their own
An ounce of prevention, or a pound of cure?
There’s nothing wrong with you for seeking out premarital counseling. It is much easier to change relationship patterns before they have become a major problem and many couples can benefit from preventative help. Approximately 50% of first marriages end in divorce, with half those divorces occurring in the first 7 years. So it’s clear – maintaining a happy relationship is difficult for many couples.
Don’t assume a great relationship is a natural occurrence that doesn’t take effort. All the things we value represent and require some form of outlay or sacrifice. Make your relationship a priority and give it as much, if not more, attention than you would your education, your career, or any major decision. If you take your most prized relationship for granted, you risk undermining it with ambivalence, animosity, and emotional detachment.
I choose to use a scientifically proven method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), with my clients because of its proven research results. It really works.
If you are unsure if EFT is right for you, I am more than happy to provide a free introductory consultation to answer any questions you might have about EFT or couples counseling in general.