Certified Imago Relationship Therapist
For Couples:
Are you feeling misunderstood, alone or isolated even though you are in a relationship?
Do you find yourself arguing more about the same issues and getting nowhere?
Do you feel you are walking on egg shells or even scared around your partner? Or are you living in an atmosphere of icy coldness where silence often reigns?
Maybe you have thought about getting a divorce or separation and really don’t want to do this.
Perhaps you are worried that your children are noticing the tension and discord in your relationship.
For Individuals and Singles:
Have you been in relationships that ended in heartbreak and despair and wondered why they didn’t work out?
Are you wanting to be in a relationship but finding that you are afraid to pursue it beyond the initial stages?
Are you fearful of making a commitment because closeness scares you?
Do you find yourself committing too quickly and clinging too tightly, pushing away your partner in the process and making yourself overly dependent on the relationship?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, research suggests that relationship counseling can benefit you.
As your IMAGO therapist, I will help you understand how your brain and mind work in a relationship. This will help you understand anger, sadness, fear and hopelessness as well as joy, gratitude, and pleasure. I will help you form a more conscious, close and healthy relationship.
In our first session, I will teach you to have “safe conversations”. You will learn to eliminate blaming, shaming or criticizing your partner and you will also be able to share your feelings and your vulnerability. I will teach you to speak in a manner that allows you to be heard and understood. Additionally, I will help you to become a competent and focused listener who is able to hear your partner in a manner that promotes closeness and connection. I do this by using an Imago technique called Intentional Dialogue.
What You Can Expect From Me
• I will be open, caring, respectful and non-judgmental and I will honor your relationship.
• I will be on-time for appointments and I will provide a safe, confidential and comfortable space for you.
• Outcome: Although I cannot guarantee results I am aware that the most important predictor of successful individual or couple therapy is the relationship you share with me. You must like and be able to trust me in order for psychotherapy to be effective. From your first contact with me and throughout your first session, I invite you to evaluate me and determine how comfortable and trusting you feel with me.
• I must be a “good match” and if I am not, I will help you find another professional where this can happen. It is of utmost importance.
• I use a sliding fee scale and your fee is determined when you call to make your first appointment.
• My session for individuals and couples is 90 minutes long. It is not unusual for some couples to have 2-hour appointments; I have session charges, not hourly rates.
What I Expect From You
• I expect you to be on time for your appointments and to “show up” with an open mind and an open heart.
• If you need to cancel an appointment, I request 24 hours notice so you won’t be charged, unless it is an emergency.
• I expect you to pay for each session at the end of the session in cash or by check.
• I expect you to do assigned “homework” between sessions and I request that you keep handouts and homework assignments in a separate folder and bring this with you to each visit.
• Due to the nature of my office, I request that you remain in your car until I signal you to come to the door. It is helpful to me if you call when you arrive at your appointed time.
I look forward to discussing how we can work together, please call my office. You are also welcome to visit my website for more information about my therapy practice.