Couples Counseling & Attachement Therapy
Whether you are seeking therapy for you and your partner, or you are an individual in a relationship needing an objective person to gain insight from, I am here to help. I work with many couples facing attachment insecurity and anxiety, as well as those who have just been through a stressful life phase such as having a baby, facing grief, or trying to understand each other better once empty nesters. It is common for couples to have difficulty seeing eye to eye in certain periods of life, and it is my goal to help you rekindle the spark and understanding that you once built your relationship from. And for some couples, successful couples therapy may look more like separating in a way that is respectful and peaceful. If that is the case for you, I will also help you with that. I specialize in using attachment theory, as well as some emotionally focused therapy and relational life therapy.
Attachment Theory is based on how we show up within relationships with differing attachmentstyles, which include anxious attachment: intense anxiety about losing their connection, fear of conflict, and doing whatever one can to feel close and safe again with their partner, avoidant attachment: those who withdraw from their partner to avoid becoming hurt, fearful-avoidant: those who flip flop between anxious and avoidant depending on the phase of the relationship and what is triggering them, and lastly, secure: those who are able to connect with a partner without excessive fear or insecurity coming in, and are able to meet the anxious or avoidant needs of their partner peacefully.
Emotionally Focused Couple’s Therapy is a therapeutic modality in which the negative interaction cycles are identified, deep emotions within the dynamic are labeled, new emotional dynamics are made, and new patterns of connection are reinforced. This is an evidence based modality that also relies heavily on attachment theory.
Relational Life Therapy similarly looks to identify patterns and then works to heal the deeper relational or historical trauma within each partner. There is an emphasis on creating safer communication dynamics and has guidelines that are incredibly helpful for many couples.