"Each contact with a human being is so rare, so precious, one should preserve it." Anais Nin.

Couples Therapy and Counseling

Are you and your partner uncertain whether to commit? 
Tired of the same repetitive argument?
Feeling judged, misunderstood, stuck, angry, hurt, lonely, or disappointed?
Wanting to regain passion?
  
Couples come to therapy for a variety of reasons, including:

Commitment:  Taking the next step in a relationship, such as moving in, deciding to marry/commit as partners can raise questions and fears.  Therapy creates a place to explore each person's expectations and open up communication about differences, issues like finances, work, roles, and relationship to each other's families, and to express hopes and make plans. 

Transitions:  Sometimes, despite a solid relationship, you need help getting through a period of change.  Or stresses such as relocation, career change, illness, deaths, a child leaving home, or other difficulties have brought your relationship to a hard place of fighting or disconnection.         

Communication: Relationships can get stuck in dead-end patterns of conflict and withdrawal, where each person feels misunderstood or hurt.  And if you come from different family backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, or religions, you may approach things differently.  But with help, you can learn to work through differences, and feel deeply loved and connected to each other.  

Couples therapy helps partners:

• Heal current and past relationship hurts, disappointments, and betrayals.
• Develop communication skills so you each feel heard and understood.
• Reclaim passion, sex, and playfulness.
• Learn how to turn toward each other, rather than away.
• Rebuild trust that you can rely on each other in times of need.
• Feel more loved and loving. 

In my work with couples, I take an active, collaborative stance.  My goal is to support both of you to express yourselves in ways the other can hear, learn to shift out of old patterns that create distance, and develop a sense that you can rely on each other.  

I've trained in several models of couples therapy, which I use as needed, and primarily use EFT, Emotionally Focused Therapy, which has been found by research to be highly effective.  

I work with couples of all sexual orientations: heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and bisexual.

Schedule a consultation: Let me help your relationship.  (510) 654-7560
                                                                                  chanawilson@comcast.net