Couples in early seasons of marriage often arrive to therapy holding a lot of love for each other, and for that reason, feel confused and overwhelmed by the intensifying conflict, lack of connection in intimacy, or difficulty adjusting to life’s changes as they get married, change jobs, have kids, move, etc.

Couples I work with want to feel more connected and confident about their ability to connect through all of life’s seasons and are ready to adapt a new framework of conflict to make it happen.

In Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), you will:

• increase insight to yourself & your partner, so that you both understand what’s actually happening in conflict

• recognize and own your go-to coping behaviors and the impact they have on your conflict

• address the fears, beliefs, and/or experiences that block you from connecting on a deeper emotional level

• and practice taking the risk of really, truly connecting with each other about your needs and emotions

Sessions will be spent slowing down your conversations to notice and understand the common conflict cycles you get stuck in.

I’ll help you dive deeper into connection with yourself to understand the emotions and needs that really deserve attention during conflict so that you can share these with your partner. We’ll pay attention to stories and beliefs that influence how you engage with each other — things you may have taken from your family growing up, from larger society, or specific experiences that have formed your perspective on the world and relationships.

Ultimately, we’ll practice — in session — turning toward each other, holding difficult emotion together, and building the safety to go to vulnerable emotion instead of protective coping mechanisms that keep you stuck in loops of conflict.