The ability to create and maintain loving and meaningful relationships is one of the most important factors is determining overall quality of life. When our relationships are healthy and rewarding, our level of happiness increases and we are more likely to live a balanced and satisfying life. Research tells us that committed relationships, partnerships, and marriage can be our greatest source of love, support, and happiness. When relationships are unhealthy, we experience pain and tension that can impact our work and our health, and make daily living a significant struggle. Many relationships start out strong, then fall apart as challenges appear and partners lack the skills to navigate the rougher waters of conflict.
Couples therapy is a type of relationship therapy that focuses on building and maintaining a healthy connection and partnership by strengthening relationship and conflict resolutions skills and the attachment bond. Therapy often includes sessions designed to improve problem solving, build communication skills, and identify life goals and relationship responsibilities. Other common issues include infidelity, financial problems, differences in parenting styles, difficulty managing life transitions, and anger.
My approach to working with you in couples therapy is to provide a warm, nonjudgmental space that ensures each partner is heard. My approach is empathic and collaborative while still holding partners accountable for actions they may have taken to harm the relationship. Each couple that I see in therapy has unique goals and needs, and my decades of experience in working with couples has helped me develop numerous therapeutic approaches to meet those specific needs.
Successful couples therapy helps clients:
- Improve communication so that each party feels heard, understood, and respected
- Rebuild your connection and help you remember the bond that initially brought you together
- Mediate goals and commitments
- Prevent resentment before it builds
- Assist you through major life changes and transitions
- Learn how to handle conflict without damage
- Identify personal needs and express them clearly and effectively
- Notice the often missed and less concrete ways a partner may be attempting to show love and affection
- Develop healthier problem-solving skills and learn to resolve conflict effectively
- Become aware of triggers and learn emotion regulation skills to manage intense feelings
- Create shared values, goals and dreams for the future
- Reduce defensiveness as a relational style in personal and professional relationships
- Express, disclose and resolve painful emotions, thoughts and feelings
- Work through unresolved issues and wounds from the past or family of origin complexities that surface now and are played out in current relationships
- Learn to develop greater tools for empathy and understanding
- Have more love, affection, and joy in your relationship
What follows are some common reasons people reach out for relationship help:
- You repeat destructive patterns and dynamics which leads to endless episodes of fighting and more relational wounds
- You have unhealed wounds from the past that are impacting your relationships now
- You have different views on how to handle money and large purchases
- You have a lack of physical and emotional intimacy
- You have trouble resolving conflicts and have communication problems
- You have a partner who is angry and resentful
- You have a partner who is depressed or anxious
- You have stress symptoms related to adjustments, life-transitions, change and challenges
- You need help repairing trust and healing from infidelity and betrayal
- You have discrepancies in your values, interests, or lifestyles
- Your partner engages in constant blame and an inability to forgive
- You have differences in parenting styles and commitment to family time
- You have waning chemistry and a lack of interest in your partner
- You or your partner have difficulty fully committing to the relationship
- You have conflict regarding how to handle in-laws and extended family
Are you ready for breakthrough in your life?
How to get in touch with me
The easiest way is to schedule your complimentary phone consultation with me through my online booking calendar, and I will call you at the designated time. No hassle, no phone tag, a time that is convenient to you and you speak directly with me.
Email: contact@drsusanspicer.com
Phone: 989-577-5950