Couples Therapy

Are Communication Issues Threatening Your Relationship?

Have you and your significant other been arguing a lot lately? Have you tried approaching your partner, only to be discouraged that nothing changes? Maybe he or she pulls away or blames you for issues. Perhaps you feel like roommates instead of a romantic connection. Do you crave the bond you once had together, full of love and closeness? Or maybe you’re not able to identify the exact issue pulling you apart, but your relationship is floundering?

Feeling disconnected and at odds with your partner hurts. Maybe you’ve tried to work out your issues, only to feel stuck in the same endless cycle, where you both feel unheard. You want to feel special and a priority to your significant other. But the friction is leaving you doubtful, wondering whether there’s a way forward in your relationship.

Do you want help from a couples counseling expert, who knows how to revive your relationship? Are you ready to learn research-driven ways to connect with your partner and increase intimacy?

Relationship Woes Are Normal

Most couples struggle with relationship issues at some point. It’s unavoidable. Whether it’s having the same “here-we-go-again” argument or just feeling misunderstood by your partner, most couples experience bumps in the road. Couples may get stuck in negative cycles, unable to slow down and discover what’s really happening underneath. These relationship woes are normal. You are not alone.

Sometimes life circumstances, like daily stress or transitions, can trigger disagreements between partners. When life happens, couples might feel unprepared for how to deal with changes affecting their relationships. Partners need to learn new ways of communicating and connecting through relationship counseling.

The good news is that relationship problems can be tackled with proper professional help in couples therapy. You can create a happier, more fulfilling relationship, where both of you get your needs met. As a couple’s counselor, my role is not to do the work for you but to guide you in creating the relationship you desire.

Couples Therapy Can Revive Your Relationship

Hands shaping a heart, sun coming through

All couples endure challenges. To help you, I provide relationship expertise, personal experience, and over 18 years in the marriage counseling field. My clients describe me as affirming and gentle, while effectively getting to the heart of the matter. What’s my secret? I use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help you. EFT is the gold standard in treating couples.

Studies show that 70 to 75 percent of couples in EFT move from distress to recovery. About 90 percent demonstrate significant improvements.

Research proves that EFT is the most highly effective relationship counseling. Unlike other couples therapy, EFT reaches the root of issues causing relationship disruption. Additionally, Emotionally Focused Therapy is effective either in person or through telehealth couples counseling.

Maybe you feel distant from your significant other, like you’ve grown apart. I’m able to help you and your mate figure out what’s getting in the way of a successful connection. In couples therapy, I provide “post-game” analyses of conflict to uncover blocks in your relationship. When couples don’t get along, they usually don’t feel securely connected with one another, so they react with defensiveness, pulling away, criticism, clinginess, or demandingness. By shedding light on these predictable behaviors, we will start understanding the cycle that traps you both in disconnect. Once we know what’s happening, we can begin getting you unstuck from this vicious cycle, freeing your relationship—so it can blossom into something beautiful. There is hope. You can triumph over the cycle and create a happier union with effective relationship counseling.

I have achieved EFT certification, demonstrating mastery of Emotionally Focused Therapy. In Arizona, only a small number have achieved this certification. This certification qualifies me as a relationship expert in couples counseling. I’ve participated in countless hours of rigorous training and supervision, having my work observed and critiqued. I continue to train regularly to maintain high-quality couples counseling skills. Many therapists apply the same skills for couples that they use for individual clients. Getting specialized couples therapy from an expert is important for effective results.

Emotionally Focused Therapy is a proven, empirically validated couples therapy based on over 30 years of research into attachment bonds. The parent-child bond is just as powerful as that between romantic partners, where partners can turn toward each other for mutual love, comfort, and support. EFT delves into your relationship on a deep, emotional level and transforms negative patterns into a secure bond. EFT couples therapy heals broken attachment bonds and creates positive, long-lasting changes. EFT is consistently proven the most effective couples therapy.

After EFT relationship counseling, many couples report feeling more securely attached and important to one another. Communication and conflict resolution become easier. Trust and intimacy deepen. EFT marriage counseling creates healing experiences and lasting change.

Whether your relationship issues happened weeks ago or years ago, I have the skills necessary to help you and your partner change, grow and heal. I offer both premarital counseling and marriage counseling for dating, engaged, or married couples. Together, we can create the happier, more fulfilling relationship that you desire.

Emotionally Focused Therapy can help you:

Feel emotionally connected and secure
Achieve better communication
Resolve arguments or hot topics
Increase physical intimacy and closeness
Mend hurt and build trust

But You May Still Have Questions or Concerns…

Are We Doomed If We Need Couples Therapy?

Absolutely not! All relationships struggle at times and can benefit from professional guidance. It’s normal for couples to get stuck in negative cycles or patterns. I use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help you get unstuck and create a healthy, secure bond. EFT is proven the most effective couples therapy and I am one of a few therapists in Arizona who is certified in EFT.

What If We Make Problems Worse?

While talking about problems in marriage counseling may feel scary, not talking about them can cause more significant issues. Problems can fester if unaddressed, eventually infecting the entire relationship dynamic. Couples therapy provides a safe, supportive environment to address issues and heal from them.

Why Relationship Counseling? Can’t We Fix Problems On Our Own?

Sometimes it’s hard to understand the exact problem when we are so deeply in it and entrenched in rigid patterns. A trained professional can see both sides of the issue, developing a clear picture of the problem and solution.

I’m Here For You

Whether you’re dating, engaged, or married, I’m passionate about working with motivated couples who are committed to creating stronger, healthier relationships. I offer in-person sessions in Phoenix, AZ, and telehealth couples counseling, as both are equally effective. Schedule today to start your healing journey.