MARRIAGE COUNSELING & COUPLES THERAPY
Whether you are married, newly committed, dating, or somewhere in between, intimate relationships are a huge part of our daily lives and it takes time and energy to keep them healthy and strong.
Just like you wouldn’t wait to repair problems or cracks in the foundation of your home, you take the time to inspect it, educate yourself, and even enlist outside assistance when needed to protect your home, your relationship requires that same level of care and attention to weather the tests of time and continue to grow in its surrounding environment.
Love and relationships are complex. Even the best relationships go through rough patches, and may need a little guidance to get back on track. But, did you know that the vast majority of counselors actually receive very little training and experience treating couples? My license and training is in Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT). Over the years, I have gained extensive, specialized graduate and post graduate training to work effectively with couple and family relationships; helping couples to repair and strengthen their bonds to enable them to greet life's difficulties as a team. Learn more about the field of Marriage and Family Therapy (FAQ's)...
Perhaps, things between you and your partner are going pretty good right now, but you're feeling a little unsure about where your relationship is headed. Maybe, you're concerned about whether or not you can rekindle a seemingly lost connection; you’re feeling stuck and don't know the best course of action to take. Or perhaps, this concern has been building for quite some time, and counseling is you and your partner's last ditch effort to save your relationship. Whatever emotions have brought you here, you're not alone. Relationships are what we do.
Even when the foundation of your marriage or relationship has been shaken by an affair or betrayal of trust, if both partners are committed and willing to take the steps and time needed to heal and rebuild a stronger foundation together, it is possible to recover and mend their broken connection. (If this applies to you, click here to learn more about our affair recovery services)
Life is messy. Even the best relationships feel confusing and stressful at times. But if both partners are willing to do the work to gain a better understanding of themselves, take inventory of their relationship’s strengths and weaknesses, and are open to learning better ways of communicating and dealing with conflict, we have often found they are able to not only move forward, but come out of therapy as a happier, stronger team.
Common issues that bring couples to therapy include:
Communication & Conflict Resolution
Differing ideas / Expectations concerning things such as:
Relationship / Marriage
Roles in the Household
Quality Time Together
In-Laws & Family of Origin Issues
Finances
Religion / Spiritual Beliefs
Parenting
Social Relationships
Dealing with life transitions as a couple—i.e. moving, birth of a child, career change, becoming an “empty nester,” etc.
Coping with grief / loss
So, if any of these issues sound familiar to you, and you and your partner are ready to make a change. I am here to help.
“Happily ever after is not a fairytale, it’s a choice.” – Fawn Weaver
Frequently Asked Questions- Couples Therapy / Marriage Counseling
What is the focus of Couples Therapy / Marriage Counseling? Is it different from other types of counseling?
Couples Therapy / Marriage Counseling is a specific concentration within the field of mental health counseling. Couples Therapy focuses on helping partners gain a greater understanding of existing relationship patterns and learn relationship building skills designed to improve communication and help them to reconnect. The process may involve a combination of conjoint sessions and individual sessions, depending on the approach being used.
Love and relationships are complex. We recommend you take care in who you trust to guide you through your relationship challenges, as couples therapy does require it’s own specific skills set. Similarly to the way in which you would not want a general physician to perform your open-heart surgery, it is important to find a licensed professional that has been specifically trained to work with couples. To be effective, the therapist you choose should be well-versed in using evidenced-based couples therapy approaches, rather than relying solely on individual counseling methods, life experience, or personal opinion to guide their thinking.
The biggest challenge in couples therapy is that the therapist must be able to hold and attend to each partner’s perspective (often vastly different from one another), while challenging each person to acknowledge their own role within the larger system. Rather than assigning blame to one partner over the other, the focus is on helping the couple understand their patterns of interaction and the cycle that takes place within their relationship, while providing each partner with helpful relationship building strategies and tools.
NOTE: Lisa Neuhart,MS, LMFT, CART specializes in both Couples Therapy and Sex Therapy and has received extensive graduate & post-graduate training to work effectively in both areas.
Click the link below to learn more about Lisa's qualifications & other couples therapy services available at Neuhart New Hope Counseling:
Meet the Therapist- Lisa Neuhart, MS, LMFT, CART
Infidelity / Affair Recovery — Sex Therapy — Premarital Counseling
Can I come to therapy on my own to deal with my relationship / marital concerns?
Absolutely! We are happy to help both individuals and couples with relationship and sexual health concerns, as well as a variety of other personal challenges. — Individual Therapy Services
Even if your partner is hesitant to join you in couples therapy / marriage counseling, we are happy to work with you on these concerns to help you gain a greater understanding of yourself, while learning better communication strategies and relationship building skills. While you can’t force your partner to change, you can set the stage for the possibility of more positive interactions and re-connection with your partner to take place.
