Great Couples Counseling in Lake Arrowhead, CA. Therapy to heal relationships.

I have had very good results with couples therapy, especially when both have been willing to make the necessary changes. Even if only one is willing to make the needed changes, those changes will often influence the other to also change. I help couples to develop their communication skills, and put more emphasis on resolving conflicts than on avoiding conflicts. Couples will also develop the ability to validate each others feelings, which brings about emotional closeness.

Are you a Christian Couple struggling just to stay together? Does the day you said “I do” seem so far away and like a dream? Are you often sad and worried about your relationship and what’s going to happen? Have you or your spouse cheated? Are you tired of crying and being stressed out? Are you struggling with where God is in all of this? Sometimes the stress of life, parenting, or money can get in the way of being the best possible couple. I work with you to help restore the relationship from wherever it has been (cheating, poor communication, anger) and rebuild something better and healthier. I’m someone that shares your faith and can help you while respecting your values.

Let me guess. One partner feels alone and like they don't matter and the other feels they are always being criticized and can't get anything right. The more one asks for the other to show up, the more the partner disappears physically and emotionally. You both bicker and fight and the idea of sitting and just hanging out seems elusive, if not impossible. Something like this? Often we crave connection but are blocked by the pain and the history that gets in the way. Small fights about little things become battles that highlight our struggle to have our basic relational needs met. I can help you get under the bickering to the parts crying out for connection- to an enriching relationship.

Discover how you can go from rejected to connected! Did you know the reactivity you experience is not your fault? (This is one of the main things that causes fights and arguments. It's when you feel out of control, & it leads to doing or saying things you regret, impulsivity, & leads to hurt & separation). I show couples how they can reduce the personal & relational reactivity they experience & increase feeling peaceful, calm, understood, validated, safe, accepted, & connected. I help couples discover their attachment strategies (how we feel safe & get our needs met). This is necessary in order to create lasting improvement, safety, trust, understanding, & connection, in your relationship.

Without conflict, couples do not achieve intimacy. The challenge is helping you and your partner learn how to have healthy conflict that leads to intimacy, rather than destructive conflict that destroys the relationship. I specialize in working with affairs and broken trust, abgtneuro-diverse couples. I usually start with helping you learn ground rules for being able to have safe, constructive, healthy conflict to reduce and eliminate destructive relational patterns. I also use Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) to help you reconnect, learn healthy communication skills, rekindle the flame that you once had, and start talking to each other again. If you are willing to work, I am here for you

Why do we seem to have the same arguments over and over again? How do I know if we are really supposed to be together? Are there things we could be doing to better support each other, to help each other grow and be our best selves? If we really love each other, why do we so often hurt each other? How do I know if this is real love, anyway? Relationships are hard. Even more than desire, they require effort and understanding to make them work. Often, even if two people really love each other, one or both may need help to maintain the right effort or understanding to keep the balance necessary for long-term success. Having outside, objective support can make all the difference.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist I am a relationship expert and delight in helping couples to see past their differences to their desire to make their relationship a safe and enjoyable place. I am trained in Emotionally Focused Couples' Therapy (EFT.) Of all the currently used theories regarding couples' therapy, EFT has the best outcomes for couples with 7:10 couples showing improvement over a three-year period.

I see clients in relationships of all kinds. Whether you are in a poly relationship, you practice non-monogamy, or if you are in a traditional marriage, you are in the right place. I offer a non-judgmental space where we work as a team to improve communication, develop connection and understanding, and use real tools to better your relationship. I am more than a mediator-- I help each person communicate their true thoughts and true needs without conflict. Do you have intimacy issues and need sex therapy? I provide that service as well. Sex is part of every relationship and should always be a priority. Physical intimacy is vital and I can help you make improvements that stick over time.

FREE 30 zoom call - text/call 510-335-5222. Couples therapy lights me up! Not feeling heard, understood, valued or supported? Toxic conflict? Withdrawing? Longing for help? Utilizing research-backed EFT & powerful tools from PACT, NVC, & IFS, I help couples create a secure bond & safe haven with each other. You'll learn to trust, support, hear & "be there" for each other. Discover your attachment styles & learn about the brain & nervous system, survival parts and trauma that may be damaging your relationship. Develop self-awareness, accountabiity & WE instead of just ME mentality. Turn towards each other instead of away with authenticity, compassion, attunement & understanding.

Relationships take hard work and are always growing. Perhaps your relationship just needs a 'tune-up' or maybe problems cause both of you to suffer greatly. It can feel intimidating to let another person see your personal lives, but I've seen even couples on the brink of divorce turn things around and be happy again. Why wait when you could be enjoying your marriage? Anyone can do it, but its much easier when you act sooner than later. For a limited time, I am offering a free introductory session for those couples who take the comprehensive relationship assessment, Prepare-Enrich. This relationship assessment shows your strengths as well as areas for growth that we can work on together.