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

Being part of a couple can be challenging. Couples counseling helps couples learn and implement relationship enhancing skills allowing for healthier and more satisfying relationships. Wouldn't it be nice to have that "spark" back in your relationship? Or maybe just a civil conversation? Whatever your goal may be, couples counseling can help give you the skills desired.

Couples come in all sorts of configurations, from Mommy/baby, to employer/employee, to parent/child/adoles. and of course husbands/partners/wives. Each of these couples are tremendously intimate and are often the very place we act out, feel grave disappointments and experiences some of our highest joys. This can be an optimum place of growth for both participants. It takes courage, honesty and a willingness to look inward and outward.

My doctoral research was on the difference between intense/compelling & secure/comfortable romantic love experiences and I have been studying love for the past 35 years. I taught the Interpersonal Attraction/Romantic Love course at Chapman University, along with Human Sexuality & Sexual Disorders & Treatment. I am certified in Gottman Method Couples therapy, as an ASL (Gottman) Workshop Leader, and a Gottman Method Level I Teacher. I also have trained in Emotion-Focused, Imago, and Voice Dialogue approaches to give couples in relationships of all kinds the best help available in making troubled relationships good and good relationships even better.

I specialize in couples and marriage counseling. My approach is based on recent research in marriage science showing what habits successful couples have that other do not. My approach is skills based and practical, teaching both of you how to communicate more effectively, how to understand each other, how to decide what is changeable and what is not in your relationship, how to deal with perpetual issues,on which you may be deadlocked, and different ways to view issues and problems in your relationship to reduce conflict. I also help you identify what is working in your relationship, (or what used to work) so that we can build on the positive.

The general goal is to reduce conflict and increase intimacy. In the safety of therapy, and with a trained professional as a third party, you each will have the opportunity to learn about yourself in depth, in addition to gaining insights into the complex dynamics of your relationship. The increasing of knowledge, communication skills, and relational tools can combine to create the intimacy and connection that is so necessary in marriage.

I work with couples to help them deal with and process the challenges of intimate relationships. I help to facilitate greater communication, understanding, and mutual respect. By opening channels of greater understanding within the context of the clinical hour, couples are encouraged to take what they learn in session, irrespective of what the specific relational concerns are. Sometimes this can encourage a new way of being together and sometimes this can mean having a greater awareness of one another as individual people.

Are you and your partner constantly in conflict? Do you find that an argument about a seemingly silly issue often escalates into a full-blown fight? Are you tired of leading two separate lives? Do your differing views on money, sex and life feel insurmountable? Couples therapy can help. No matter what the issue, relationship counseling should not be about partner bashing. Couples therapy provides a safe place for you and your partner to improve communication and decrease reactivity. Couples therapy can help you reconnect with your partner and help you discover how to choose each other first. Call for a free phone consultation today.

What are the most common couples' issues? If you are thinking "communication, conflict, sex, money, child rearing" you are correct. However, most therapists will go after the symptom on each side of the couple fence thinking that the way to effective change is by getting each party to "work" on their respective "issue". Many times the parties don’t agree but comply. Imagine if you could align the unconscious brains of a couple and stop the "working on your issues" part that has become so popular in therapy settings? Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com to learn how! Or call 877-606-6161. DR. FLEMING'S NEW RELATIONSHIP/COUPLES INTENSIVES. www.kevinflemingphd.com/marriage-couples-retreats.php

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.

We work with couples who are struggling in their relationship because of problems that may include finances, communication, sex, kids, in-laws, abuse, boundaries, respect, roles, job stress, and infidelity. We also work individually with each member of the couple, as sometimes there are issues that are best discussed or explored separately. Our clients learn a different, more loving and accepting model of communication so that they can more fully enjoy their relationship without unnecessary frustration.

Being understood and respected is the foundation for a healthy and loving relationship. This can happen when we decide to truly listen to each other. As Author Dr. David Augsburger puts it “Being listened to is so close to being loved that most people cannot tell the difference.” If you'd like to repair your relationship and move toward growth and healing then please call me for a free consultation at 714-326-6578

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. While I work with all couples, I specialize in working with neuro-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!

In my Couples Counseling work I help partners build on the strengths of their relationship while we work together to create new skills for communicating and solving problems. My approach is collaborative and I teach each partner to learn how to listen and hear what the other is expressing and needing as well as ways to be heard and understood better. I provide a safe place where difficult problems can be discussed and solutions explored and practiced so that couples can better resolve ongoing problems.

In a relationship that you feel is stuck where neither partner feels loved, heard, or validated? I can work with you to change unhealthy patterns, learn new ways of communicating, and build a loving relationship. We will work together to create a new relationship vision for the future, a shared vision. I want to help you find the love you want and deserve.

Even the best couples have long-term issues that they disagree about. Without communication, it is hard for even the most loving couples to last. I help couples take their conversations further in my office than they do at home. Eventually, you will learn to do it by yourself at home. I help couples learn to approach difficult subjects, discuss and resolve them. I help identifying hot spots, get more comfortable ways to communicate about them, learn to be more sensitive to each other, and perhaps more importantly, find your way through these conflicts so you can get on with the more satisfying, happy and enjoyable aspects of your lives together.

I have been helping couples heal their relationships for more than 29 years. Effective therapy includes developing a clear understanding of the different family "cultures" couples have been raised in, and a clear perspective of how early hurts and pain can be re-triggered by the current marital or couple relationship. Communication skills are essential for working through chronic or immediate pain a couple is experiencing together--and empathy for the each other's perspective is at the heart of those skills. It is also essential to know when a relationship has the potential to open up and grow, and when development together is no longer currently possible due to abuse or excessive hostility

Tired of not getting along? Feeling nagged or criticized? Not getting what you want? Feelings of distrust or jealousy cauing a problem? Through couples counseling, we want to help you have more closeness and intimacy...respectful communication where you are truly heard...and a shared purpose for your life and your relationship. You don’t have to go through this alone. Couples counseling or relationship counseling can help-whether you are married, living together, or dating. You can even come in by yourself if your mate won't come in with you. We at OC Relationship Center in Fullerton, CA. We want you to feel better and be happier. Please call or visit: http://OCRelationshipCenter.com

When you and your partner aren't getting along it can effect the way you feel about everything else in your life. Are you constantly arguing? Feeling lost, lonely, and frustrated? Are you longing for more of a connection? Don't let another day go by like this. I will help you learn to communicate better with each other. Together we will discover the underlying issues that are feuling your conflicts and work toward more harmony in your relationship. I will help you reach your goals for coming in as a couple. Let's get started right away!

Does your relationship need a check-up or overhaul? Maybe you are ready for marriage 2.0. The truth is that all relationships change and evolve as do the people in them. The key comes when you are able to change and grow together. In order to get on this track (or back on it) you may need some profession support and tools to clear away the dysfunction and poor habits that have been created in your relationship. When you work with me in couples therapy I will glean from many top researchers and professional to tailor the approach once I have gotten to know you both and determine the crux of the matter to help you become a better team or create marriage 2.0.

Most couples come in seeking better communication. I will work with you to communicate effectively and in a manner that is respectful and compassionate in regards to your significant other's own story. Together we will look at your style of connecting or not connecting with one another and work to increase connection. I also work successfully with many couples who experience infidelity and are seeking to re-build their relationship. Pre-marital counseling is available for couples who are thinking of marrying or on their way to the altar.

My goal is to help the couple learn how to love each other well. We work on learning how to express their needs and desires and also how to give to the other in the way that they need. I require homework assignments to develop intimacy and passion on a daily basis. We work on sexuality and physical closeness. Communication, anger management, roles and responsibiliteis are all addressed as needed. I am a nationally touring group counselor for New Life Ministries couple conventions. I have a hugs bag of tools and techniques as well as experience in leading couple retreats. Couples are my specialty.

I am dedicated to helping couples identify and change their negative patterns of interacting and other unhealthy self-defeating behaviors. I have been happily married for over 30 years - and I can give you tools you need to resolve the conflicts that are weighing down your relationship. Replace confrontation and criticism with a healing process of mutual growth and support. Let me help you enjoy a deeper level of intimacy and a greater level of emotional satisfaction. Call to schedule a free in-office 30 minute consultation today!

Couples have come to see me for a variety of reasons throughout the years, but I find that no matter what the presenting problem may be, being able to effectively communicate with each other is vital to restoring the relationship. Often couples have a completely different style of relating to one another and resolving conflict. I work with couples to better understand their partner and I help each person to communicate in a way that they can finally be heard. It doesn’t matter what you are fighting about if the other person can’t hear what you are saying. Call 714-751-0888 so I can help you express yourself more effectively so you can stop the fighting and start the healing process.

Couples and Marriage Counselor and Psychoanalyst Laura Adams PsyD MFT has private practices in Mission Viejo and Newport Beach CA. Dr. Adams has extensive experience working with couples in the areas of infidelity, affairs, trust, commitment, communications, raising kids, and blended families. Dr. Adams can be contacted at (949) 244-1992 or www.SouthOCTherapist.com

You may have high conflict in your relationship or just feel like you are "growing apart" from your partner. Couples counseling can help you and your partner communicate on a "level playing field." As a therapist, I meet with you and your partner at the same time; therefore providing both of you with the opportunity to communicate in a calm, safe environment. Finally, I do not "take sides" in your relationship. I am an advocate for you as a couple.