Great Couples Counseling in Lakewood, IL. Therapy to heal relationships.

My approach to couples therapy is to help the individuals in the couple identify what they want in the relationship, how to express this to their partner is a positive noncritical or not threatening manner, and then help them develop the tools to use to negotiate until they are both happy. Of course the relationship needs to be assessed for abusive power and control issues. Couples therapy cannot occur if domestic abuse or domestic violence is part of the relationship. If abuse is part of the relationship then the individuals need to work on their issues before couples therapy can be successful.

What are the barriers to your individual and shared experience of life? What are the factors that can best aid you in achieving your desire for a harmonious union in your relationship. Frequently communication is a starting point that reflects individual challenges in effectively addressing emotional needs, forms of co-dependency, and long-standing ineffective habits. Working from treatment methods informed by the treatment theories of John Gottman, I seek to help clients learn to speak and interact in ways that reflect their vision for the relationship and not the unexamined habits of the past.

I use a systems approach to couples and family therapy and often explore the communication patterns, roles, and rules of the couple or family. I help couples examine the interactions and/or dynamics of the relationship that are working and the patterns and/or interactions that are not. As opposed to continuing to blame his/her partner, I ask individuals to assess his/her part of the difficulties in the relationship and help them identify areas that he/she can work on to improve their relationship. Ultimately, the only thing one has control over is his/her own behavior or his/her part of the problem in the relationship.

In helping your coupleship become more satisfying, I first want to hear your story--how you met, your journey to date, both the highs and the lows. Then together we will identify your strengths, issues that have become problematic, what skills you have already, those to add or enhance for the future, and strategies to work through any special difficulties or remaining woundedness. Collaboratively, we will develop a plan to encourage and give you hope that you can still make your relationship all that it can be!

Has conflict in your relationship hurt your love for each other? I can help you get past the painful emotions and struggles to the feelings that create a loving bond with one another. As a counselor with over 15 years of experience, I safely guide you both to show up with each other in new ways, where you can feel listened to and understood by your partner. You get to be more yourself and be loved more for yourself. As your trust deepens, you can relax and get back the passion and fun. You can change your stress and struggle in a solid, loving relationship. Give me a call today to set up an appointment or find out more. ~Joseph 773.633.8057 www.couplescounseling-chicago.com

Couples can sometimes fall into a cycle of " Negative Sentiment Override" which they don't know how to change. Many couples will wait an average of 6 years from the time they recognize problems in their relationship before seeking help. In using the Gottman Method with my clients I see them develop and use the skills necessary to pull themselves out even long standing negative feelings towards each other. I use practical questionnaires and exercises to facilitate change. The relationship skills are applicable to couples that are engaged, contemplating marriage or couples that have been together for a lifetime but want to deepen their relationship.

Marriage counseling can be scary, not knowing what to expect. I take the time to make sure that each person feels understood. Often this is what people want the most in order to feel resolve issues and feel closer. Secondly, people want to stay calm but do not always know how. Thirdly, most prefer creative proposals to solve problems versus debates. Having a communication coach, and an understanding of how your past affects the present can make the difference. We also provide premarital assessments and counseling.

Accepting and celebrating the differences that make up a couple can bring joy to any relationship. Validating emotions and not having to understand them reduces the amount of fighting that will take place. Watching for areas of stonewalling, contempt, defensiveness and criticism will allow communication to continue and not shut someone down or up. Learning how to repair a relationship on a daily bases will keep it on the road for many years.

Infidelity. Communication. Past emotional injury. Criticism and Defensiveness. These issues are by far the most common issues in couples across demographics and locations. Yet, no two couples are the same. Each relationship interacts, relates and communicates in different ways; and each couple will heal differently. In addition, couples from the LGBTQIA, poly/nonmonogamy & kink community often face additional societal or family-related challenges that often impact the relationship. By reconnecting you emotionally, we'll work as a team to improve your communication, heal past injuries, revitalize intimacy, rebuild trust and create new pathways of love & acceptance.

Why jeopardize your relationship working with a clinician who doesn't specialize in couples work? The foundation of our practice is helping couples improve their relationship successfully, and we have been doing it for over 15 years. Our couples have stated improvements in emotional closeness, communication, sexual and non-sexual intimacy, and overall enjoyment of the time they spend together. Developed by CoFounders, Dr. Ray and Jean Kadkhodaian, the Couples Synergy model is not offered anywhere except at The Lighthouse Emotional Wellness Center, located in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Mark D. Parisi, Psy.D. & Associates, P.C. has been offering couples counseling in the Metro Chicago area since 2000. Our staff of sixteen counselors has extensive experience in helping couples define their problems and work on the skills to overcome relationship problems. Our focus tends to be on the here-and-now which gets many couples beyond the bickering and resentment built up from the past. Our therapeutic approach is solution-focused which emphasizes skill building which often gets results quicker than other forms of counseling.

Relationships take effort and at times are in need of special attention. Karen provides a safe environment to work on developing more effective communication skills, conflict resolution, and emotional understanding and acceptance of one another. There are times when each partner’s past impacts the dynamic of the relationship, and Karen addresses this as well.

SIGNS of needed Couples Counseling: Constant arguing, frequent attack-based interaction, spousal anger and agitation, separation of residences, emotional abuse, domestic violence, infidelity, blended family conflict, sexual frustration. TREATMENT: Systems therapy, gestalt counseling, problem-solving training, assertiveness and anger-reduction therapy, conflict resolution counseling, and state-of-the-art role-playing techniques. BENEFITS of treatment: Enhanced partner closeness, reduced frustration, skyrocketing problem-solving skills, vastly improved communication, enhanced sexual intimacy and return of trust and elimination of physical and emotional abuse