Great Couples Counseling in Tonganoxie, KS. Therapy to heal relationships.

I specialize in working with couples of all dynamics and with a wide variety of couple issues such as sex, intimacy, passion, communication, infidelity, trust, etc. When working with couples and families I will never see one person as the "problem". I see the patterns and the problem as the problem, not the person, so you can be assured a blame free environment while we identify and process through the struggles you are experiencing.

In couples counseling, I explore the needs of both parties, their personal goals, their dream for the future and how the two people can live out their lives either together, supporting one another, or determining the direction of the relationship. We will look at personality styles, communication, cultural differences and the ability to repair and/or accept repair.

As a couple therapist I will work to provide you an understanding of what is going on in your relationship that is causing distress. I have extensive training in the Gottman Method and will also draw upon my knowledge of Dr. Sue Johnson's work in Emotion Focused Therapy. If you are in distress we need to work to help you find ways to communicate your needs to one another and to be heard by your partner. There are practical tools that I can give you so that you can learn ways to communicate and connect. Couples utilizing these methods commonly find that they notice some immediate relief and are able to begin to communicate in a way that each partner feels heard and understood.

The problem with popular thinking about commited partnership is the lie that deep intimacy and sexual happiness are natural outcomes of love. True intimacy takes effort, courage and education. If you are wanting more of it in your relationship, a caring and unbiased professional who is trained specifically in relationship psychology can be extremely helpful. In my practice, we will explore your pattern as a couple and how you learned that pattern. We will find your shared values and work through the wounds you have sustained in your relationship. In doing this, we will reshape the pattern of how you relate to each other in order to allow space for growth of intimacy and togetherness.

Mary enjoys couple's therapy. Helping two people reconnect in a more positive way is very rewarding. Using her 37+years of marriage and realizing that any and all relationships require a great deal of time and effort, we can work together and find the missing or broken links within the relationship, and work on strengthening the bonds that brought you together in the first place. Mary works with all different types of relationships and enjoys working with everyone. Mary will help you discover some of the "whys" that bring you to this place, the "what you can do about it", and "when" can we start moving forward in a more respectful, compassionate way. Let's get started!

Couples, whether married or pre-marital, will benefit from developing a more secure bond, leading to increased connection and intimacy. Start your relationship off right by understanding how the ways you've learned to deal with distress are interfering with the relationship you desire. Turn the conflict into opportunities to grow closer to each other that build a lifetime of secure attachment and intimacy.

You will find most, if not all, of your friends and loved ones will be a friend to you or your partner. This is especially true in extreme stress, such as separation. Here, I am a friend to your relationship, whether the goal is healing or divorce, or deciding which route to take. I do not look for the guilty party. This is not a court. We will learn to exonerate each other and those who have chosen sides.

Most common issues between couples involves a lack of clear communication and the feeling of not being heard or understood. My approach with couples is to utilize the Gottman's Conflict Blueprint for clear communication as well as emotional connection. I also utilize Cognitive Behavior Therapy as well as Emotion Focused Therapy as tools to enhance understanding and intimacy in relationships.