Great Couples Counseling in Des Moines, WA. Therapy to heal relationships.

Healthy relationships are central to our well-being in life. Couples in distress are stuck in unproductive patterns that overshadow the love that brought you together. Couples counseling is neutral ground to deal with challenges, from infidelity to finances. Our time together will help you develop communication skills, solve problems, and improve intimacy. I use Emotionally Focused Therapy and Gottman techniques to help you repair and restore attachment bonds in your primary partnership.

Couples come with all sorts of problems. Maybe there's no sex in your life (or not enough). Maybe there's been infidelity (or one or both of you is considering it or suspecting it). Maybe you find it difficult to talk with one another. Maybe it's in-laws or your partner's friends that don't quite mesh well with you. Regardless of what the problem is, I can help you reignite the passion in your life for one another. Come talk to me.

You can be happy in your relationship. We can help! Being a couple can be hard these days and couples counseling is very helpful in solving relationship problems, teaching positive and effective communication, encouraging intimacy and healthy connections with each other, recognizing and stopping destructive relationship behaviors, and promoting understanding, love, acceptance, and compassion for each other and yourselves. Being a couple takes knowledge, skill, and practice. It takes a willingness to be open and learn new ways of talking with and seeing your partner. For most people change is possible. We can guide you on this journey of discovery and growth.

Do you or your partner suffer from social anxiety and it's affecting your relationship? Social anxiety is a fear of negative judgment from others and it can lead to reduced levels of intimacy, suppressed emotions, feelings of isolation and loneliness and lack of communication. If one or both of you feels anxious socially, your relationship may be suffering too. Contact me for ways in which you can move past social anxiety to a fuller, intimate, richer, relaxed more authentic relationship.

I am a Seattle couples counselor and licensed marriage and family therapist working with couples in conflict and marital distress. We all hit road blocks in our close relationships.I focus on the emotional connection between partners. When relationships experience a stress such as a betrayal, illness, financial crisis, or struggle with parenting, it's common for couples to get caught in cycles of negative interaction. I use an evidence-based approach based on the work of the two most influential psychologists in marriage and couples work today, Dr. John Gottman of the Gottman Institute here in Seattle and Dr. Sue Johnson, known for her work on emotion-focused therapy.

We identify core issues, conflicts & relational patterns that may be contributing to some of the presenting issues. In addition, finding the strengths and common goals in the couple’s relationship will be integral to the process of therapy. The goal with couples’ therapy is to find successful ways of interacting, develop healthier means of relating, use effective tools in communication & restructure a strong foundation for their relationship to flourish. Therapy provides a safe, responsive place to discuss issues and concerns. Through the course of therapy, individuals will be better able to manage other areas of life and make sound and healthy decisions regarding their relationship.

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

If you are tired of the same old argument with your partner, and are ready to make some lasting changes, give me a call at 425 652-1413. I love working with couples and have the unique ability to see both sides of the situation, and to help each partner better understand what the other is trying to say. I bring a sense of humor to the whole process. Call me today.

I specialize in working with couples on their relationships issues, and I am certified in a Couples Communication Program. I work with couples on issues such as: Communication Barriers, Intimacy Issues, Restoring Trust, Infidelity Issues (including sex addiction and internet pornography), Developing Healthy Boundaries, and Preparing for Marriage / Premarital Counseling.

As couples counselors we utilize counseling theories from Dr. John Gottman, Dr. David Schnarch, and Dr. Sue Johnson all of which feature very different approaches to couples work - conflict de-escalation, differentiation and attachment. Depending on the couple we may borrow from one theory more than other. Our goal in therapy with couples is to be a third ear in the conversation and to help encourage my clients to say the things they need to say to their partner. We may begin to point out to areas where one partner may not be hearing the other well. In all cases we try to help clients listen to each other.

"Joshua Loy (and New Ground Counseling) saved my marriage when it was in shambles. He walked with us when we were at our worst & struggling in so many areas. With wisdom and delicacy he led us through reconciliation, created assignments for us to see one another, and led us back to God." - Carrie We offer Christian Marriage Counseling in Bellevue, WA and have helped couples with premarital counseling, infidelity, divorce, and co-parenting situations.

Sharing a life with a chosen, intimate partner can be one of the greatest challenges one can face, and also one of the most satisfying and life giving experiences possible. All couples eventually experience the transition from 'falling in love' to hitting the rocky roads where being a couple is frustrating, full of resentment, anger, hurt and other types of pain. It is ironic that these rocky roads are the pathway through which most couples must travel in order to find the love they want. I help couples connect with each other on a level that involves risk and vulnerability, and leads eventually to deep friendship as the foundation for a lasting, satisfying love.

A large portion of my practice is dedicated to couples counseling and therapy. I know that affairs, sexual challenges, a lack of communication, and sometimes years of fighting can feel overwhelming. I am here to help you. I combine the structure of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with my actual experience in working with couples to help you create the lasting change you are looking for.

Every couple is unique- what works for some, does not work for all. In a nonjudgmental and non-pathologizing space, I help couples of all kinds to create the relationship that will meet both partner's needs. Through thoughtful, heartfelt and insightful discussions, we will arrive together at the model that works best for you and your relationship, and together we can resolve old wounds to help you come together again to support one another with love and kindness.

Whether you are married, living together or apart, single, LGBTQ+, or polyamorous, counseling can enhance your relationships. I can help develop skills and tools to increase emotional intimacy, create clear communication, and enhance deeper connections. I can assist you to dive below the surface to truly understand what is keeping your relationship from reaching mutual satisfaction.

Rob and Dori are passionate life-changers. The most desired counseling is for marriages and couples. Both Dori and Rob work with couples and have for 30 years. Dori is the expert in relationships, mending and growing couples with skill-based activities, homework assignments, and practicing skills during sessions. Rob uses the same approach, yet is able to dive into deeper emotional and mental challenges with clientele. Dori uses self-assessments, questioning and inquiry, and evaluates the best steps needed for couples. Dori is also capable of referring individuals or both partners based on their needs. Rob is one of her referral therapists for trauma-related clientele.

When I work with couples, I am very intentional about first listening to both individuals and then seeking to slow down the process of how you communicate with one another. By doing this, we are practicing and preparing you both for those real, in-the-moment conversations that seem to keep you stuck in the same place. By growing in your ability to listen to each other, you will begin to understand what it is that your significant other needs and you will begin to feel more heard and understood. When you do this, more often than not, you are able to break those old habits of communicating and relating to each other. Call me to find out more about this process.

You may feel like your marriage is a sinking boat. You also might be very fulfilled in your relationship and you can't help but feeling something in the way you and your spouse relate just doesn't work. So many marriages languish, two people who are legally married, but have begun relationally separating long ago. Our work together will pay attention to the difficulties you have together while also building on the strengths you already have. We will look into communication patterns, relational styles, your individual and collective stories. Whether it is an emergency or a nagging feeling or somewhere in the middle your marriage is worth the care and the work it takes to thrive together.

Our work together encourages open and honest relating • increases listening without judgement and speaking without anger • decreases fighting, bickering and cold shoulders • enhances intimacy, sexuality and satisfaction • dissolves hurtful and dysfunctional patterns of behavior. The process is available to anyone willing to invest time and energy. All that is required is an open mind.

Relationships are difficult and many relationships can be healed if given the opportunity. I believe in addressing core issues in a relationship that address the couple itself. Why is the couple acting in this cycle and what can I do to help you identify your cycle and find a healthy way of interacting. I draw much of my work from Dr. John Gottman's research on healthy relationships and am not afraid of giving frank feedback when I feel couples are being verbally or emotionally abusive to each other. I believe in setting clear boundaries so couples learn to fight fairly so both sides can communicate their needs with each other without feeling shamed, degraded, or criticized.

Having a third party present can make it much easier to talk about what is troubling your relationship without descending into fighting or avoidance. In a supportive environment, your therapist will help you understand how your history as individuals as well as a couple is contributing to your current disconnection, breaches of trust, lack of intimacy, and inability to communicate and reach workable agreements. Learn skills to better understand and respect one another, be able to reach toward each other for love and support, have fulfilling experiences of intimacy and connection, and create a life that represents each of you and both of you.

Relationships are complicated, to say the least. Even healthy relationships experience moments of doubt and hardship. I’ve helped couples overcome a wide-range of issues including mistrust, infidelity, guilt, poor communication, intimacy issues, and life changes. Building a life with someone is difficult. Sometimes it helps to have a mediator who can offer unbiased support and guidance. We’ll talk about your concerns, needs, and future goals. If you’re thinking about counseling, then there’s still hope. You obviously care deeply about your partner. I can offer help undoing negative patterns and behaviors so the both of you can build a happy future together.

Relationships are a difficult endeavor, everyone wants the “perfect” one but how do we get there? Most often open and honest communication is mentioned. But what happens when communication is the problem? When you are afraid to express yourself given current or past experiences? Often difficulties in communication are indicators of deeper underlying issues. Identifying these issues and working through them can aid couples in coming closer to that “perfect” relationship. I work with couples who are looking for help for a variety of reasons. Whether it is anger, co-parenting, communication, emotional closeness, intimacy, or infidelity; I can help.

Jennie at this practice is a wonderful couples therapist. She enjoys helping couples peel back the layers to determine how they ended up wit the struggles they are having. She especially enjoys seeing couples who are doing individual work and are motivated to make changes in their marriage. She has an LMFT and is very comfortable seeing all types of couples.

When working with couples, I use “Emotionally Focused Therapy” to help partners deeply reconnect on the level of needs and feelings (as opposed to having that same unproductive argument over and over again). I also use very practical research-derived techniques to help partners develop strategies for successful communication and for joint living and dreaming, while, at the same time, maintaining their identities as whole and separate human beings.