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.

I'm trained as an Individual Therapist and have lots of experience providing family therapy, including Family Systems training for nonprofit organizations. I've provided marriage preparation counselling for a Church. I enjoy working with couples to improve communication and achieve goals. It is an honour to participate in helping two people create a beautiful 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

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.

Communication problems are listed as the number one reason why couples come into my office. Learning effective communication, how to love and be loved, how to cherish a relationship and enjoy one another, are areas I help couples with. We give love like we like to receive it. Not everyone likes to receive it the same way. Finding out your love language and your partners can make a huge difference in your relationship.

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.

Living as a Christian couple can be difficult waters to navigate. There is a desire to honor God while there is also a longing to get to know your partner more intimately. My approach to couples counseling addresses the issues that need to be explored so you can determine if your partner is one that you will likely be satisfied with years down the road while at the same time, exploring the issues that you need to address to be the best partner possible. With a fresh approach that is deeply rooted in Christianity but disentangled from unnecessary traditionalism, you will be pleased with the results of becoming more aware of your relationship.

Relationships can be very difficult at times. It can be hard to communicate your needs and maintain a sense of autonomy while still working with and considering your partner. I believe that with the right tools we can together navigate a way to maintain your sense of self while also strengthening your relationship. I hope to help each individual self-reflect and consider the way they impact their partner while also effectively communicating their needs and ensuring that they are heard.

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 experiencing frustration, resentment, anger, hurt and other painful feelings. 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 connection as the foundation for a lasting, passionate and satisfying love.

You don't have to be on the brink of break up to get guidance from a professional; it takes consistent effort to maintain a healthy relationship, and it's normal to feel a bit lost when pinpointing exactly how to do that. Therapy provides a safe, responsive place to discuss issues and concerns. Our therapists help couples develop healthier means of relating, use effective tools in communication & restructure a strong foundation for their relationship to flourish.

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.