I help couples identify destructive patterns quickly. Then I support each partner to take accountability for their part in the pattern in a way that nurtures a deeper understanding of self.  

After our focus on negative patterns, we get to work on creating new, positive ways to connect and communicate. You'll experience healthy ways to deal with difference and create intimacy. As partners you'll gain the ability to sustain a dynamic, fulfilling relationship. 

Often, by the time a couple enters therapy, resentments have grown and each partner has learned to protect themselves in ways that counteract intimacy and happiness. When couples are in this space, the most important elements of therapy are safety and validation. I listen to each partner. And then, I help partners learn to listen to each other in different ways. When you feel heard and understood, both small and big things about your relationship start to change. 

Surprisingly, my years of working in landscape design prepared me to be an effective couples counselor. By the time I began seeing couples as a therapist, I was already practiced at guiding partners through major decisions. I’m comfortable with conflict and helping couples navigate highly charged emotional issues. My approach is primarily influenced by Terry Real’s Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Interpersonal Neurobiology, and my training in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). I hold accreditation as a certified Relational Life Therapist.

When we heal our relationships, we heal ourselves. Couples counseling is my passion because I believe our relational work is the deepest, most profound personal work we can do. It greatly contributes to overall health and happiness in ways that go beyond your primary intimate partnership. My clients usually find that our process and what they learn helps them sustain positive, healthy relationships in all areas of their lives.