Constant Conflict to Connection

Relationships aren’t easy. Even the strongest partnerships hit seasons of stress, distance, or conflict that feel impossible to navigate alone. Couples therapy offers a space to pause, take a breath, and begin working together instead of against each other.

Maybe you’re stuck in the same argument on repeat.
Maybe you’re growing apart and not sure how to get back.
Maybe one of you is already halfway out the door.

Couples therapy isn’t just for relationships in crisis—it’s for couples who want to stop surviving and start communicating, reconnecting, and moving forward.

At Southwest Counseling Center, I work with couples at all stages—dating, engaged, married, or long-term committed—to help them build stronger, more emotionally honest partnerships.

Couples I Work With

There’s no perfect relationship—and there’s no perfect formula for repairing one either. I work with couples at all stages—dating, engaged, married, or long-term committed—who are navigating challenges such as:

• Frequent Conflict or Avoidance
  Some couples fight constantly, while others avoid hard conversations until the distance feels overwhelming. Therapy helps you break out of these cycles and learn healthier ways to communicate and resolve disagreements.
• Emotional Disconnection
  When you feel more like roommates than partners, it can be hard to know how to reconnect. In therapy, we focus on rebuilding closeness, trust, and emotional intimacy so the relationship feels alive again.
• Infidelity and Trust Breakdowns
  Betrayal—whether it’s an affair, secrecy around money, or broken promises—can shake a relationship to its core. Therapy offers tools for accountability, forgiveness, and deciding together whether and how to rebuild.
• Life Transitions
  Marriage, parenting, relocation, blending families, or retirement can all shift the ground beneath you. I help couples navigate these transitions in ways that strengthen their partnership rather than pull them apart.
• Differences Around Parenting, Money, Sex, or Values
  Disagreements in these areas often reflect deeper needs and expectations. Therapy creates space to understand those differences and build strategies for working through them as a team.
• Uncertainty About the Future
  Sometimes couples aren’t sure if they want to stay together or separate. Therapy provides clarity and direction, helping you decide whether to rebuild or part ways with compassion and respect.

I draw on evidence-based approaches like the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help couples identify their patterns, express needs without blame, and reconnect in ways that feel real—not forced.

What You Can Expect

Initial Assessment (90 minutes)

We start with an extended joint session where we look at what’s working in your relationship, what feels stuck, and what each of you wants to change. I may also use optional assessments, such as Gottman questionnaires, to get a clearer picture of your dynamics and stress points. This session sets the foundation for our work together.

Individual Sessions for Each Partner

After the initial joint session, I meet with each of you individually. These sessions give space to understand your unique perspectives, personal histories, and communication styles. They also help me identify how each of you contributes to the cycle you’re in. These are not “secrets” sessions—anything clinically relevant may be discussed later in joint therapy to ensure transparency and trust.

Please note: individual sessions are not confidential from your partner—anything shared may be discussed in joint sessions if clinically relevant. The goal is transparency, not surprises.

Skill-Building and Practice

Couples therapy isn’t just talking—it’s doing. We practice concrete skills tailored to your relationship, including tools for healthier communication, conflict resolution, emotional connection, and boundary-setting. These aren’t one-size-fits-all scripts; they’re strategies designed around your real-life challenges.

Guided Conversations

Some topics feel too loaded to bring up at home. In therapy, I provide structure and support so you can finally say the things you’ve been holding back. We slow conversations down so they don’t escalate, and I help translate the deeper needs underneath the conflict.

Repair and Rebuild

Every couple hits ruptures—what matters is how you repair. In therapy, we focus on repairing past wounds, rebuilding trust, and learning how to reconnect after conflict. Whether your shared goal is reconnection or gaining clarity about the future, therapy provides a safe framework to move forward with honesty, safety, and intention.