I am a practitioner with advanced training in the Gottman Method for Couples Counseling. What differentiates the Gottman Method from other types of couples counseling?
While other couples counseling methods focus primarily on communication and conflict resolution, the Gottman Method is a more comprehensive, practical and realistic model based on that of a house. It’s great if you can communicate, but a relationship typically requires more than just communication and conflict resolution skills. It also requires a foundation of friendship that includes knowing each other’s worlds, sharing fondness and respect, and turning towards each other rather than away from each other. This is true whether you are fighting a lot or whether you have drifted apart and feel more like roommates rather than partners.
Without this foundation, research indicates that it is difficult to expect couples to manage conflict. In addition, the walls of the house need to be strong in order to keep the house standing. This includes trust and commitment. Many couples, after an affair or an issue with addiction, have had their trust walls pushed down. However, these walls can be built back up. With the firm foundation and walls in place, a couple is ready to work on conflict and communication and dealing with issues in the heat of the moment.
To find out more about the Gottman Method:
INDIVIDUAL
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” ~ Brené Brown
“If it was easy, it wouldn’t take courage.” ~ Jean Kim-Snyder
My approach to individual therapy is practical, warm and collaborative. That means that I start with where you are and integrate what works best for you and your goals whether that is decreasing anxiety or stress, balancing work and life, or navigating tough life transitions. I bring my experience and training with Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, the Gottman Method, Yoga, attachment, and Acceptance & Commitment to tailor an approach that works best for you.
Mind/Body Therapy Yoga and Somatic Experiencing
Yoga:
More and more research indicates that yoga is an effective tool for use in treating stress. An article from Harvard Health Publications stated that “ by reducing perceived stress and anxiety, yoga appears to modulate stress response systems.”
I use restorative and gentle yoga practices with children, adolescents and adults to treat stress, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, and trauma as an evidence based, holistic practice that can be used with talk therapy.
Somatic Experiencing:
According to Psychology Today, “A simple working definition of trauma is: anything that is too much, too soon, or too fast for our nervous system to handle, especially if we can’t reach a successful resolution. Note that when we talk of trauma, it does not imply that the trauma leads to complete breakdown in adulthood; it may simply be a decreased ability to feel satisfaction or emotional or physical pleasure. “
Somatic Experiencing (SE) helps us to resolve trauma by re-establishing our connection to our nervous system by gently restoring the nervous system’s normal cycling between alertness and rest. Our bodies sometimes get “stuck” on “ON” (over alertness, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, anger) or on “OFF” (depression, apathy). However, SE allows the body to settle in between “OFF” and “ON” so that it can digest, rest, and recharge. This settling also permits us to prepare for the next time we need to react, with yet a new demand for energy. This cycle continues smoothly, up and down, when we’re functioning well.
ADOLESCENTS AND TEENS
As a school social worker for over 10 years, I use creative, practical strategies to help children and teens with a variety of issues. I specialize in working with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, anxiety, eating disorders, social skills, and emotional regulation. I especially like to use Social Thinking, yoga, art therapy, applied behavior analysis, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Therapy. I am available to consult with schools regarding 504 Accommodations, IEP Goals, and Behavior Intervention Plans.
Some links to curriculum I like to use include:
Parenting
“Loving a child doesn’t mean giving in to all his whims; to love him is to bring out the best in him, to teach him to love what is difficult”. ~ Nadia Boulanger
I offer individualized parenting support for children and adolescents who may exhibit challenging behavior such as defiance and difficulty regulating emotions, as well as those whose children may be struggling with learning disabilities, anxiety and depression. My approach is warm but firm in order to foster a strong parent/ child attachment and a peaceful, loving home life.
Some favorite resources I utilize include:
Parenting with Love and Logic
Collaborative and Practical Solutions
Parenting from the Inside Out
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen