In our busy times many couples don't find enough time for each other. Creating and maintaining intimate relationships are much harder than most of us ever expected. What we really want in life is to feel truly understood and acknowledged by those close to us, but so many barriers appear. Fortunately, we can learn skills to help us bridge the difficulties and feel whole and connected.
I work with couples (married or unmarried, heterosexual or LBGQT) who:
- Have been stuck in repetitive and hurtful arguments and can't find a way out
- Love each other but keep hurting each other
- Can't find a way to be connected and still hold on to themselves
- Find their lives together routine and uninspiring
- Want to recover from betrayals such as infidelity
- Desire a way to communicate better
- Need to figure out whether or not to end the relationship
I was certified in Imago Relationship Therapy in 1997. This approach was developed by best-selling authors Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt to help couples develop an understanding of how conflict can help us heal ourselves and our relationships. It teaches couples techniques to step out of non-productive, repetitive struggles and reach deeper levels of connections. For more information and resources: www.gettingtheloveyouwant.com
I have also completed Level II of Stan Tatkin's PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy). PACT is a fusion of developmental neuroscience, attachment theraoy and arousal regulation. For more information and resources go to www.thepactinstitute.com .
The other couple therapy I have trained in is the Doherty Approach which provides multi-systemic skills into a theory-based order. For more information and resources go to https://thedohertyapproach.com
I have also trained in Discernment Counseling for couples on the brink. It's a new way of helping couples where one person is “leaning out” of the relationship—and not sure that regular marriage counseling would help--and the other is “leaning in”—that is, interested in rebuilding the marriage. The goal is not to solve the marital problems but to see if they are solvable. It emphasizes the importance of each person seeing their own contributions to the problems and the possible solutions. It involves a maximum of five counseling sessions. For more information go to www.discernmentcounseling.com.
Cheryl has been enormously helpful to me and my wife. She has helped us gain a better understanding of both ourselves and each other, which has had a huge impact on our relationship. She has a warm and caring demeanor, makes both of us feel heard and understood, and we’re also able to have a good laugh from time to time. If I am being honest, I was a bit skeptical going into “couples counseling”, but today would recommend Cheryl to any couple seeking to improve their relationship!
TW