Families, Couples, and Marriage Counseling

Families, couples, and marriage counseling can sometimes be difficult for even the best of therapists because each member of the family, couple, or marriage bring into the room many different family histories. To get people to be open to change and willing to try something new can be difficult and scary. But, if people in the system are willing to look at what was healthy in their family and what was not it can be very successful. This can takes months and even years if there is past abuse in any of the people in the new systems life.

This counselor uses Bowenian Therapy to help people look at how their past is affecting their present relationships and help them resolving any past hurt from childhood, as well as teach new copings skills to manage emotions, and teach healthy communication skills. This counselor also screens for any current abuse in the family or relationship and may at times want to split the family and work with them individually to help them gain coping skills to manage their emotions to stop the abuse before doing family or couples therapy. We also may look at doing grief work and forgiveness work if there has been any type of abuse or infidelity. Once both parts of the couple or all the parts of the family have worked on healing and feel safe, then and only then will this counselor meet with them as a couple or a family. This counselor also may refer out for services she cannot provide if the courts are involved.

This counselor also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, family systems therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapeutic interventions in individual, family, and couples therapy. Our systematic approach towards couple therapy is defined on the lines of enhancing the communication between the partners, and establishing short term and long term goals, where both the partners would be given their own schedules of expectations to be fulfilled, effectively working towards improving the relationship. With the help of third and neutral perspective, we help bring in clarity in the relationship by clearly defining the mistakes each other have made, and where the overreaction caused the emotional outburst, which in turn, deepened the hole in the relationship. We define the treatment path in couples therapy after patiently listening and carefully understanding the problems couple is facing.

Our practical and scientific approach, while balancing and weighing the emotions at stake, helps us bring in the much needed transparency and attachment among the partners. It definitively helps in doing the right thing, and taking the right decision, not only for the relationship, but personally as well. A relationship goes through numerous phases during its life cycle, and it is obvious for it to have a few rough patches. The strength of a relationship is reflected in how the couples deal with rough patches and move ahead. The lifestyle of the people and the modern day thinking has changed the pattern of thinking of people in respect to relationships. This has turned the statistics for divorce and marriage upside down. While divorce and separation is necessary in many cases, if the problems are not only circumstantial, but also irrecoverable and irreversible. We believe that love should be given a chance, and that there are relationships that can be saved, if only the people involved take that first step and make that last ditch effort to save their relationship. And, this is where the couple therapy comes in. Our approach towards couples therapy is oriented not only towards solving the problems the couple is facing with each other, but to revive the feeling of love and affection they have towards each other.

My marriage needed help

I was hesitant to go to therapy after going in and out for years, but I needed help and my marriage needed help. I found Nanette through an internet search and it sounded like a good match.  Nanette was welcoming, flexible, and extremely kind. She always knows what to say and how to guide me. She has helped me learn about myself, my husband, and how to communicate better in our marriage. It’s definitely a work in progress and takes a lot of work, but her direction and assistance has brought us so far. I can’t imagine where I would be without her, and the tools she has provided me.

Jennifer B