Couple
Psychotherapy

Most long-term relationships and marriages include periods of stress and strain when partners feel unhappy, dissatisfied, “not heard” or “not seen.” Often couples have trouble communicating to their partner their needs, feelings and they question the degree of their ‘fit.’ Sometimes a family crisis can present unexpected psychological and physical demands that can leave you or your spouse/partner feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, unappreciated, misunderstood, or unloved.

Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy focuses on the relationship and on developing a “couple state of mind” (a term coined by Mary Morgan, London, UK). The importance of autonomy and togetherness, respect for separateness and difference are deeply explored. Often couples feel alone in their relationship and have lost or never found the way to mutually support each other through difficult times. The goal of couple therapy is to modify or eliminate psychological roadblocks so partners can feel satisfaction of their individual and mutual needs for closeness and intimacy. Introducing the idea of a “couple mindset” and imagining what kind of couple they would like to be through therapy is a strong beginning.

To learn to accept one’s partner for who they actually are allows for a deeper, richer, and more secure bond which enhances the life of the couple and family. I work with couples who plan on living together; pre-marital therapy; marital therapy, interfaith relationships, same-sex couples, as well as divorced couples (co-parenting and parent guidance).