I have completed advanced trainings in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy and in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples. I am also trained and certified to administer “Prepare/Enrich” a customized couples assessment program that identifies a couple's strength and growth areas. 

The Gottman Method is an approach to couples therapy that integrates research- based interventions that are designed to help couples strengthen their relationships in three primary areas: friendship, conflict management, and creation of shared meaning. The Gottmans have been studying couples for over 35 years, and have identified patterns of behavior, or sequences of interactions, that discriminate happy from unhappy couples. From this research, they have discovered how to predict whether a marriage is likely to end in divorce.

My advanced training in the Gottman method allows me to use Gottman strategies to help couples replace negative conflict patterns with positive interactions and to repair past hurts. I have found the Gottman method to be extremely effective in helping couples communicate more effectively, resolve conflicts more productively and increase intimacy, respect and affection.

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) is another effective treatment for distressed couples, backed by extensive research by Dr. Sue Johnson. Studies have shown that EFT is proven to help couples recapture their loving feelings, and feel more connected and secure in their relationship.

By completing an Externship in EFT, and additional Core Skills training, I learned how to use EFT to help couples to strengthen their connection and attachment bond as well as break bad communication patterns. As human beings, we are driven to connect with others and share the burdens and joys of living. EFT helps couples break free from the same old argument, bring down the walls that have kept them apart and allow the feelings that brought them together in the beginning, revive and grow.

The PREPARE/ENRICH program can be used with committed, premarital, or married couples and is one of the most widely used platforms for relationship assessment and growth. Studies have shown that quality premarital preparation, like PREPARE/ENRICH, can reduce the risk of divorce, lower marital conflict, and increase relationship skills and satisfaction. Following the assessment, the program teaches couples important skills in the areas of communication, conflict resolution, financial management, and stress management, and helps couples develop personal, couple, and family goals. PREPARE/ENRICH stimulates discussion concerning issues vital to a committed relationship, and functions as a preventive tool to help couples become aware of important issues before they turn into major problems.