Relationship, Marriage, and Family Therapy

Relationship, Marriage, and Family Therapy is an opportunity to meet with a therapist trained in couple and family counseling to assist families in moving through challenging lifecycle processes. Issues people commonly bring to couple counseling include: pre-marital counseling, new relationship struggles, cohabitation challenges, divorce and separation agreements, dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues and healing from emotional betrayals. Those seeking to become parents, or who have already have children, often deal with differences in parenting styles, and challenges related to children’s needs. All the staff at Choices are trained in and comfortable working with people in traditional families, as well as those in open and polyamorous relationships, or who identify as sexual minorities.

Relationship, Marriage, and Family Therapy provides a safe environment to discuss issues of intimacy, sexuality, and family-related struggles within a safe and confidential environment.

Being in an intimate relationship with another human being can be extremely stressful, even when you are deeply in love. Companionship, for all of its benefits, can also present unique challenges. This is true for long-term committed friendships, as well as marriages, and domestic partnerships.

Sometimes couples decide to begin therapy early in their relationship, or when things are first becoming stressful, with the goal of working on things before they become unmanageable. This is a worthwhile pursuit, and it is often much easier to change patterns before they become embedded into the relationship style of a couple. However, most often people do not seek professional counseling until couple and family problems are painful and entrenched. This, of course, makes the therapist's task more complex, having to sort through years of complicated emotions and experiences.

It is, however, possible to heal even badly wounded relationships. It takes commitment and willingness to look more closely at one's own behavior, goals, as well as what they desire in a relationship. Not every relationship can be "saved," but most relationships can heal, and people can learn to respect, enjoy and honor each other.

Families with children are often coping with complex developmental issues, as families expand, contract and realign themselves due to births, deaths, adoptions, marriages and divorces. Adding children to an established couple relationship, or adding parents to an established parent-child family, can be difficult. Parents with young children are often struggling with their roles as men or women, trying to adapt to social and personal expectations of new parenting roles, as well as maintaining intimacy in their own lovership. Single parents struggle with being "everything" to their children, as well as organizing the house and finances — too often with little help from others. Parents of older children struggle with issues related to their kids growing independence, as well as concerns around drugs, sexual experimentation, and letting go of their "babies."

In this modern age, many people are parenting with partners they are no longer married to, or step-parenting children from previous relationships. Children may be growing up as part of extended families that include step-parents, step-siblings, and half-siblings. Many families are formed through adoption, surrogacy, and other wonders of reproductive medicine. Children often need assistance understanding their biological roots, particular birth stories, as well as their unique family configurations.

As people move out of their own ethnic and racial communities into a more multicultural world, many are involved in interracial, interethnic, or interreligious marriages and partnerships. This can create internal issues due to different values and upbringing, differences regarding childrearing practices as well as potential "in-law" difficulties or judgment from the outside community.

Family issues can include complex issues such as infertility, adoption, miscarriage, chronic illness, mental health issues, bereavement, infidelity, and remarriage. It can also include problems related to career issues, sex role divisions, financial concerns, and parenting skills. Many couples crave more emotional intimacy in their adult relationships, as well as greater sexual intimacy. Sometimes parents are rearing children with complex mental health challenges, or physical and emotional disabilities. And most sadly, many families deal with the grief and loss related to premature deaths, and long-term illnesses.

It is part of the normal process of family development for there to be tough stages and growth periods for family members. Making a commitment to relationship and family counseling can be a first, yet important, step towards a more rewarding and successful family life.

Couple or family sessions are the standard "50-minute therapy hour," with 10 minutes at the end to set up the next appointment. Fees are the same regardless of the number of people to attend sessions. Follow this link to receive information on Fees and Insurance. To make an appointment, please contact Choices Counseling & Consulting.