The ability to create and sustain healthy relationship is essential to having a full and happy life. Everyone struggles, at different points, in this challenge. The human species is hard-wired to connect and attach, and when old scripts or new hurts get in the way of this, it is painful and frustrating. The structure of relationship also grows increasingly complex due to high rates of relational instability, competing demands of dual careers and relationship, multiple households involved in childrearing, physical distance from traditional support networks, as well as many other factors. Despite all this complexity, the essential desire to connect and create something wonderful still is a primary urge for most people.
Each relationship is unique, and there are many frameworks in which to understand and improve a relationship. I approach relationships with the goal of developing positive understanding and appreciation of each other, enhancing the bonding in the relationship, improving problem-solving and reducing negative patterns of conflict, increasing the capacity for a combined collaborative vision and values, and addressing the specific concerns that make this relationship unique.
I enjoy helping relationships survive and learn to thrive. My background in family psychology extends 35+ years. I am licensed as a marriage and family therapist, which means that I have extended formal training in both the theory and practice of relational systems therapy, and have trained and supervised other professionals as well.
