Relationship Counseling
There is nothing more desirable than to be a part of a relationship that affirms and esteems you as a person, that assists you to grow and to be more and more the person you desire to be. This satisfying kind of relationship requires attention, care and focused effort. There is a myth that good relationships happen with benign neglect. Nothing is farther from the truth. To break open our blocked doors, to batter down our walls, to heal anguished and separated minds and spirits and to release the heart to act in love is a goal worthy of the man or woman who desires to create a real and lasting relationship.
As a therapist who has assisted many couples to create healthy and satisfying relationships for over thirty-five years, I will be honored and happy to assist you to create the relationship you’ve always wanted; a relationship of mutual respect, caring and love and commitment to each other and to the relationship itself.
When a person is in a detoriating relationship and facing the burden of divorce, he or she faces a unique and often an emotional and overwhelming experience. In order to minimize the emotional trauma, counseling can assist men and women to find ways to keep to a minimum the negative consequences of this event on themselves and their children. The counselor is there to assist those going through the process of divorce to organize for the task, to help them identify issues, and to assist them with strategies for addressing these issues.
Parenting
Although being a parent to today's child is often a challenge, it can also be a deeply rewarding and satisfying experience. Good parenting requires skills that a person may not have when a baby enters his or her life. These skills include but are not limited to knowing how to express affection appropriately, how to provide positive discipline, how to communicate respect, and how to provide an active environment that enhances a child's natural learning ability. Using these skills in a way that is personalized and developmentally appropriate for each child is a key to being an effective parent.
Expressing affection in a way each child can accept requires adjusting to the child's need and dominant way of expressing affection. Providing meaningful discipline includes understanding that all behavior is goal oriented, knowing how to create appropriate rules and logical consequences, and recognizing the benefits of consistency and spontaneity.
Effective parenting requires reflection and patience. You may recall George Eliot's description of Silus Marner's parenting--"he lined his nest with downy patience." Patience is an essential skill that can be learned.
The skills that are the foundation of being an effective and satisfied parent can be learned within the safe and reflective process of counseling.
