Couples
Lynnwood Couples Counseling
Couples counseling offers a supportive space to slow down, understand one another more deeply, and work through challenges together with guidance and care. Whether you’re feeling disconnected, stuck in recurring arguments, rebuilding trust, navigating life transitions, or simply wanting to strengthen your relationship, together we can create healthier patterns of communication and connection.
My approach to couples counseling uses a combination of Gottman-based strategies and Emotionally Focused Therapy. The Gottman Method focuses on strengthening friendship, improving communication, increasing emotional understanding, and helping couples navigate conflict in healthier ways. Rather than simply addressing problems as they arise, the approach teaches practical skills couples can use in everyday life to build trust, connection, and resilience over time.
Helping you work through conflict
Using an Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) approach, I help couples move beyond surface arguments to better understand the deeper emotions and needs underneath conflict. Often, recurring disagreements are connected to feelings of hurt, loneliness, fear, or disconnection rather than the issue itself. I help couples recognize these patterns, communicate more openly and safely, and respond to one another with greater empathy and understanding. Through this process, partners can begin to feel more emotionally connected, supported, and secure in their relationship while learning healthier ways to navigate conflict together.
The Process
Meaningful, lasting change takes time. Most couples find that it takes at least three months of consistent sessions to start seeing permanent changes in their relationship.
Step One: 1: Identify the Negative Patterns
In the first stage, I help you identify the negative interaction patterns you get stuck in — such as criticism, withdrawal, defensiveness, or shutting down. Rather than blaming each other, I help you see that the cycle itself is the problem. You will begin to understand the deeper emotions and attachment needs underneath the conflict, helping reduce reactivity and create more emotional awareness.
Step 2: Finding Emotional Connection
Step 3: Strengthen Your Skills
As you both begin to shift your approach, I will guide you through building essential relationship skills. This includes learning how to communicate difficult emotions like anger, betrayal, or hurt in ways that promote healing rather than division.
As each of you commits to personal change, your relationship begins to transform—often in powerful and lasting ways.
If you are looking for support in helping you explore your relationship, please contact me.
