Have you and your partner become cold and distant? Are you engaging in frequent or hostile arguments? Do you long to feel connected, wanted, and appreciated? Is there little to no intimacy left in your relationship? Are you hurt and angry over things that have happened in the relationship? Perhaps you are struggling with the devastating aftermath of an affair. Are you dealing with strong feelings of distrust?

Marriage counseling or couples therapy can be extremely effective at helping couples learn healthy ways of managing their conflict and lack of intimacy. It can help couples maintain, or regain, close, intimate and loving relationships – the kind of relationships that meets the needs of both partners. In fact, research has shown that couples counseling that addresses the emotional hurt, thoughts, behaviors, and relationship patterns that contribute to relationship distress are very effective at helping couples rebuild and heal their relationships.

Benefits of couples counseling include:

• Increasing intimacy
• Developing relationships that meet the needs of both partners
• Maintaining or regaining feelings of love and positive regard
• Improved acceptance of personal differences while also making positive changes to better accommodate the needs of both partners
• Addressing patterns of withdrawal and distance
• Interrupting patterns of frequent or intense conflict
• Dealing with feelings of loneliness and isolation
• Improving communication skills and coping skills for dealing with relationship distress

We provide couples counseling in our Indian Trail office and at Triple Play Farm in Davidson. We will work towards goals specific to your couple’s needs which may include healthy communication strategies, rebuilding trust, increasing respect, and increasing romance.

We also offer Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy. Chris works with you alongside horse partners to explore relationship patterns, identify strengths and challenges, and practice opportunities to motivate healthy change. This experiential approach reduces the “talk and report” portion of therapy which may be beneficial for those who feel their words often get in the way. Sessions involve working with animals in roles of active partner, leader, observer, or supporter in such activities as grooming, energy regulation for movement, building and navigating obstacle courses, and other team building challenges. We focus on the pillars of relationship: Communication, Trust, and Respect. Development of these elements with animals often brings insight through reflection of parallels you recognize in your role as spouse, parent, and partner.

Aimee uses Gottman Method Couples Counseling to guide the therapy process with couples. This method was developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, a husband and wife psychologist team, who have been studying couples for almost 40 years. Through their research they have learned how couples can create and maintain a satisfying relationship. Couples learn concrete strategies and ways of interacting that improve their communication, connection, and trust. To start the process, a couple meets together for an initial session to share an overview of issues that are bringing them into therapy at this time. Before attending their individual sessions, each partner completes the Gottman Relationship Checkup. This online questionnaire gathers information across all areas of the relationship to help guide treatment. After each partner meets individually for a session, the couple returns to develop a plan for reaching their relationship goals. Read more about the Gottman Method here: https://www.gottman.com/about/research/couples/