Relationships Reinvented
Park Ave Mental Health Counseling works with couples to reignite, redefine and empower couples to heal and grow together. Schedule ConsultationLove is not merely a passive emotion or feeling that happens to us, but rather an active and intentional choice that we make.
Love is a decision and requires ongoing effort, commitment, and action to maintain and grow.
Sustaining a loving and healthy partnership goes beyond initial attraction or infatuation. It involves consciously choosing to love and support your partner, even during challenging times. Love requires dedication, communication, understanding, empathy, and a willingness to work through difficulties together.
Ready to reignite your relationship?
Our approach for couples therapy? The Gottman Method & Relational Life Therapy.
The Gottman Method is based on decades of research and observation of couples, aiming to help couples build strong, healthy, and long-lasting relationships. It focuses on improving communication, resolving conflicts, and fostering emotional intimacy between partners.
The main premise of Relational Life Therapy is that unresolved emotional issues and patterns from one’s past can significantly impact their current relationships, particularly romantic ones. The therapy aims to help individuals and couples identify and address these underlying issues to create healthier, more fulfilling relationships. RLT places a strong emphasis on effective communication, emotional intimacy, and personal growth within the context of the partnership.
Key principles of the Gottman Method include:
The Sound Relationship House
The therapy is structured around the metaphor of a “Sound Relationship House,” which consists of several levels that represent different aspects of a healthy relationship, such as building love maps, sharing fondness and admiration, turning towards each other, managing conflicts, creating shared meaning, and more.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
These are negative communication patterns that the Gottman’s identified as predictors of relationship breakdown. They include criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling. The method focuses on helping couples replace these destructive behaviors with healthier communication patterns.
Emotional Bids and Turning Towards
The Gottman Method emphasizes the importance of recognizing and responding positively to what they call “emotional bids.” Emotional bids are attempts to connect with your partner, and how you respond to them can significantly impact the relationship’s quality.
Key principles of Relational Life Therapy include:
Communication Skills
RLT often focuses on teaching individuals and couples effective communication techniques to express their needs, desires, and emotions in a clear and respectful manner.
Identifying Patterns
Therapists using RLT help clients identify negative patterns of behavior and communication that may be contributing to relationship problems. This involves exploring the roles each person plays and how their past experiences shape their interactions.
Emotional Intimacy
RLT encourages emotional vulnerability and intimacy, helping individuals and couples connect on a deeper level by sharing their feelings and experiences.
Personal growth
RLT aims to foster personal growth and self-awareness, encouraging individuals to work on their own emotional well-being and address any unresolved issues that may be affecting their relationships.
Conflict resolution
The therapy helps clients develop effective strategies for resolving conflicts and disagreements in a healthy and productive manner.
Rebuilding Trust
For couples dealing with issues of trust or betrayal, RLT may focus on rebuilding trust through open communication, empathy, and understanding.
TRAUMA
PRE-MARITAL/MARITAL
PERSONAL ISSUES
Questions to ask your partner before starting Couples Therapy:
Are we both committed to making this work?
Couples therapy requires effort, time, and a willingness to work on the relationship together. It’s crucial for both partners to be fully committed to the process and to improving the relationship. This question helps assess each person’s readiness to actively participate in therapy and make necessary changes.
What are our goals for couples therapy?
Discuss and clarify the specific goals you want to achieve through couples therapy. Whether it’s improving communication, resolving conflicts, strengthening emotional intimacy, or addressing specific issues, having clear objectives will help guide the therapy process and ensure both partners are on the same page.
Can we approach therapy with an open mind and be vulnerable?
Therapy often involves delving into deep emotions and addressing sensitive topics. It’s essential for both partners to be willing to be vulnerable, open up about their feelings, and listen to each other without defensiveness. Being receptive to feedback and trying new approaches is crucial for positive outcomes.
Are there any concerns or reservations we need to address before starting?
This question allows partners to express any apprehensions they may have about couples therapy. It could be related to the therapist’s approach, fears of being judged, or concerns about the process. Openly discussing these concerns helps ensure a more productive and comfortable therapy experience.
Client Reviews of Park Avenue Mental Health Counseling
PArk Ave MHC
Online Mental Health Counseling by New Yorkers, for New Yorkers.
lauren@parkavetherapy.com