Couples Therapy
Committed relationships are complex and challenging. If you’d like to repair or rekindle your intimate bond, couples therapy may be the solution. Couples therapy can help you and your partner reignite, or perhaps discover for the first time, a sense of:
Connection
Humor
Security
Intimacy
Adoration
Appreciation
Understanding
Dr. Agree approaches your relationship from multiple perspectives, including Gottman Method Couples Therapy and a Mentalization-Based approach to couples and families.
The Gottman Method is based on over 40 years of research with couples. The Gottmans have discovered what leads relationships to fail and characteristics that help relationships succeed. Using this method, Dr. Agree will guide you through exercises that teach you to communicate with your partner in ways he or she is more likely to hear and understand.
The Mentalization-Based approach focuses on expanding your capacity for empathy towards yourself and your partner. It also helps you identify and begin to question assumptions that cause you to interpret your partner’s behavior in ways that make you feel inadequate or upset, so that you can see your relationship in a more favorable light. For more information on MBT, click here.
Dr. Agree is pleased to work with couples of all genders, sexual identities and preferences, to help them improve their communication skills and overall relationship satisfaction.
Initial meeting
Dr. Agree structures the consultation and assessment sessions in three 90-minute blocks. The consultation is 90-minutes, and the assessment is broken down into two 90-minute sessions. This intense process allows her to gather an exponential amount of information and provide you the comprehensive feedback you desire about the strengths and weaknesses of your relationship.
During the consultation, Dr. Agree will spend a good deal of time listening to the story of what brings you in, doing her best to understand the situation from each of your unique perspectives. She will also begin to assess your relationship through questions and conversation. Near the end of the session she will explain what you can expect from the couples therapy process with her, and discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
A deeper perspective
During the second 90-minute session Dr. Agree conducts a thorough assessment to determine your individual and relationship strengths and challenges, areas for immediate attention, and interventions that are most likely to improve your relationship.
During your third 90-minute meeting, Dr. Agree will provide you with the results of her assessment. She will show you how to view your relationship in a more holistic sense, and provide you with her suggestions for treatment. Equipped with this information, you can then make an informed decision about whether you wish to continue to the therapy stage.
Couples sessions
Therapy sessions are 60 to 90 minutes each, according to your preference. The format is based on the issues you are struggling with and wish to discuss. You will learn to approach difficult situations with concrete skills to communicate and manage these conflicts more productively.
Dr. Agree will also help you foster the positive aspects of your relationship, such as intimacy and friendship, as it is these strengths that ultimately hold you together.
Is individual therapy or couples therapy right for me?
When the basis for coming to therapy is a relationship you wish to maintain and improve, couples therapy may be helpful. However, couples therapy is not always the best route. Under some circumstances, individual therapy with one partner is more effective in altering the dynamics of a relationship than couples therapy.
If you are unhappy in a relationship and are naturally frightened about what the future could hold, Dr. Agree invites you to contact her for an individual consultation. Here, in a supportive and compassionate environment, you can gain a better understanding of the issues you face, and make a more informed decision about how to proceed.
