Discernment Counseling

I'm a certified Discernment Counselor who helps couples unsure about their relationship's future. Through our sessions, we'll explore the issues that have brought you to this point, and I'll help you to understand the dynamics of your relationship and to make an informed decision about the best path forward. I aim to help you and your partner find clarity, peace of mind, and the confidence to make the right decision for both of you.

I have studied the theory and worked with multiple couples at varying stages of discernment with different outcomes. I find this model to be instrumental with couples in which one partner is "one foot out" while the other partner is "hanging on to the final thread." It is critical that they get on the same path before attempting couples therapy, and Discernment Counseling is an excellent model to determine if that is possible.

Trained and working towards certification with Dr. Bill Dougherty in helping couples decide to work on their relationship.

Discernment counseling is a short-term model designed to assist couples on the brink. The goal of this intervention is to develope clarity about the marriage, secure confidence in moving forward, and understanding of the role each partner has contributed to the struggle. These goals are obtained by focusing on three specific pathways: path 1. Remaining in the marriage without change, path 2. Separation or divorce, path 3. Commitment to a course of 6 months of couples therapy.

If you or your partner are considering divorce but are not completely sure that’s the best path, Discernment Counseling is designed for you. I will help you decide whether to try to restore your marriage to health or move toward divorce. The goal is for you to gain clarity and confidence about a direction, based on a deeper understanding of your relationship and its possibilities for the future. The goal is not to solve your marital problems but to see if they are solvable.

I understand that divorce is an emotionally charged situation. I aim to help partners gain clarity and confidence in making this huge decision. My practice is dedicated to helping couples navigate divorce proceedings fairly and equitably. My services include pre-divorce counseling when the partners have a mixed agenda; in other words, one partner is leaning into the relationship, and one is leaning out.

Discernment counseling is a short-term intervention, with a maximum of 5 sessions.Unlike traditional marriage counseling, the goal is not to start to solve the problems in the relationship. Rather, to give couples more confidence in their decision making. Discernment counseling is not for couples where one of the parties has already decided that they want a divorce. In discernment counseling, the assumption is that both parties are still considering restoring the health of the marriage.

Discernment counseling is about aiding clients in understanding their life's direction. I guide them away from people-pleasing towards a life aligned with their true purpose, using my faith-based insights for deeper discernment and decision-making. My role is to support clients in navigating choices with confidence, leaning on spiritual principles to enhance their journey.

I have worked with couples who are at a crossroad in their marriage determine next steps for their relationship. Discernment counseling helps couples decide whether or not to end their marriage. This approach can be particularly effective when one partner wants to leave the relationship, but the other wants to remain together. Within one to five sessions, the therapist helps the couple determine if they would like the marriage to remain as is, commit to 6 months marriage counseling, or divorce.

This is a specific therapy for couples who are contemplating separation or divorce. You may be unsure about whether you want to stay in their marriage or whether traditional couples therapy can work for you. Each partner may be experiencing different feelings about what to do, and this supports both parties as they work through their feelings (together and individually). Some goals include getting clearer, managing emotions, and learning about yourself and relationships.

Discernment Counseling is a new way of helping couples where one person is “leaning out” of the relationship—and not sure that regular marriage counseling would help–and the other is“leaning in”—that is, interested in rebuilding the marriage. I am a certified Discernment Counselor.

I am currently getting certified as a Discernment Counselor to serve my clients that find themselves in a space where they need assistance finding clarity on if their relationship is salvageable. When we assimilate early on in relationship it can cloud our judgement of if we selected a mate that is well matched for us. This type of brief therapy (1-5 sessions) is aimed at figuring out if all parties want to forge ahead working on the issues or finding a way to peaceful dissolution.

This is a specific therapy for couples who are contemplating separation or divorce. You may be unsure about whether you want to stay in their marriage or whether traditional couples therapy can work for you. Each partner may be experiencing different feelings about what to do, and this supports both parties as they work through their feelings (together and individually). Some goals include getting clearer, managing emotions, learning about yourself.

Are you or your partner unsure if you want to continue your marriage? Are you willing to have open conversations with your partner. With discernment counseling you and your partner can decide together your next relationship steps