Relational Therapy

I believe the therapeutic relationship is the biggest influence on change. I see a relationship built within the psychotherapy room as a catalyst to repair old attachment wounds, or core wounds. By having a consistent, stable relationship we can safely break down maladaptive relational patterns and practice new ones. A relational approach believes that through the therapist up, down or co regulating with a client they can better tune into their own emotional experiences.

The secret sauce to good therapy is the relationship between therapist and client. This is why you've probably heard so much about "fit." For therapy to work, you need to feel safe. It's not that you'll trust your therapist right away, because trust has to be earned and built. But you'll have the sense you can share personal or vulnerable information with your therapist and they'll hold it close, with love and respect.

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist, most of my training has been in working with couples and individuals on relational concerns. When I am meeting with a couple or an individual, I am always thinking about emotional wellness within the context of the relationships. I have training in Gottman Couples Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples, ACT Therapy for Couples, working with open relationships and addressing sexual concerns in relationship therapy

As a Marriage, Couple and Family Therapist, I believe relationships are central to our experience of the world. We take into consideration the effects on each person's life of differences in power or equality as well as the impact of social issues such as class, race, gender, and culture. Relational therapy is collaborative and supportive.

Central to the relational therapy approach is the idea that we are shaped by our social world and relationships, and that having good relationships is essential for our wellbeing. The main goal of relational therapy is to examine how one's relationships with others have affected their emotional and mental health. Through this investigation, people can learn new techniques for creating healthier and more fulfilling relationships and a deeper awareness of their relationship patterns.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist I am always steering couples and individuals towards relational health. Moving towards relational health can be challenging. Often it requires stronger boundaries which upsets the dynamics families and couples are used to. However, the rewards of relational health are living a more purpose, authenticity, and joy.

Relational psychotherapy, an approach that can help individuals recognize the role relationships play in the shaping of daily experiences, attempts to help people understand patterns appearing in the thoughts and feelings they have toward themselves. I look at how to bring balance back into your relational agreements, explore consent and how it shows up in your relationship (or not), how to help clarify communication, and look at attachment styles.

We believe in the healing power of relationships. The therapeutic relationship can become an avenue to explore attachment wounds and traumas to help our clients feel seen and heard. We incorporate this approach into all of our work with both individuals and couples because we believe that relationships are at the core of all meaningful healing.

My study of Relational Therapy began with some research work with Otto Kernberg and his interactions with an outpatient with borderline personality organization.

We are all relational beings seeking to make sense of the ourselves, others and the world. In response, the therapeutic relationship can be used as a vehicle to gain insight, self-compassion and understanding. Slowing down to consider why we (and others) act, believe and think the way we do can result in healthier relationships and boundaries while getting our needs met.

Relational psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of a relationship between a client and therapist in the healing process. It recognizes the relationship as a microcosm of a client's relationships with others and explores patterns of interaction that may contribute to difficulties. Clients develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills.

Relational Therapy (RT) is an approach rooted in Psychodynamic Therapy. Psychodynamic therapy puts emphases on the psychological cause of emotional pain. Self-reflection and self-examination are its major focus. RT asserts the relationship is in fact what is needed for true reflection, examination, and ultimately change. Major tenants of RT are the therapist's stance, authenticity, presence, reflection, and engagement.

We grow through and towards relationship. My training emphasizes the importance of relationships to our mental health.

Relational psychotherapy is an offshoot of psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy, both of which have a long and varied history going back to Sigmund Freud. As its basic premise, psychoanalysis assumes that people are often unaware of the factors that contribute to their mental and emotional state, and that uncovering these unconscious processes and assumptions leads to wellness. The way it is practiced today, there is a wide variety of approaches and styles in psychoanalysis (i.e. Freudian, Jungian, Object-Relations, Relational) that can look and feel quite different from the stereotype of the silent analyst saying only “Mmm Hmm” as the patient talks. Psychoanalysis is distinguished from psychoanalytic psychotherapy by both the frequency and setup of therapy. In psychoanalysis the patient usually comes in 2 – 5 times per week and often lays on a couch facing away from the therapist, whereas psychoanalytic psychotherapy incorporates the same theories and methodology of analysis without the same level of involvement. Psychoanalysts are required to undergo an additional educational training that often lasts for many years before being able to be called an analyst and perform analysis, whereas many therapists work from psychoanalytically-informed perspective and are well-trained in a psychoanalytic approach.

Relational therapy delves into the fabric of our interpersonal relationships and how they shape our mental health. This form of psychotherapy recognizes that each person's unique experiences within their relationships profoundly influence emotions and behaviors. I work with clients on all kinds of relationships in their life, friends, family, work relationships, and romantic relationships/partnerships.

Therapy is a very particular kind of relationship, but a relationship none the less. Sometimes dynamics and patterns you experience outside of therapy will find their way into therapy too. This creates a perfect opportunity to work through whatever feelings may be coming up in the moment and to explore them in real time to create deeper understanding and change.