Congratulations!
You have probably found this page because you and a loved one are preparing to make a major commitment to one another. What an amazing, joyous and... stressful time this must be for you both!
If you, like many couples preparing to get married and/or commit their lives to one another, feel as though there are some things that need to be worked out before you say "I do," then I can help.
As a Couples & Family Therapist I know a lot about how relationships work and what helps keep them strong and fulfilling after many years. I want to bring my expertise to your relationship. I believe that together we can build a solid foundation for your commitment to continue to grow on.
If you, like many couples preparing to get married and/or commit their lives to one another, feel as though there are some things that need to be worked out before you say "I do," then I can help.
As a Couples & Family Therapist I know a lot about how relationships work and what helps keep them strong and fulfilling after many years. I want to bring my expertise to your relationship. I believe that together we can build a solid foundation for your commitment to continue to grow on.
The Commitment Package
If you are interested in making an investment in your relationship, I offer a 5-Session premarital/ pre-commitment package. The package is designed to be applicable to all couples, while providing enough flexibility to address the unique aspects of your relationship.
If you are interested in a pre-marital package, you'll first need to get in touch with me. I'll then set up a time for a free, initial consultation to help you decide if I am the right counselor for you. If I am, awesome! We'll sign the paperwork, set up the intake session and I will provide you both with a copy of my initial premarital assessment. I'll ask you both to send it back to me before our first session.
After we go through the results of your initial assessment together, our sessions will be geared towards helping you reinforce areas of strength in your relationship and I'll give you new insight and tools for addressing areas of growth. Using evidence-based techniques from Emotion-Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method, we'll work on not just getting you through your ceremony, but building a marriage or commitment that feels loving and stable.
If you are interested in a pre-marital package, you'll first need to get in touch with me. I'll then set up a time for a free, initial consultation to help you decide if I am the right counselor for you. If I am, awesome! We'll sign the paperwork, set up the intake session and I will provide you both with a copy of my initial premarital assessment. I'll ask you both to send it back to me before our first session.
After we go through the results of your initial assessment together, our sessions will be geared towards helping you reinforce areas of strength in your relationship and I'll give you new insight and tools for addressing areas of growth. Using evidence-based techniques from Emotion-Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method, we'll work on not just getting you through your ceremony, but building a marriage or commitment that feels loving and stable.
$799
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should we choose premarital counseling with you over someone else?
That's an awesome question and I've given this a great deal of thought.
Your first option for premarital counseling is a religious leader if you are getting married in a more traditional ceremony. Your second option is a premarital package, often offered by counselors and therapists who do this work. With a package, you and your partner (most likely) take a test online which results in a score that ranks your marriage based on how harmonious your partnership is. Based on your results there are worksheets and exercises designed to help you get through conversations about money, children, spirituality, etc. together.
Our work will be different.
For starters, many of the other packages I mentioned only talk about sex and desire in your relationship in a very surface level way. I have the training and skills to not only help you both work through more detailed conversations about sex, attraction and desire in your marriage but to ensure it is sustainable and fulfilling for years to come.
Secondly, I know a lot of people do not want nor are they thinking of having a "traditional" marriage. Most pre-marital packages are designed for monogamous heterosexual couples and that's only one type of relationship out there. I have the necessary training and experience to help you navigate whatever hopes and dreams you have for your marriage or partnership, especially if you both want something beyond the traditional.
Lastly, only a few premarital programs focus on how bad communication and conflict even start for long-time partners. Evidence-based therapies have found in their research that couples engage in cycles of behavior that have their roots in past experiences, family of origin and childhood. I want to ensure that not only do you have a handle on what kinds of arguments are likely to happen in your marriage together, but how to address them in a way that strengthens your bond over wearing you down. By exploring these factors in a safe environment, long before the big disagreements happen, you have the opportunity to use conflict in a positive way going forward.
Your first option for premarital counseling is a religious leader if you are getting married in a more traditional ceremony. Your second option is a premarital package, often offered by counselors and therapists who do this work. With a package, you and your partner (most likely) take a test online which results in a score that ranks your marriage based on how harmonious your partnership is. Based on your results there are worksheets and exercises designed to help you get through conversations about money, children, spirituality, etc. together.
Our work will be different.
For starters, many of the other packages I mentioned only talk about sex and desire in your relationship in a very surface level way. I have the training and skills to not only help you both work through more detailed conversations about sex, attraction and desire in your marriage but to ensure it is sustainable and fulfilling for years to come.
Secondly, I know a lot of people do not want nor are they thinking of having a "traditional" marriage. Most pre-marital packages are designed for monogamous heterosexual couples and that's only one type of relationship out there. I have the necessary training and experience to help you navigate whatever hopes and dreams you have for your marriage or partnership, especially if you both want something beyond the traditional.
Lastly, only a few premarital programs focus on how bad communication and conflict even start for long-time partners. Evidence-based therapies have found in their research that couples engage in cycles of behavior that have their roots in past experiences, family of origin and childhood. I want to ensure that not only do you have a handle on what kinds of arguments are likely to happen in your marriage together, but how to address them in a way that strengthens your bond over wearing you down. By exploring these factors in a safe environment, long before the big disagreements happen, you have the opportunity to use conflict in a positive way going forward.
How does payment work for the commitment package?
If you decide I'm the right commitment counselor for you, you have a couple of options for payment - you can pay for each session individually or you can pay for the package all at once. All major credit cards are acceptable forms of payment and all commitment package clients will need to have a card on file for incidentals, like needing to cancel an appointment last minute. If you choose to pay for sessions individually your package price will have an added convenience fee of $1, making each session $200.
Keep in mind that premarital sessions are not mental health sessions and are therefore ineligible for potential reimbursement by your insurance company. If you are interested in trying to use your out-of-network insurance benefits, consider seeing me for couples therapy instead - you can find further information about those services here.
Please feel free to ask me further questions about payment in our free, 20-minute consultation.
Keep in mind that premarital sessions are not mental health sessions and are therefore ineligible for potential reimbursement by your insurance company. If you are interested in trying to use your out-of-network insurance benefits, consider seeing me for couples therapy instead - you can find further information about those services here.
Please feel free to ask me further questions about payment in our free, 20-minute consultation.
Can we continue to see you after we get married?
If you have completed the curriculum and still feel you would like to see me for further couples work, we can talk about your options in our last commitment package session together.
If you choose to continue with me, you will be asked to fill out my intake forms for couple's therapy and will be bound by the expectations and regulations I set forth in my Professional Disclosure Statement, Informed Consent and Practice Policies documents. Please consult my services page and my fees page for further information about on-going counseling with me.
For some, the commitment package may already not be the right fit, this is possible for couples with a history of violence, infidelity or high conflict. In such cases, I would be happy to discuss referrals to other providers and additional resources or options with you.
If you choose to continue with me, you will be asked to fill out my intake forms for couple's therapy and will be bound by the expectations and regulations I set forth in my Professional Disclosure Statement, Informed Consent and Practice Policies documents. Please consult my services page and my fees page for further information about on-going counseling with me.
For some, the commitment package may already not be the right fit, this is possible for couples with a history of violence, infidelity or high conflict. In such cases, I would be happy to discuss referrals to other providers and additional resources or options with you.
*If you and your partner feel you need a lot of support or there is a history of abuse, infidelity or major communication difficulties in your relationship a package may not be the best fit for you. Get in touch to see if individual or couples counseling could be a better fit; we would be more than happy to discuss your needs and options.
Fill out the contact form above to get started!
Let's get you ready for this new chapter in your life together!
|
|
Copyright © 2015 - 2021 | Portland Sex Therapy, LLC | All rights reserved