In-Person or Virtual options available.
now accepting new Clients
(503) 841-2142
In-person or Virtual Options are Available | Now Accepting New Clients
(503) 841-2142
For better or for worse is the promise we make when we marry. Marriage can be challenging. The demands of work and children creates stress which impacts the marriage. When there are not enough hours in the day to take care of everything, most people give up time alone with their spouse. That time is then given to family or to their jobs.
Marriage Counselors seek ways to help strengthen a couple’s relationship. Whether the concern is communication, conflict, disconnection, parenting concerns, or trust issues. The marriage therapist provides tools and skills to improve the couple dynamic. Using tools from the Gottman Method and Prepare and Enrich helps improve the overall relationship.
Marriage counseling helps make specific time for the couple increases emotional and physical intimacy. If you're ready to get started, my office is located in Tigard, and I serve clients in the surrounding areas.
SERVING CLIENTS IN THE TIGARD, WASHINGTON COUNTY, AND PORTLAND AREA
Marriage Counseling
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
—Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Cancellations must be made 24-48 hours in advance to avoid full charges.
Cancellation Policy
Clients wishing to use their insurance will be provided a Statement of Service so they may bill their insurance company directly. Please note the reimbursable amount is set by the insurance company.
Insurance
If you have additional questions, visit my Contact Page to learn more.
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Payment Forms
Typical session length is 50 minutes. Pillars of Hope Counseling also offers 90 minute sessions for couples who may need longer times. Family sessions are 90 minutes.
Rates
- Inability to communicate is causing anger in the relationship
- To find ways to be heard
- Fighting is creating a miserable home life
- Overcome an affair
- Deal with sexual concerns
- Learn tools for better parenting
- Explore and heal long time wounds
- Learn problem solving skills
- Find help in dealing with extended family concerns
Reasons Why Couples Seek Marriage Counseling
- Reduce conflict
- Open the flow of communication
- Work through changes together
- Solve ongoing problems
- Decide what is important to the marriage
- Learn to share feelings
- Give and receive compassion
- Openness to express one’s feelings
- Learn empathy
- Restore love and romance
- Heal past wounds
- Overcome an affair
- Develop a couple’s identity
- Creates a safe space to hear needs
- Teaches couples how to see their partner’s side
Benefits To Marriage Therapy
It is certainly difficult to talk with a stranger about personal details. Marriage therapists provide help because they direct discussions.
On-going conflict creates marital unrest if not dealt with properly. This type of unrest is unhealthy because it affects the entire family. Fear that the marriage therapist will take sides causes many people to not seek help.
Marriage counseling works because the therapist gets people talking and that is the first step in repairing relationships.
It’s important to pay attention to what is happening in the relationship because missing the signs causes anger.
Partners in healthy marriages can express all types of emotions, such as joy and sadness. When the marriage becomes unhealthy, couples begin to argue or sweep issues under the rug.
Marriage Counseling
Marriage Stages
To learn more or start the process, request an appointment, email me, or text or call directly at 503-841-2142.
Next Steps
Creating life and a lifestyle together after career ends. Making sure each partner’s dreams are being actively pursued.
Retirement Stage
Planning and caring for children. Learning how to balance work, family, and life situations. Dealing with aging parents.
Life Building Stage
Focuses on learning needs and wants. Trying to fit into their partner’s family. Balancing self-care with a couple's time. Learning spouse’s love language.
Get going stage
Focuses on reconnecting after the children grow up and leave the house. Adjusting to the quietness of an empty house. Having uninterrupted time to attune to partner’s wishes.
Two Again
Marriage counseling is approached from a strength based approach.
Couples learn basic communication skills. Practice how to talk so each partner can hear the message being sent.
Together will explore the anatomy of the couple’s conflicts and create strategies to reduce conflict thus healing old hurts.
Tools from the Gottman Method are used. This method helps couples strengthen their marriage in the areas of friendship, conflict, and shared meanings. Learning to understand the four-horsemen and how it hurts their marriage is one such tool. It helps couples learn to see positives in their partner.
Will also explore roles and values. These tools help couples learn new ways to connect. Together will repair and build a better relationship.
Counseling Approach
When a fight begins, many people bring up the past instead of sticking to the present-day issue. These are known as verbal daggers. Many marriages end because the words used were extremely hurtful. Marriage counseling teaches couples how to say what they mean without harm
Healthy communication is key for a good marriage. Successful couples know how to talk and listen to their partner thus helping their partner see their view.
This is done through the use of I statements. Couples learn to use gentle startups to begin tough conversation because this reduces conflict. Couples are taught how to vent in a healthy way instead of blaming.
Communication Skills
An important part of affair counseling is figuring out what was missing in the relationship. Learning to overcome feelings of not being good enough is a key piece to counseling. One or both partners may feel they are not good enough to be in a relationship which can cause stress in the marriage.
Learning to forgive and providing grace puts the relationship on the path of healing. This can be a hard journey.
When one partner has an affair, the injured partner often feels betrayed. Other emotions, such as loneliness, confusion, anger, or hopelessness can occur. The injured partner may wonder if it is possible to save the marriage after an affair. A marriage doesn’t have to end because one partner cheated.
Affair counseling, also known as infidelity counseling, focuses on understanding why the issue began. What was happening in the relationship that led up to the affair. It explores the role each partner played in the marriage.
Affair Counseling
- Send daily love bites
- Look at your partner when talking
- Sit together as often as possible
- Eat meals together
- Touch one another three times per day
- Share something about self, partner doesn’t know
- Affirm a positive each day
- Repair quickly when hurt has occurred
- Listen before talking
- Share feelings with spouse
- Use open questions
- Look for the good deeds
Marriage Tips
Taking the first step in talking with a marriage counselor is brave. Two appointment lengths are offered: A 50-minute or a 90-minute session. To learn more about marriage counseling or start the process, request an appointment, email me, or text or call directly at 503-841-2142.
