Relationships typically start out pretty enjoyable. But, they have a way of shifting and changing in predictable ways that can leave people feeling dissatisfied, angry, disconnected and hurt. When people come into our office, it isn’t uncommon to hear statements such as:

• I can’t express my emotions without my partner getting upset or shutting down

• I don’t feel seen, understood, or respected by my partner

• I feel lonely

• We fight all the time (about money, sex, kids, chores, etc)

• My partner tries to control me

• My partner doesn’t like me

• I love my partner, but I’m not in love with them

• My partner is too emotional

• We don’t know how to have fun together anymore

• We like different things

• My partner has no emotions/is a robot/won’t talk

• We can’t seem to talk about certain things without it turning into a fight

• My partner criticizes everything I do

• We don’t have sex

• We have no emotional intimacy, I don’t feel connected

• I don’t trust my partner

By the time people get to our office they are often already feeling pretty hopeless, resentful and frustrated. Usually they have been suffering in silence, or have been trying to solve these issues themselves for years, with little success.

A couples counselor can help you find your way back together. A couple therapist is trained to see the patterns and interactions in the dynamic of your relationship that aren’t working. They will make you both accountable for change and help you get in touch with and express the emotions and vulnerabilities that are driving your interactions, but that are normally unexpressed. They can help you shift out of your negative cycles and rebuild a new relationship (which is often what is needed)

A well trained couple therapist can also guide you to healing in the case of an affair or betrayal, help reignite your sex life, assist in navigating external stressors, help you learn to work as a team, guide you through the grief process, help you separate amicably (if that is what you want), or provide premarital counseling to help you achieve a long, satisfying life together.

We are in partnership with our sister clinic, The Couples Clinic of Portland. Our therapists are highly trained relationship experts who are adept at helping couples communicate clearly (and deeply), and construct a more satisfying relationship. To learn more about couple therapy in general, and the services that we provide, please visit our sister clinic HERE.

Some relationship topics that we commonly address include:

• Anger

• Blended Families

• Boundary Issues

• Communication Skills

• Conflict Resolution

• Divorce/Divorce Adjustment

• Grief

• Infertility

• Infidelity

• Internet Abuse and Addiction and its effects on the Relationship

• Intimacy

• Jealousy

• Marriage Counseling

• Midlife Crisis

• Parenting

• Polyamory/Nonmonogamous Relationships

• Porn Addiction

• Power Struggles

• Pre-Marital Counseling

• Remarriage

• Sex Therapy

• Trust