Relational Therapy

We do not live in isolation, and our relationships to others and to our communities and culture influence us in many ways. Relational therapy aims to understand how the relationships in our lives and cultural/systemic forces shape who we are, and how we are doing in turn influences our relationships. The therapeutic relationship offers a direct experiential opportunity for us to explore and work on relationship dynamics.

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.

I strongly feel that a good portion of successful therapy, involves a healthy and communicative relationship between therapist and client. Relational therapy is based on the idea that mutually satisfying relationships with others are necessary for one’s emotional well-being. Factors such as social status, race, class, culture, and gender, are taken into account and examine the power struggles and other issues that develop as a result of these factors, as well as how they relate to your life.

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.

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.

A big piece of our work in therapy will be examining how you feel in your relationships. We all have a deep desire to be known and understood, yet sometimes we get stuck repeating the same patterns that keep us from being truly seen, heard, and known. In our work together, we'll learn about these patterns and come to understand them with compassion for how they developed in the first place. In doing so, you'll be able to let go of patterns & fears keeping you from what you want the most.

The number one predictor of satisfaction with the therapeutic experience is the strength of the bond between the client and the therapist. Creating a foundation of trust and comfort for the client is of the utmost importance to me, as it allows us to explore problematic relationships with family, friends, and partners. Through this collaborative journey, you will learn to handle conflict in a variety of social settings and develop relationship skills such as patience, self-confidence, and trust.

As a therapist, I am keenly interested in the art and science of being "in-relationship." Good, relational psychotherapy is able to utilize the rich, dynamic, and here-and-now nature of the therapeutic relationship for the patient's benefit. I have found that patterns in the therapeutic relationship can often mimic patterns in patient's other relationships. Relationally-focused therapy can offer a reparative experience for those who have suffered neglect, abuse, and other relational traumas.

I truly believe the therapeutic relationship is a tool to be used in therapy. I think in order to heal our relationships we need to have a model of a relationship with healthy boundaries that you can depend on, and I try to cultivate that with the folks I work with.

For many of us, problems with our partners can be the most frustrating issues we have to face, leaving us feeling “crazy,” overwhelmed, and miserable. We start our relationships feeling hopeful, buoyant, and exhilarated, believing we have found our “soul mate”. All too often, this dream fades within years, and we do one of two things: we jump from one relationship to another, blaming problems on our partners; or we stay in a miserable union, hurting each other and/or stagnating.

Relational therapy focuses on the role of relationships in mental health. It posits that healthy relationships can heal psychological issues while poor relational dynamics can worsen them. The therapy emphasizes genuine connection and communication between therapist and client, using the therapeutic relationship itself as a model for constructive interpersonal interactions, aiming to improve clients' relationships outside of therapy.

Every dynamic I have with my clients is it's own unique relationship. So, it's important to make space for ways that a client and therapist can impact one another, and how our relationship can show up in the healing process. Relational therapy can illuminate aspects of a client's life and experiences that might be played out or show up in the therapeutic context. This technique also makes space for conflict, ruptures, vulnerable ways that client/therapist might affect one another, etc.

Trained to focus on therapeutic relationship, transference, and countertransference.

We encourage you to view the therapeutic space as your “relational home,” where your experiences will be honored and held by our empathetic team of clinicians. Our goal is to collaborate to help you make meaning of your story, ultimately searching for opportunities for relief and personal growth. By embracing what happens in the therapeutic relationship, valuable information is gained and is helpful in our understanding of you and your opportunities for growth and healing.