Free Initial Phone Consultation
Phone: 678-717-8848
Introduction
This page is designed to introduce me as a marriage and family therapist. My competence in the field is based on my extensive training and field experience, as well a personal commitment to help others. Let me emphasis, whether or not you choose me as your therapist; I will be happy to help you find the resources you need for yourself and your family.
Marital Counseling Philosophy
As a marriage counselor I want to help people save their marriages. My principal goal in marriage therapy is to give individuals tools that will help them to build a successful marriage. The tools include personal insight into why they have unresolved marital conflicts and the interpersonal skills to resolve those conflicts. The couple will learn to build a foundation of respect, trust and commitment that will support their mutual love for each other.
The first session consists of an assessment of the couple. This assessment includes basic medical information for both individuals. Specific marital issues are examined such as money, family, work, sex, affairs, religion, conflict management and play. An early course of treatment will be discussed in this first session.
The next session I take family histories. The histories provide a deeper understanding of each individual. I also take a history of the couple's relationship from how they met to the present. This is assessment is very structured. I often finish both people in one session. This completes the assessment part of the therapy.
The next part of the therapy is working on the couple's communication. I use a basic communication model that enhances the individual's ability to listen to their partner and to speak more clearly to their needs. The issues presented by the couple are resolved through their new communication skills in the therapy. The process stops the bickering and leads to better decision making. The improved empathy skills increase intimacy and a deeper understanding of themselves. To enhance the counseling, I use the book Fighting for Your Marriage.
The final part of therapy is to help couples become more loving. We will look at how each individual expresses love and how each person would like to be loved. The goal is to bring the couple closer. To aid in this understanding I use the book The Five Love Languages.
Work and Education Background
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Georgia and have had a private practice for over 30 years. Before starting my practice, I taught college in the area of Child and Family Development in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia. I have three degrees in the field of Child and Family Development; BS Penn State, MS Indiana University, and Ph.D. University of Georgia. I also have worked as a trainer for several non-profits in the Atlanta area, also in the field of Child and Family Development. Besides assisting in behavioral research while attending the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at UGA, I also taught two semesters of Human Sexuality.
