Couples Therapy & Relationship Counseling in Lafayette, LA
Relationships are complex. When a relationship is struggling, the problem is rarely as simple as poor communication or not knowing the right things to say.
I work with couples experiencing conflict, emotional distance, loss of trust, changes in intimacy, parenting stress, betrayal, major transitions, and other challenges that can make it difficult to feel secure and connected in a relationship.
My approach is active, collaborative, and grounded in nearly two decades of clinical experience working with relationships, conflict, and complex family dynamics. Together, we'll work to understand not only what is happening between you, but what is driving it—and what needs to happen for something different to become possible.
Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples
My primary approach to couples therapy is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an evidence based model for couples therapy grounded in attachment science.
EFT offers a sophisticated way of understanding relationship distress. We look closely at the emotional and relational processes that organize the relationship: how each partner experiences moments of disconnection, the ways each responds when the relationship feels uncertain or threatened, and how those responses begin to shape the experience of both people.
This is important because couples can understand intellectually that they should communicate differently and still find themselves unable to do so when something important is happening between them.
EFT goes deeper than communication skills alone. We work to change the underlying relational patterns so that partners can become more accessible and responsive to one another, navigate difficult moments differently, repair more effectively, and experience greater security and connection in the relationship.
What I bring to the work
I've spent nearly two decades helping people navigate relationships in distress.
My clinical background includes advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy, attachment science, restorative practices, conflict resolution and mediation, and somatic approaches to emotional regulation. Together, these perspectives allow me to work with both the emotional depth of a relationship and the practical realities of conflict, decision-making, parenting, and everyday life.
I work actively in the room—slowing interactions down when needed, helping each partner understand their own experience and the other's, identifying what is happening beneath reactive exchanges, and helping you create new experiences with one another in real time-- to develop a more precise understanding of what happens between you and using that understanding to create meaningful change in the relationship itself.
Couples therapy may be helpful for
Recurring conflict or communication breakdowns
Emotional distance or loss of connection
Trust injuries, betrayal, or infidelity
Changes in intimacy or affection
Parenting disagreements
Blended-family challenges
Major life transitions and changing roles
Stress that has begun to affect the relationship
Difficulty repairing after conflict
Couples who want to strengthen their relationship before problems become more entrenched
When you're not sure whether you want to stay
Couples therapy generally works best when both partners are willing to explore improving the relationship.
When one partner is seriously considering separation or divorce while the other hopes to preserve the relationship, discernment counseling may be a helpful start. Discernment counseling is a brief, structured process designed to help couples gain greater clarity about whether to pursue couples therapy, move toward separation or divorce, or maintain the status quo for the time being.
Couples Therapy in Lafayette, Louisiana
I offer in-person couples therapy from my office in Lafayette, Louisiana, as well as telehealth throughout LA. I am also licensed to provide telehealth to clients located in Oregon.
I welcome the opportunity to talk with you about what is happening in your relationship and whether I may be a good fit.
Reach out to schedule a brief consultation.