FEDERAL WAY
When you first entered into your relationship, what dreams did you bring to it? How far are they from the reality you face today? What would you do to reclaim the relationship you once hoped to have?
Our therapists understand that every relationship is unique and, while relationships can be a source of great joy, they can also bring a lot of pain into your life.
We offer support for couples in relationships and for individuals attempting to heal from current or past hurts.
We are invested in working with you to find healthy and loving paths to a profound and connected life. We meet with couples in all stages of their relationships and work with them to define their vision for their partnerships and build practical steps toward the achievement of those visions.
We serve couples in Auburn, Federal Way, Puyallup, Kent, and Tacoma. If you’re interested in a faith-based approach to couples therapy, we also have select therapists who are able to provide this service.
Your relationship has unique challenges and strengths and the patterns of communication you and your partner have built affect every aspect of your lives. Maybe you fear that you’re growing apart from your partner, or sense that they are becoming distant. Perhaps it feels like you just can’t trust them the way you need. When the connection you dreamed of is missing, it can become incredibly painful.
Our Federal Way couples counselors work with you to build a healthier and more hopeful bond. The process of coupling and making a true, emotional connection doesn’t always occur naturally, but it is a skill that can be learned and practiced. Our sessions encourage you to rebuild trust, find healthy ways of expressing anger and resentment, and help you come to a clearer understanding of the ways you and your partner interact.
The ultimate goal of couples therapy, or marital counseling, is to give you a different experience of your partner, bringing you both to a place of connection in the safety of our office, then carrying that connection to your life outside of therapy. What if forgiveness and understanding could allow your relationship to become the safe place in your life, instead of just another source of conflict?
Premarital counseling services are meant for those dating and trying to decide whether to take the next step in their relationship. To be honest, our relationship therapists don’t typically use the term “premarital counseling”, because it assumes marriage should be the destination of every relationship. Instead, we prefer to use these sessions to take a deep look at what you want for your relationship and then help you create a strategy for arriving at that goal. This process, and the work involved, is similar whether you’re dating or you’ve been married for some time.
If you’re interested in learning more about Online Therapy options for couples, please visit our Online Therapy page.
If your relationship is no longer an option, that doesn’t always mean separation is obvious or easy. There is still hope and there are other things you might want to try.
Discernment counseling helps when couples are trying to decide whether or not to stay together. While it can be useful in the aftermath of an affair, or when there have been questions about infidelity, there are many other reasons why a couple might seek out our help as well. Maybe one partner is emotionally absent or you and your partner are growing in different directions. Perhaps you’ve begun to wonder whether you even love your partner or if this is what you want for your life.
In every relationship, the participants each have three options:
Discernment therapy can assist you in figuring out what to do next when you’re no longer willing to accept the first option.
We understand that divorce is a tremendously emotional and difficult process, which can result in a great deal of pain. Our divorce counseling services are focused on offering support and helping you to rebuild your world once your marriage has ended. Our therapists work with you at this stage to process the painful emotions involved, navigate new challenges, and create a new and fulfilling life.
Divorce is especially painful when children are involved. Are you worried your children might be hurt by the changes in your lives? We’re proud to offer services helping with co-parenting and challenges unique to divorced parents. If you’re currently going through a divorce and would like parental support and additional support for your children as they go through this difficult time, we recommend visiting our page on Family Counseling to learn more about how we can help.
You are worthy of a loving and healthy relationship. Maybe you sense that you’re not playing an active role in your partnership, or you fear that all of your energy and thoughts go toward supporting someone who doesn’t value your feelings. If you’re feeling trapped and overwhelmed within your relationship, our therapists provide a safe place for you to work through these feelings and build steps to a more connected and meaningful life.
Please note that if you currently feel you are in danger, we recommend calling the National Domestic Violence hotline 1-800-799-7233 or 911 for immediate assistance.
A healthy relationship is one where you are safe, supported, and feel free to express all of your ideas and concerns. Instead, you might feel as if you have to fight all the time for your thoughts and opinions to matter.
The goal of our approach to conflict resolution is to allow both parties to listen and feel heard. Our therapists work with both parties to build new communication skills, practice authenticity in a nonjudgmental space, and learn how to deal with negative emotions in more productive ways. With dedication and work, you and your partner can create a path toward feeling like you’re on the same team.
