Marriage Counseling
Licensed Counselors Helping Couples Repair Hurt,
Renew Intimacy, and Rebuild Trust
Nothing compares to the safety and security of the loving connection you have with your partner. The bond you have is so valuable, and you vowed to do everything in your power to make it work. And your hard work is often rewarded with laughter, closeness, and never-ending support.
Unfortunately, life is unpredictable and sometimes harsh. And your relationship can suffer from the consequences of this reality. While every couple struggles at times, some can also suffer from deeper issues that require the help of a licensed therapist.
Couples counseling provides a safe space for you and your partner to explore these challenges, learn effective communication skills, and rebuild a stronger, more fulfilling relationship. If you're interested in learning more about how couples counseling can help you and your partner, we encourage you to reach out to our office. We're happy to answer your questions and schedule a consultation. Remember, even the strongest relationships need support sometimes, and we're here to help you navigate the path towards a happier, healthier future together.
Why Couples Start Counseling
Communication Problems
Communication breakdown is one of the most common reasons couples seek counseling. They may struggle to express their needs, listen actively to their partner, or resolve conflicts constructively. This can lead to consistent arguments, elevated levels of anxiety or depression, and create emotional rifts. The functioning of your entire household may also be negatively impacted.
Infidelity and Betrayal
One partner's affair can severely damage the trust and intimacy in a relationship. Couples counseling can help both partners work through their feelings, rebuild trust, and develop strategies to move forward. Also, betrayals of other kinds can also damage a couples' relationship. Examples of this are family secrets, hidden addictions, and more.
Major Life Transitions & Stress
Major life transitions such as job loss, illness, or retirement can put stress on a relationship. And even "positive" life transition can introduce stress into a relationship, and make it difficult to communicate and solve problems. Some example of these positive and stressful life transitions are a new baby, moving to a new home, a child going to high school or college, going back to school as an adult, and much more. Couples counseling can help partners navigate these changes and develop strategies for supporting each other during difficult times.
Sexual Issues & Lack of Intimacy
Sexual difficulties such as differences in libido, lack of intimacy, or difficulty with sexual performance (sexual dysfunction) can be a major source of tension in a relationship. Counseling can help partners explore these issues and work together to improve their sexual relationship.
Premarital Counseling
Some couples seek counseling before getting married to address any issues or concerns they may have about their compatibility, communication, or long-term goals. Pre-marital counseling can help partners enter their marriage with a stronger foundation and a clearer understanding of each other's needs and expectations.
Major Conflict - Finances, Parenting, Etc
The most important aspects of building a life together can be a sources of tension in a relationship. Differences of opinion, cultural background, and personality can contribute to major conflicts. Regular arguments and a breakdown in trust is the unfortunate result. Counseling can help couples learn to work together more effectively and develop a unified approach to parenting, finances and more.
How Therapy Helps Couples
Improved Communication
Couples counseling can help partners learn how to communicate more effectively and empathetically with each other. This can lead to fewer misunderstandings and conflicts, as well as greater trust and intimacy in the relationship.
Better Emotional Bond
Counseling can help couples deepen their emotional connection with each other by providing a safe and supportive environment to explore their feelings, hopes, and fears. This can lead to a greater sense of emotional closeness and mutual understanding in the relationship.
Better Problem Solving
Couples learn how to work together more effectively to solve problems and make decisions. This can include developing shared goals and values, learning how to compromise, and finding new solutions to long-standing issues. As a result, couples can experience greater harmony, stability, and happiness in their relationship.
Our Approach To Couples Counseling
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(EFT) is a type of couples therapy that focuses on helping partners develop a stronger emotional bond. The therapy involves exploring each partner's emotions and attachment needs, and learning how to express them in a way that is clear and constructive. By working through negative patterns of communication and behavior, couples can develop new, healthier ways of interacting and create a deeper sense of connection and intimacy in their relationship. The goal of EFT is to help couples build a secure and lasting emotional bond that can withstand the challenges of life together.
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Trauma-informed couples therapy is a specialized type of therapy that focuses on helping couples who have experienced trauma build stronger and healthier relationships. This approach involves helping each partner recognize the impact of their past trauma on their current relationship dynamics, and learning how to communicate and support each other in a way that promotes healing and growth. The therapist provides a safe and supportive environment where partners can explore their feelings, develop empathy and understanding for each other, and work through difficult emotions related to their trauma. The goal of trauma-informed couples therapy is to help partners build a stronger and more resilient relationship that can support their healing and recovery from trauma.
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Gottman Couples Therapy is a research-based approach that focuses on helping couples develop stronger and healthier relationships. This approach involves identifying negative patterns of communication and behavior, and learning new, more constructive ways of interacting with each other. The therapist uses a variety of techniques to help couples build greater empathy and understanding for each other, and to develop deeper levels of intimacy and connection. The goal of Gottman couples therapy is to help couples build a stronger foundation for their relationship that can withstand the challenges of life together.
Starting Counseling is Simple
Fill out the New Client Form
It only takes a minute & starts the new client on-boarding process. We make it easy!
Schedule Your 1st Session
Our team will reach out ASAP to schedule the first session with your counselor.
Celebrate Your Growth
Enjoy lasting change! The Sweetgrass Way is all about your enduring health and happiness.
Blogs for Relationship Issues
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10 Signs You May Need Marriage Counseling
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Road to Resilience: Rebuild Your Relationship After Infidelity
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Healing Together: How Trauma-Informed Couples Therapy Helps
What’s holding you back from getting help for your relationship?
▲ Fear of Judgment - “What will they think of our problems?”
It's a very common fear to be afraid that your therapist will "judge" you. However, counselors are trained to be curious, compassionate, and objective. Their job is to not judge or harshly evaluate your life choices or behaviors. In fact, most clients feel understood and validated by their counselors.
▲ Cost of Services - “I’m not sure insurance will cover this”
Thankfully, most insurance plans include mental healthcare as a covered service. Depending on your plan, counseling may only cost as much as a regular copay for an office visit. Our office will research your insurance coverage once you onboard as a new client. So, you'll have an accurate estimate for what therapy will cost per visit. If you have questions about insurance, you can visit out Fees & Insurance page here.
▲ Stigma and Shame - “Going to counseling means we’re doomed”
Seeking help for your relationship doesn't mean that you are weak or a failure. It's actually a sign of resilience and courage to seek professional help. Also, many couples use counseling for less serious and more "average" issues. We encourage all couples to avoid assuming the worse case scenario when starting therapy. You may be surprised how many strengths and positive qualities your marriage has already.
▲ Skepticism and Doubt - “Will counseling help? We’ve had bad experiences in the past”
We encourage all clients to speak with their counselor to learn more about how counseling works. In fact, a mutual understanding of the goals, methods and desired outcomes of therapy is key to a successful working relationship.
We're always sorry to hear about previous negative counseling experiences from our clients. Please know that it's our ethical duty to provide effective counseling in a highly professional manner to all clients, at all times. If you have any questions or concerns, please bring them to your therapist or our Practice Manager. We are more than happy to help you gain trust and confidence in the counseling process while working with Sweetgrass Therapy.
FAQs
❋ Can counseling sessions be online?
Yes. You may meet with your counselor via an online video call, instead of coming into the office. The Telehealth service we use is a secure online platform that is easily accessible. You can meet exclusively with your therapist online, or have a mix of in-person and Telehealth sessions. This is totally up to you and your unique needs.
❋ How long do I need to be in therapy?
The length of therapy can vary based on individual needs and goals. Some people may find that a few months of therapy is enough, while others may benefit from ongoing sessions over a longer period of time. Everyone is different, and each person's life has a variety of factors that will influence the course of treatment. We encourage clients to talk to their counselor about the frequency of meetings, how best to use time between sessions, and set time to measure progress. This can all help you get a better sense of how therapy is working for you over time. And it might help you understand when you want to reduce the frequency of sessions, terminate completely, or continue.
❋ Will insurance cover the cost of counseling?
Yes. Health insurance coverage includes mental health services such as outpatient counseling from Sweetgrass Therapy. In some cases, your therapy visits may only be cost of a copay. Our office will research your insurance coverage and get a "quote of benefits" for counseling for you before the first session. In this way, you can understand how to use your health insurance for counseling.
Finally, we're in-network with 3 major insurance companies - Aetna and BlueCross BlueShield.
❋ Will my therapist keep my information private & confidential?
Yes, mental health professionals are bound by confidentiality laws and are ethically obligated to keep your information private. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, such as if you pose a danger to yourself or others.
❋ What are my counselors qualifications and background?
Every therapist in our group has a Master's degree in Marriage & Family Therapy. This degree means that we are all trained in general mental health treatment (anxiety, depression, etc) and relationships (couples, families, groups). In addition to learning theory, our therapists have professional experience (client work) that was obtained during the education progress.
And more importantly, we’ve helped hundreds of clients work through mental health and relationship issues.
Our therapists are all licensed to practice mental health care in the state of Illinois. MFT licenses require continued education on a 2 year renewal cycle.
You may also ask your therapist about other parts of their background and qualifications. You may be interested to learn more about their professional experience in other fields or roles!
