What Is Therapy?

Life can get pretty complicated. There are times when everything is moving according to plan, and you feel like  everything under control. Other times, you encounter challenges that exceed your capacity to cope with them, even though you have exhausted your time, energy, and resources. During these moments, it can feel as if you are alone in your struggles and unsure about who and where to turn to. You wonder: What’s next?

Life is not a multiple choice question. There is no one correct or wrong way to overcome these hurdles. However, there is a way that will uniquely work for you. 

This is where therapy can step in and become your guide and mentor to uncover this path. This process allows you to reflect and reset, giving you the clarity to take those next steps. As your therapist, we will work closely with you throughout this process to examine how your thought and behavior patterns impact your decisions and state of being, along with the ways in which your relationships with yourself, others, and the world influence your experience of life. 

Throughout our training we have developed expertise in working with the following concerns:

• Self Esteem
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Communication
• Stress Management
• Life Transitions
• Mood Disorders
• Relationship Dynamics
• Grief and Loss
• Trauma
• Hurt, Loss, Neglect, and Abuse in Family and Intimate Relationships
• Intercultural and Multicultural Identity and Concerns
• Life Transitions 
• College and Graduate Student Mental Health
• Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Mental Health
• Coping with Mental Health Issues of a Friend or Family Member
• Disordered Eating
• Body Image Concerns
• Women’s Issues
• Gender Issues
• Identity Development and Exploration
• Parenting
• Managing Expatriation and Repatriation

Humans have a fundamental need to feel emotionally connected with others. In relationships we seek out joy, love and acceptance. But when we experience ruptures in our close relationships, this need for connection can leave us feeling empty, hurt, and afraid to trust again. 

Couples Therapy focuses on helping clients improve communication patterns through developing attentive listening skills and practicing empathic responses. Couples Therapy can be a preventative measure by building intimacy and connection between partners, and providing effective communication methods, so that conflicts do not escalate to ruptures. Our therapists help each partner identify patterns that may have served as a self protective or distancing mechanism in the past, but are now responsible for the emotional distance in the present relationship.  Couples also learn to notice common triggers and early signs of irritable and disconnection, and work through those feelings to promote more effective ways of resolution.

We welcome couples of all relationship statuses, racial and cultural identities, and sexual orientations. 

Common reasons that couples may seek counseling for:

• Communication Issues
• Emotional Isolation and Distance
• Sexual Intimacy Issues
• Chronic and Sudden Ruptures in Trust
• Increase in Conflicts, Arguments, and Confrontations
• Intercultural and Interracial Differences 
• Balancing Work and Relationship
• Pre-martial Therapy
• Adjusting to new transitions (i.e. newlyweds, new baby, loss in family, job loss/promotion, etc.)
• Infidelity (such as Physical, Sexual, Emotional, or Financial)
• Parenting Issues

This is certainly far from a comprehensive of the reasons that couples seek out therapy. Every relationship is uniquely cultivated by two unique individuals, each with unique personalities and experiences.

Remember: no reason too trivial, insignificant, or insurmountable to seek help for. Starting the conversation is the first step. 

We support families by listening and collaborating with them as they navigate both the unpredictable barriers and challenges of everyday life. We work with families across the lifespan, all racial and cultural backgrounds, and various compositions, teaching them tools untangle the unhelpful patterns and overcome challenges. 

Family dynamics are complicated and continuously change and evolve over time and due to circumstances. Some common reasons that bring families to therapy include: 

• Challenges With New Transitions (i.e. new addition to the family)
• Children Moving Away (i.e. College, Graduate School, Study Abroad, etc.)
• Older Children Living Back Home
• Loss of a Loved One
• Supporting A Member with Mental Health Issues
• Immigration or Expatriation of One or All Members
• Temporary or Permanent Relocation
• Separation
• Illness 

Whether your family includes you, your spouse and your children, or yourself and your parents or in-laws,  our therapists can help increase understanding and connection between each other, so that you can move forward smoothly with mutual love and respect. 

To achieve this takes time, effort and an openness to both reshape the way you view yourself and your loved ones, as well as preventing further unhelpful patterns of behavior. 

Our therapists are here to guide you every step of the way. 

Support & Process