1) “Should I come into therapy with my partner or alone?” Couples in relational distress (unhappy!) will benefit from either individual or couples counseling. My goal is to help you improve your relationship and find new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Marriage is worth a hearty effort – most relationships hit a dead-stop at some point and each partner may find it necessary to “dig deep.” Yes, keeping families together is important and young children need both parents. Ultimately, this will be your decision – a therapist should never declare a marriage “over” or pressure a partner to “stay.” Divorce has lasting consequences for everyone; if no other options are available, amicable separation and divorce can be achieved with help from a skilled clinician such as myself.
2) Common Signs of Depression. Depression screening will be provided at your first therapy appointment. Suggestions and ideas to alleviate depression and improve your ability to focus, find employment, communicate better with family and friends, will be a collaborative effort between you and myself. Please see my website for greater detail on depression www.marriageandfamilytherapistofcarlsbad.com
3) “Will insurance cover therapy services?” I am a provider for several major insurance carriers. My flexible hours provide counseling to residents of San Diego and South Orange County, Newport Beach, Carlsbad, Del Mar, Oceanside, Vista and La Jolla, to name a few. Please call for further details 760.522.5659
4) Infidelity: Infidelity is a complex event in a relationship that can have devastating and/or permanent effects. Yet, many couples are able to successfully survive this traumatic experience. An experienced Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist can maneuver a couple through these powerful feelings. Beliefs and feelings around the infidelity must be managed in a safe and limited setting. Good communication skills include perfecting the message you send to others, the message that is received by others, and verification that both people are actually heard.
5) “We have already tried therapy!” If you have had therapy in the past, and you didn’t see improvements, there are often a variety of reasons for this. Sometimes your therapist is not the ideal fit. Sometimes we are not “ready” to take the actions necessary to feel better and sometimes the timing may be off (too many other issues at that time to properly address our internal conflict). If you have done therapy and feel that you addressed early childhood issues, there is often little reason to revisit those resolved issues. However, if previous areas of disturbance are surfacing again, it’s helpful to touch base with a therapist to give your life a closer examination. Previous areas of grief or loss, a family history of depression, or new manifestations of anxiety all benefit from seeking counseling and resolving the stumbling blocks to happiness.