When it comes to marriage counseling, not all problems are created equal.  What do we mean by that? In our work with couples, we see a lot of finger pointing and wanting the other person to assume equal culpability for the problems in the relationship.  After all, it takes two to tango, right? No, not always.  While the problems in a relationship are rarely one person's doing, it's also not 50/50. 

In this video, Dr. Hawkins talks about the importance of triage - to assess which issues are the most critical to address first, and explains why couples counseling may not be the right course of action for you. 

We tried counseling in the past, and it only made things worse! 

Our counselor was unable to see past his/her façade and 

didn't confront any of the real issues! 

If this has been your past experience, we understand your concerns. Our clinicians have years of experience and training in recognizing and treating covert abuse.  

We will start with a thorough assessment of the destructive patterns in your relationship and provide you with a clear plan for what it will take to heal and restore your relationship.  Our priority is to establish emotional safety first, and deal with the sabotaging defense mechanisms before beginning any couples work.