My guess is that you landed on my website because you are looking for some type of couples counseling or premarital counseling. I am so glad that you are reaching out for help and wanting to invest in your relationship.
Since I opened my practice in 2014, my schedule has been consistently filled with couples who are wanting the same as you—a better relationship that is “bulletproof” from everyday life stressors. Seeing couples in a long-term, weekly counseling has been one way, but not the only way, in which I provide support to couples.
- Thanks to an astonishing work of Dr. Sue Johnson and mentorship of Patti Swope, Misti Klarenbeek-McKenna, Dr. Lisa Palmer-Olsen, Dr. Sharon Chatkupt Lee, George Faller and many more, I started providing an unconventional, yet super fun way to support couples in creating a relationship that they always wanted.
Couples Counseling Class (CCC) is a one-day, private course just for the two of you, and me—the therapist. It is an educational and experiential couples’ class that is based on the most empirically supported marriage model in the world—Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), pioneered by Dr. Sue Johnson and Less Greenberg and based on Dr. Johnsons’ latest work, Hold Me Tight. Research studies have found that 70-75% of couples move from distress to recovery and 90 % show significant improvements through the use of EFT.
My main goal during the class is to teach you what “being in a relationship” is all about, so that you can understand the science behind it and support your relationship in a right way. Yes, improving communication is important, and after this class you will get ideas of how to do that, AND my hope is that you will get WAY more out of this class than just how to talk nicer to one another.
CCC is an excellent premarital counseling tool. It can be an amazing and thoughtful gift a for a couple that just got married or one that you care about. It is a great option for seasoned marriage or any committed relationship.
Question: If you knew that you only get to drive one car for your entire life time, how well would you take care of that car? Well, taking care of your relationship is not any different.
There are two reasons why I started offering this class. One, because we often don’t get an accurate education on how to be in relationships and how to make them successful. Usually, the only training on relationships that we get is from our primary caregivers, who got their training from their caregivers. The problem with this type of “generational” learning is that, sometimes even without us knowing, we perpetuate the same mistakes.
Also, what is fascinating to me is that we go to various work trainings and work conferences so that we can be better employees; however, we seldom go to trainings on how to be better partners. Why is that? At the end of the day, aren’t relationships with our loved ones the most important ones?
The second reason why I started offering this course is because I believe that the information offered in the class is a “prerequisite” to successful couples counseling. If you choose to do regular couples counseling after taking this class, I am certain that you will make progress faster.
Based on my experience as a couples therapist, I will share with you some funny stories from my own marriage that will shine a light on the fact that even couples therapists can get stuck in their own relationships, but most importantly, I will show you how to get unstuck.
What can you learn in CCC?
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1. You will learn 5 main ways of improving your relationship.
2. You will learn what love is and what it is not.
3. You will learn what type of a vicious cycle you get stuck in and ways of coming out of it.
4. You will learn how communication is only a small part of any successful relationship.
5. You will learn how to build a stronger and more connecting relationship.
6. You will practice having a new type of a conversation with each other.
7. You will learn why you might fight about the same thing over and over again.
8. You will learn some great nuggets about emotions, coping mechanisms, attachment needs, and co-dependency.
How is CCC different from conventional Couples Counseling?
- In CCC, I will be leading the conversation and educating you.
- In CCC, we will not go into details about your past experiences or traumas.
- In CCC, we will spend some time throughout the day PRACTICING NEW WAYS of sharing with each other versus talking about your old way of communicating that has proven not to work.
Why choose CCC over Couples Counseling?
- Because CCC can be less scary than Couples Counseling! I cannot tell you how often I meet with couples who should have started couples counseling years ago, but they were scared to do so (or just hesitant), so they waited until problems grew too big to tackle. If they knew about CCC, they would at least get enough information that would help them move in the right direction sooner.
- Because therapy is not for everyone, yet being educated and aware can be. Some people, once they learn the basics of how relationships work, gain so much awareness that they start creating a safe context for their relationship to grow. Some end up not needing weekly therapy! How cool is that? What if that is all that your relationship needs—a new way of looking at your relationship and a new way of taking care of your relationship, and each other.
- Because in CCC, we will cover some of the very same things that would be covered in conventional Couples Counseling, but we will do so in a direct and quick way.
Will I still need Couples Counseling after CCC?
I am not sure. However, what I am confident about is that you will get a clear sense of whether or not traditional couples counseling is something that will benefit the two of you. My hope is that if you decide to do couples counseling, you will have a new understanding of why the two of you are stuck and how to address it.
Here is what CCC will look like:
- The class starts at 9:00am, and it ends at 4:00pm with a 1 hour break for lunch (lunch is on your own). We will take short breaks in between.
- You will arrive 5-10 minutes before 9:00am to familiarize yourself with the space & get comfortable.
- If applicable, please make sure that your children or pets are taken care of until after dinner, in order to eliminate worrying about them.
- Get a good night of sleep the night prior, eat breakfast, and simply show up. No prep work, no expectations, just your presence and attention.
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I HIGHLY recommend that the two of you plan on having a dinner together after our class in order to “seal” and “solidify” the information learned throughout the day (and in order to add that “retreat” flavor to your day)!
Who is CCC NOT good for?
- Not good for couples who have an obvious lack of commitment to the growth of their relationship
- Not good for couples who experience active & current domestic violence in the relationship
- Not good for couples where partner(s) is/are involved in an active and current affair(s)
- Not good for coupes where partner(s) are actively using substances/are addicted/have a diagnosis of significant mental health problems
Who is the facilitator?
- I am a wife, sister, furry mom, therapist, and a supervisor passionate about bringing connection, strength, and vibrancy to couples and individuals
- Certified as a Therapist & Supervisor in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Approved Supervisor by American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Colorado (LMFT #1101)
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Trained Therapist and Fierce Love Practitioner
- Member of International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
- Nominated as a Therapist of the Year, 2016
- Director & Owner of Vibrant Couples and Individual Therapy, LLC
CCC Registration Form
- 9:00am to 4:00pm on a Thursday that we all agree on.
- Location: 8181 Arista Place Broomfield, CO 80021
- Please ask me about my COVID-19 safety policy.
CCC Registration: Please complete following form to secure your spot.