Individual Counseling
Individual Counseling is a modality that allows an individual to have one on one time with a therapist. It can be used with children, adolescents, and adults. Individual counseling is a safe space for clients to explore and express thoughts and emotions and behavior patterns. It is an ample opportunity to get undivided attention from a therapist and to work through specific targeted goals for the individual. Our individual counseling methods here at For You Counseling and Coaching are primarily based on Person-Centered Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).
Couple’s Counseling
Couple’s Counseling is a modality that allows a couple to be present in session together. It allows the couple to safely identify and explore painful patterns, ruptures, and/or areas of dissatisfaction in their relationship, while also safely allowing the couple to build courage to share unspoken emotions and unmet needs, and to safely learn positive relationship skills and to ultimately create powerful emotional repairs and new rituals of connection. Our couple’s counseling methods here at For You Counseling and Coaching are primarily based on Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman Method, and Prepare & Enrich.
Emotion Focused Therapy
Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) is a transformational therapy modality for all categories of couples. EFT was designed by Dr. Sue Johnson over 30 years ago to help couples both repair and strengthen their emotional bond in their relationship. In distressed relationships, couples often tend to argue about money, children, parenting, in-laws, infidelity, and even argue about what seems like nothing at all. Research shows us it is not the content of what couples fight about that really matters, it is the deeper and often hidden emotions, and unmet emotional needs underlying each partner’s position that really count.
EFT considers the relationship dynamics and interaction patterns as a “dance” the couple does. EFT therapy then particularly zooms in on what happens in a moment of distress for the couple. In other words, EFT looks at how the couple “dances” in these moments of distress. EFT is centered around helping couples dance differently by changing the emotional music of the relationship.
Research has shown EFT is highly effective and has a 75% success rate for couples. EFT is a structured process that is split into 3 stages, that typically takes 10-20 couple’s sessions. Stages consist of de-escalation, restructuring the bond, and consolidation. When couples successfully complete EFT therapy they will have a more secure bond, feel more connected, feel more trust, feel more love, and will have turned their relationship into their safest haven, even in the moments of distress. Research has shown that having a secure bond with your partner is also linked to reduce risk for heart disease, reduced stress, improved mental health, and improved resilience.
Gottman Method
The Gottman Method of Couple’s Therapy is based on Dr. John Gottman’s research that began in the 1970’s and continues to this day. The research has focused on what makes relationships succeed or fail. From this research, Drs. John and Julie Gottman have created a method of therapy that emphasizes a “nuts & bolts” approach to improving client’s relationships.
This method is designed to help teach specific tools to deepen friendship and intimacy in your relationship. To help you productively manage conflicts, you will be given methods to manage “resolvable problems” and dialogue about “gridlock problems” (or perpetual issues). We will also work together to help you appreciate your relationship’s strengths and to gently navigate through its vulnerabilities.
The Gottman Method contains five parts: assessment, treatment, “phasing out” of therapy, termination, and outcome evaluation. The assessment is thorough and comprehensive and significantly helps target strength areas and growth areas. The treatment phase consists of creating a treatment plan catered to relationship, and centers around teaching and practicing specific research based skills inside and outside of session on a regular basis. After the couple has developed skills and improved in their ability to use them regularly, the therapist will gradually reduce frequency of session, and then will schedule four follow up sessions- one after six months, one after twelve months, one after eighteen months, and one after two years. These additional sessions have been shown through research to significantly decrease the chances of relapse into previous, unhelpful patterns.
Prepare & Enrich Assessment
Prepare & Enrich is the #1 Premarital and Marriage Assessment for over 35 years. One of the most researched assessment tools with over 1200 published articles supporting its validity and reliability. Research shows taking the assessment and working with a facilitator can reduce risk of divorce by 30%.
The assessment provides a comprehensive picture of the relationship. The assessment helps the couple identify strengths as well as challenges. The results of the assessment provide concrete feedback, and prime important discussion about multiple aspects of the relationship. The use of a facilitator will help the couple navigate through discussions, and also will help the couple learn and practice important skills to create and maintain connection.
Taking the assessment alone has been shown to significantly increase relationship satisfaction for most couples who take it, and opting to use a prepare/enrich facilitator to lead discussions about assessment results and teach new relationship skills to the couple shows even higher rates of increase in relationship satisfaction.
Family Counseling
Family Counseling is a modality that allows a family to be present in session together. It allows the family to learn more about their helpful and harmful interaction patterns that may be present in their family system, and allows them to safely explore and understand each other’s perspectives in a new way. It allows families to learn, unlearn, understand, and grow together as a team.
Parent Coaching
Parents are the most valuable resource in their children’s world. This means that no matter what a child is struggling with, the way their parent reacts and responds to them will play a large role in helping them work through their issues.
Parent Coaching is a treatment modality that allows the therapist to explore parenting styles with the parent, teaches the parent about the connection between their children’s behavior and their parental behaviors, and allows the therapist to provide insight, feedback, suggestions, and tools for the parent.
Parent coaching is aiming to help parents create a more effective and positive interaction pattern with their child, which will not only improve the relationship, but will also improve the functioning of the child.
Parent coaching will not only provide feedback to the parent on how to create more positive interaction patterns with their children, but will also help the parent explore what obstacles prevent them from interacting with their child the way they want to and also will help the parent discover how to get past these obstacles.
While parent coaching is good for ALL parents, parent coaching can especially help for parents with children who struggle with: ADHD, Adoption, Anger, Anxiety, Behavior Issues, Blended Family, Defiance, Depression, Explosive/Implosive, Emotional Disturbance, Learning Disabilities, Poor communication skills, Reunification, Tantrums/Meltdowns, Trauma, Transitions
Parent coaching will help empower parents to develop and use new insight and tools to create more positive interaction patterns with their children, and as a result of improved interaction patterns, parents will ultimately help improve functioning in their children. Our parent coaching methods here at For You Counseling and Coaching are based on John Gottman’s Emotion Coaching Parenting curriculum, Child Parent Relationship Therapy, Attachment Theory, and Dan Siegel’s work, “The Whole Brain Child” based in neuroscience.
Life Coaching
Life Coaching is a modality that is solution focused and strengths based. It is a modality that can be used with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Typically a coaching session will focus on clarifying challenges, and creating specific steps to help achieve goals while maximizing life opportunities. Life coaching is helpful and applicable to life transitions, emotional struggles, career, finances, relationship, friendships, parenthood, health, wellness, and more.
Group Therapy
Group Therapy is a modality that allows strangers to join together as a group to learn and grow together, while feeling a sense of community and support in struggling with similar challenges. In the past, Samantha has led Parent Coaching Groups. Samantha and Patrice will announce any new groups that become available as needed. If you have a desire for a new group to be created, please share your ideas via email to foryoucounselingandcoaching@gmail.com. If enough interest is developed in the community, there is strong chance the group will be able to be created.
Workshops
Workshops are a special and limited service offered by both Samantha and Patrice. Workshops are typically 1 -2 hour events that focus on helping teach and implement skills and tools to a group. A specialized workshop can be requested and fees discussed as needed. In the past, Samantha has led communication workshops, and Patrice has led relational skills workshops and business workshops. If you have a desire for a new workshop to be created, please share your ideas via email to foryoucounselingandcoaching@gmail.com. If enough interest is developed in the community, there is strong chance the workshop will be able to be created.
Speaking Engagements
Speaking Engagements are a special and limited service offered by both Samantha and Patrice. Speaking Engagements are typically 1-2 hour events that focus on informing, motivating, and inspiring groups of people to help create effective change in their life and wellbeing. If you have a desire to hire Samantha or Patrice for a speaking engagement, please share your request via email to foryoucounselingandcoaching@gmail.com.