Coaching is an aspect of our practice, especially gender coaching, in helping people who are not struggling with psychological difficulties, but trying to find their way forward into more productive, happy and fulfilling lives.
Therapy tends to focus on the wounded downside of ourselves — but just as much as we are capable of darkness and contraction, we are creatures of light and expansion. Coaching tends to emphasize these upside possibilities, these gestures towards greatness all of us feel in the core of ourselves, howsoever small they may be. When they are given voice, when they are encouraged, these gestures can become great movements of empowerment and expanded life.
At A Couples' Place we are focusing on relationship coaching. The Gottman Method of Couples' therapy is a coaching model, meaning that with our help and guidance you will be talking to each other. There are many structured exercises and interventions that we'll use to help you do this. Ideally your conversations, especially when upset, are still specific, symmetrical, include good summaries and a good back and forth exchange. Of course you will not always be able to do this and then you need to learn how to repair a negative regrettable event.
I enjoy helping clients accept and like themselves, organize around strengths, achieve greater emotional presence, think clearly, and let go of shame, guilt and old habits of emotional survival. I believe therapy should lead to better decisions, as well as improved quality of life and relationships.