Even the best marriages suffer through rocky times. Relationships are filled with trials. However, some trials involve larger obstacles to overcome. Sometimes the best way to overcome those obstacles is to get some outside help. Knowing when to ask for help and contact a marriage or family counselor is an important step in the healing process.
If you live in the Chicago area, there is a dearth of professional counselors and programs that you can work with. However, it can be difficult to know where to start when picking a therapist. You want to find someone you can trust, and also someone who is effective and educated. The following therapists are some of the best in the Chicago area.
Dr. Michael Fields
Dr. Fields is a professional psychologist with over 30 years of practice experience. He has significant experience in all areas, and has also worked with law enforcement agencies as an evaluator and expert witness. Through these experiences, he has gained the ability to apply of the best mix of therapeutic options needed for each case. He works to take the knowledge he gains from psychological evaluation, and work with therapeutic methods to reach the best outcome for the patient.
Dr. Fields’ office is a comfortable place, and he employs humor and optimism in his approach, believing that they are important for the healing process. He focuses on divorce cases, as well as family and marital discord. He is comfortable working with teenagers and the elderly, as well as adults, and offers single, couples, or group sessions.
Natalie Lane Eden
Natalie Eden is a counselor who focuses not only on emotional growth, but also spiritual growth. She includes a Christian perspective in her counseling, and puts spirituality at the forefront of the healing process. Her belief is that repairing a person’s relationship with Christ is the first step in building or improving on their relationship with others. She is also aware that each situation is different, and offers to work with clients who have limited finances to ensure that everyone is able to receive the help needed to work through the obstacles in front of them.
Natalie Eden works with all ages of clients, and focuses on helping clients transition through different life events such as marital problems or divorce. Her faith-based approach ensures that she is working on growth within the individual at the moment, but also building towards continual growth. This continued spiritual growth will aid individuals as they go through life and deal with new problems that may arise. She is comfortable working with all ages of clients, and specializes in Asian clientele, as well as clients with a Christian background.
Ninfa A. Martinez
Ms. Martinez is a licensed marriage and family counselor with over 15 years of experience. She works with all types of couples, and also helps children and families as they deal with issues such as depression, grief, or traumatic events. She is also a supervisor of Marriage and Family Therapy students, and also aids many legal and social service organizations. These experiences have brought the knowledge and experience necessary to deal with a wide range of marital and familial problems.
Ms. Martinez is bilingual in Spanish and English, which allows her to conduct sessions in either language. She also understands that different cultures have different understandings of problems or issues. By being sensitive to the cultural expectations surrounding the client, she is able to find the best solution possible for the individual or family, and help them arrive at this solution. She also works with families, and is able to help with relationship problems within the entire family, not just between spouses. She focuses on solving issues through the use of psychodynamic and cognitive methods, with the belief that change comes from understanding issues.
Couples Retreat For Marriages in Crisis
If you do not feel comfortable working with a counselor, marriage retreats are an option that may work better for you. These retreats involve getting away from your home and gaining time to focus specifically on the improvement of your marriage. These retreats usually involve the couple, and are focused on honesty and growth within that relationship.
One example is a marriage retreat offered by Dr. Scott Terry called Restarting Relationships. This retreat can be done in person, and takes place in Illinois. It is also available through Skype. It is considered a short retreat, and can be completed in 6 hours; these hours can be in a single day, or spread through 2 days. Dr. Terry is an experienced professional, and offers a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the retreat.
These retreats work to help couples develop an understanding of their partner, and really put the partner as an equal or priority in the relationship. He works to develop spousal empathy, as well as break habits that are detrimental to the relationship. He then goes on to encourage the forgiveness process, which allows change and a brighter future for the couple.