Anyone who is married will tell you that marriage is not easy; consistent work is needed to ensure that the relationship flourishes. There will be trials and challenges where you must work together to succeed. It is through these challenges that your relationship is strengthened. However, sometimes couples need outside help to work through the troubles; this is where a marriage and family counselor can be of great service.
Marriage and family counselors are trained specifically for dealing with familial and marriage issues. They focus on conflict resolution, relationship building, and other areas that are key to a healthy marriage. Working with a counselor is a great step towards improving your relationship, and shows commitment and desire to not only save, but also improve your relationship.
If you live in Pennsylvania, there are a number of different counselors you could visit for help in your marriage. The following counselors are some of the best in the area.
Helping Others Heal
Helping Others Heal is an organization headed by Adrian S. Turner. She is a Marriage and Family therapist with over 13 years of experience practicing therapy in the area.
She sees relationships as places where you must not only love the company of your spouse, but also of yourself; as such, if you do not enjoy spending time with yourself, you will also have relational problems dealing with others. Because of this belief, she focuses largely on self-esteem issues as the starting point for growth. She works with both individuals and groups, and is available for marital or divorce counseling.
Ms. Dotson focuses on African-American clients who are dealing with familial issues. Her counseling is based on a Christian perspective, which comes through in the suggestions and therapies she suggests. She is an Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist.
Beyond marital and divorce counseling, she is also available for family counseling; she takes on adult and adolescent clients, and offers individual, couple, or group sessions. She also is able to work with families to ensure that they are able to afford and pay for the services being rendered.
Mr. Eugene Kayser
Mr. Kayser is an experienced Marriage and Family therapist who has been practicing for over 20 years. He tends to focus on two specific types of couples for therapy – those who are near divorce and want to save their marriage, and those who find that the excitement has left their relationship. He uses the Gottman model for couple’s therapy, which is focused on the basics of relationship building such as conflict resolution, intimacy, and friendship.
Mr. Kayser breaks his sessions into three sets. He begins with evaluative sessions to identify problem areas in the relationship; these sessions take place as a couple, and also individually. It is at this point where goals are set by the couple regarding what they want to accomplish through the sessions. The treatment sessions then follow, where Mr. Kayser leads the couple through an eclectic mix of coaching and therapy based activities. He also offers “tune-up” sessions for couples who have completed his program, but desire to return later for a few sessions to accentuate the growth.
Dr. Christine F. Loveland
Dr. Loveland is a psychologist with over 20 years of experience. She has worked with a variety of organizations, including police forces and local hospitals. She deals with a wide range of client issues such as anger, ADHD, and self-esteem, as well as marriage and family therapy. Throughout these areas, she focuses on clients having a strong and stable view of themselves, which she believes will then project onto the relationship at hand.
Dr. Loveland is available for all types of marriage a family counseling. She works with children and youth, as well as adults and seniors. She uses many types of therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral and Mindfulness-based therapies, to help her clients. As well, she is bilingual in English and Spanish, and thus is able to provide sessions in either language. These sessions can be individual, or completed as couples or groups.
Marriage Retreat For Couples
Sometimes counseling can seem overwhelming for couples. If you feel that you are unable to commit to therapy, a weekend marriage retreat can be a helpful alternative. These retreats are based on the belief that clarity can come from being away from the routine of life. Usually they are held in a resort or holiday setting, ensuring that you have space and time to relax and focus on your marital issues at hand. These retreats also include seminars or guidance sessions where some counseling can take place.
In PA, Marriage Retorno offers many different weekend events. These events are usually hosted by a church, and are led by a Catholic priest and another married couple. The event focuses on solving marital discord by turning back to God as a couple. By doing this, the couple will gain a singular focus, helping to aid communication and conflict resolution. It is based around prayer, and is focused on creating a stronger understanding of each couple’s spirituality.