Helping and Healing the relationship

Welcome. Perhaps you are here in a moment of crisis. Maybe your hope is to reconnect with your partner and find friendship, intimacy and trust again. I can help. You can find solace in the relationship instead of chaos and pain.

"Dr. Margaret Dixon helped save our marriage of twenty years, and we owe her a huge thank you! She was extremely compassionate and professional during each therapy session. Dr. Dixon incorporated a scientific evidence-based practice of EMDR which helped tremendously with processing of past traumas and pain, as well as calming coping strategies. Our marriage was on the rocks and on the verge of ending…"  (review from healthgrades.com)

How do I help relationships?

There are many reasons people seek professional help for their relationship. You may be in the early stages and recognize a need for better communication. You may need a helpful guide fostering your intention with tools you practice with my help. If an affair brings you here, know that I come from a place of non-judgment and healing. I am open to all religions, beliefs and life-styles that do not intend harm. I believe an affair or other infidelity does not need to end a relationship and that seeking my help opens the door to a new and different relationship after healing happens. Let me help you through these hard times. I believe there is a future of connection and personal growth ahead for you.

If you entrust your relationship to my care and expertise, I promise to give you each support and direction during individual sessions and within the couple work. Sometimes one or both of you have traumas that get triggered in the relationship. I can help with EMDR. I am the only EMDR therapist in the area that does couples intensives. I have a plan and a structure crafted from research that will be individualized for you.

What can you expect?

I will be active during sessions with instructions, examples, and modeling of communication skills. I will often stop and guide you to a calmer communication style. I will help you find your words and sometimes speak for you to your partner. For example, I will help you practice how to approach gently and soothe instead of agitating your partner and how to reach them through their own love language. You can become a team to manage the stress of life and ongoing disagreements.

More specifically, I use Gottman methods, EMDR and attachment theory.  An on-line Gottman assessment that you both could complete speeds the process as well.  If you would like more information about the research based therapy I use, click on the Gottman badge – it is a link for more information about the on-line assessment. You will both have time to speak privately and if there is a secret that needs airing, I will help you share it in a way that is as safe as possible.

How to pay:

When the focus of therapy is working with a relationship to improve a couples communication and increase satisfaction, therapists should not charge insurance.  I am aware that some therapists work around this by identifying one person as the paying and diagnosed person.  In most cases, this is not appropriate, legal or ethical when the focus is the relationship.  Often these same therapists try to fit couples’ counseling into a typical 45 to 50 minute session.  At the bottom of my page here you can find another website that goes into more detail about the drawbacks and problems with that approach.  You will need to pay for my services and I accept all forms of payment at the time of service.  In some cases, you may want to pay one lump sum for some additional savings, such as the couples intensive package which will be 1000 dollars for 8 full hour sessions to be arranged flexibly.  After a first three hour session for 400 dollars you can decide to purchase that package for the additional savings.

In summary, the couple counseling costs are as follows:

$400, 3 hour intro intensive ($133 per hour)

$200, 90 minutes on-going sessions ($133 per hour)

$1000, 8 hour intensive package (hourly cost = $125), this can be purchased multiple times.

What is a Couples Intensive?

An intensive is a large block of time for couple therapy. Due to the complexity of working within a relationship, research dictates longer blocks of time for couples therapy. Currently, I start with an introductory intensive of three hours which includes individual time with each of you.  Does that seem like a long time?  If you have ever been to an all day convention – these intensives are nothing like that. If you have ever been to a retreat or workshop with a variety of activities, intensives are more like those structured days. The difference is that we will be focused on your individual plan based on a lengthy assessment that you complete before we meet, your individual short session embedded in the long session and the minute to minute on-going evaluation as I observe you talking to each other within structured activities. Very rarely will you be talking directly to me during the times we three meet. I will be directing you to talk to each other in structured ways. An exception is within EMDR therapy, when one of you may be an observer. I have found treating trauma with EMDR in the couple’s setting often fosters empathy and healing of the relationship. Choosing to seek therapy and coaching for your relationship is an investment of time and money but I cannot think of many things that can compete with its worth. No vacation, spa, massage or retreat can beat a couples intensive for moving you into the next direction for your life. Intensives, longer sessions that I offer, give a high return on investment and are more effective than drawn-out weekly sessions over many months.

Currently, I am offering a first short Couples Orientation for 75 dollars.  For one half hour we can meet at my office so that you can be assured with very little expense, that I can provide you with the assistance that you need.   During this time, you will not only get a feel for our fit, but you will hear about the methods I use.  Even if you do not end up working with me, you will gain information, ideas and resources.  I will usually encourage you to think about it and discuss with your partner for at least 24 hours before booking a time with me to start therapy.

Intensive Couples Arrangements and Fee: These sessions are typically held at my office, though I have worked with couples in their own home. There can be benefits to both approaches. We can discuss your preferences in how to arrange the total of 8 therapy hours for the total package deal of 1000.  If you are traveling a distance consider flying into Reno. As you can see by my photos, I love the natural beauty and outdoor activities the area offers. Call me and let’s get started with your individualized plan.