Couples Therapy

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 would 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, 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.  On my calendar, Couples can reserve their spot for the first 3 hour long session and that will put us in touch to plan further.

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. Minimally, we will plan on two hours, on up to six hours in one or two days. Those who work with me, even with the six hour intensive are pleased with the progress they make and comment on how quickly the time goes by. 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 can think of few things that 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 offer a high return on your investment and are more effective than drawn-out weekly sessions over many months. Though I can work with you in shorter blocks of time to fit your needs, the shortest time in session would be two hours for 280.

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.  You would be completing a consent for services and short individual intake form to attend that short appointment with your partner.  During this time, I will also offer you 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 9 therapy hours for the total package deal of 1000. I can work with you on Fridays or weekends with summertime availability during the work week, as well. If you choose the intensive package there will be three follow-up appointments of 50 minutes within the following six months. These can be accomplished via phone if distance is an issue. You will be on your own for a lunch break if we do six hours in one day or you may want to spread the 6 hours over 2 or 3 days. 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.

Flight Info for Couples Therapy Weekend Couples Consent Form

If you read this far, I will let you in on a little secret.  That reclining stud is my husband Daniel Dixon on a mountain bike trail – the famous Flume Trail. I mostly work with local couples but dream of drawing more distant visitors for an intensive weekend punctuated with some local outdoor adventures like this one.  You can rent a mountain bike and ride a van one direction.  You can attend a free outdoor concert and watch the slack line antics of daring youth.  You can rent snowshoes in the winter.  Your spouse will thank you for a weekend that changed your life together for the better.  I have seen it many times.

Learning more about research and methods for couples intensives

There are many great couples therapists using the Gottman methods in an intensive approach. I agree with the philosophy and treatment methods that are explained well on this couples therapy website, below. These therapists also have years of experience, if you are looking into options. You can click on the link to read about what to look for and what to avoid when searching for a couples therapist.

Couples Therapy Inc. Website