Marital / Couples Psychotherapy

Object relations couple therapy is the treatment of choice for relationship conflict and communication problems. Relationships begin to break down when the conscious, and especially unconscious, needs of both partners are not being met. The dysfunction often arises from internal conflicts that both partners bring into the relationship, and these conflicts primarily originate from family of origin issues.

 

The goal of object relations couple therapy is not only symptom resolution, but rather:

• a return to an appropriate developmental phase of family life, with improved capacity to master developmental stress;

• an improved capacity to work together as life partners;

• an improved capacity to differentiate one's separateness and to meet the needs of each partner.

• an improved capacity for mutual gratification when relating intimately and sexually

 

Family Psychotherapy

This approach applies the insights of psychoanalysis and object relations, and thus focuses on the family by listening, responding to unconscious material, interpreting, and developing insight. The parents are essential in determining healthy or pathological family functioning. Dysfunctional families are blocked by a significant degree of unconscious unresolved conflict or loss, and as such, symptoms result primarily from unconscious attempts by spouses or parents to reenact, externalize, or master in present relationships the internal conflicts originating in one's family of origin. The goal of therapy is for family members to confront and deal with one another directly in order to work through unresolved conflicts.

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"If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves." - Carl Jung

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