Thinking of leaving? Not sure you want to work on your marriage? Discernment counseling can help.
Discernment counseling offers an opportunity to discuss your situation as a couple in a structured, reflective setting with an experienced professional who will help you determine whether your problems can be solved. I was one of the first 3 therapists in the State of New York (one of two in NYC and the only discernment counselor with an office in Westchester) trained by and listed in the directory of the Minnesota Couples on the Brink Project, where Dr. William Doherty originated this very important and helpful approach. Discernment counseling is an opportunity to
- gain clarity and confidence about next steps,
- look at both sides of the problems (yours and your partner’s),
- determine whether past counseling has been helpful,
- understand the potential to solve your problems and save the marriage, and
- make an informed decision about whether or not to head toward divorce.
Once you’ve gained clarity and direction, I can help you decide on your next step and get the help you need. To learn more about discernment counseling, read this article in the Wall Street Journal.
Your wife or husband is asking for a divorce and you want to save the marriage?
Hopeful Spouse Therapy offers the individual support and knowledge you need to avoid making things worse, to determine how you have contributed to the issues in the marriage, and to focus on solutions. Taking responsibility for your role in marital difficulties — and working toward changing your behavior — often demonstrates to a discouraged spouse that you two really can have a better marriage.
I’m a member of Marriage Friendly Therapists, an advanced practitioner network featured in USA Today, National Public Radio, and the Harvard Mental Health Letter. The network is listed as a resource by the National Extension Relationship and Marriage Education Network, funded by the federal government, for couples who need marriage counseling. Here’s what they wrote: “The National Registry of Marriage Friendly Therapists was developed to help marriages by linking couples with the most highly qualified therapists in the country.”
