Couples Therapy
Communicating, connecting, and healing in Fort Collins and online throughout Colorado
Gottman Couples Therapy
Relationships are exciting, complicated, and sometimes downright exhausting. Whether you’re feeling stuck in the same arguments, drifting apart, or just wanting to strengthen your connection, couples therapy is a space to figure things out together without blame
We work with couples at all stages, new, long-term, unsure, committed, or somewhere in between, who are ready to grow, heal, and learn how to truly hear each other again. Couples therapy can help you slow down communication, understand what’s underneath the conflict, and learn how to show up with more intention (and less defensiveness).
We don’t promise magic fixes, but we do create a space where both of you can feel seen, understood, and supported.
One of our main approaches here at Empowering Hope is Gottman Method. This method of couples therapy blends together practical communication skills and giving space to the emotions that have led to the disconnection and hurt you have been feeling together.
With Gottmans structured approach to rebuilding communication and active listening skills it will support your and your partner in getting to the root of what is going on. Not just focusing on the same fight over and over again.
Couples therapy isn’t just about “solving problems” it’s about reshaping the relationship you have with each other. Whether you're trying to reconnect, recover, or realign, we’ll walk with you through the hard stuff and toward something more connected with you.
We currently have two licensed therapists who are trained in Gottman therapy. Jessica, who is Level 2 trained, meaning that she has completed the basic training, and an additional training going more depth strategies for utilizing Gottman effectively with clients. She has also completed an additional training, Treating Affairs and Trauma, through the Gottman Institute, which supports in working with couples where infidelity, current, or past trauma is impacting the relationship.
Rachel also is Level 1 Gottman trained, integrating these skills with another approaches to give a structured approach to learning communication and connection skills at the beginning of therapy to support with their therapeutic process moving forward.
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Sometimes skills aren't the only thing we need to help repair our relationship with our loved. There are emotional hurts that run deeper than the current argument, known or unknown, that need to be addressed before your relationship can begin to heal and flourish.
One of our other main approaches here at Empowering Hope is Emotional Focused Therapy(EFT). This approach supports couples to get curious about their emotional reactions to each other, and what is going on beneath the surface. Surface emotions can be a starting point, but what are we truly asking for? Connection, vulnerability, to be loved?
EFT can support in helping you have these conversations with yourself, as well as with your partner, with your therapists support of course!
All of our couples therapists at this time utilize EFT in some format. Kady tends to bring EFT in through a somatic approach, helping you discover how your emotions are impacting your mind-body connection and attachment, and then how to bring that to your partner to improve your communication and connection. Jessica leans on her structured Gottman training, but brings EFT as a bridge between logical skills and emotional needs to find the balance between growth and understanding while working on your goals. Rachel also brings EFT into her work as a way to dial in on connection and attachment through communication and voicing your needs to each other.
Couples therapy doesn’t have to be cold, or focused on just “doing better”. It is a space to learn, maybe be a little sad, and find space to be in a partnership you are both happy with again. We cannot guarantee the outcome of therapy, but we want to walk by your side as you discover what you need in your relationship to thrive.
Internal Family Systems
You hold many different roles in your life. Partner, employee, student, father, sister, and each one of those can be difficult to manage at times. On top of those roles there are also roles, or parts, we play in our own life.
Internal Family Systems(IFS), is a supportive structure most of our couples therapists bring into session, if the couple is interested. It can support you not only with identifying the different parts of you that are driving your communication, reactions, and choices, but understanding these parts contributing to cycles of communication that are not serving you. So, instead of fighting against each there is a common goal. To repair and restructure these parts.
Jessica has completed her IFS in Sex & Couples therapy, which supports her, along with her other trainings, in helping you identifying areas that need to be changed in the relationship to have healthy communication and connection moving forward. Rachel brings an IFS-informed approach in by combing it with EFT to support with identifying patterns and cycles of communication that no longer serve your relationship and making small changes that lead to bigger changes.
Couples therapy isn’t just about learning skills or having perfect communication. We are all human. We are not aiming for you and your partner to never fight again. Our therapists goal is for you to be able to fight less, listen more, and overall communicate vs argue.