Couples Counseling

Couples Therapy & Marriage Counseling for Colorado Couples

Romantic relationships can be such an incredible source of love, support, and peace–but when things aren’t good at home, everything feels off. I help couples to communicate more effectively, diffuse conflict, understand each other better, and find joy again! Using Emotionally Focused Therapy (a form of therapy that helps couples rekindle the physical and emotional bond and avoid getting stuck in conflict) and the Gottman method, I help each partner to improve their communication and responses to conflict. Together, we will discuss ways to help you grow closer and learn to manage conflict. I also use principles from attachment theory and neurobiology to help couples manage their emotions and nervous systems to return to positive, secure functioning.

See below for the types of couples counseling I offer.

Difficulties with Communication, Patterns of Conflict

Learn how to communicate effectively so that your attempts to discuss issues don’t end in frustration, anger, and stalemates. Together, we will uncover your patterns of communication that lead to difficulties so that we can change and improve them, and you can truly hear and understand each other. Without knowing how to communicate effectively, couples often get into a pattern of conflict and disconnection that is difficult to get out of. This difficulty is common, and it does not mean that you and your partner are incompatible.

Premarital Counseling

Getting married is one of life’s most meaningful commitments, but a healthy, lasting marriage doesn’t happen by accident. Premarital counseling gives couples the opportunity to build a strong foundation before challenges arise, helping them develop the communication, conflict resolution, and relationship skills that support a thriving marriage.

As part of the premarital counseling process, I use the PREPARE/ENRICH assessment. This evidence-based assessment provides valuable insight into your relationship by identifying areas where you’re already thriving, as well as topics that deserve more intentional discussion.

Together, we’ll explore areas such as:

Communication styles
Conflict resolution
Personality differences
Expectations for marriage
Financial values and decision-making
Roles and responsibilities
Family dynamics and boundaries
Sexual intimacy
Spiritual beliefs and values
Goals for the future

Rather than simply pointing out areas of disagreement, PREPARE/ENRICH helps us understand why those differences exist and equips you with practical tools to navigate them successfully. You’ll leave with greater self-awareness, a deeper understanding of your partner, and evidence-based strategies for building a resilient, connected marriage.

My approach to premarital counseling is warm, honest, and practical. I don’t believe the goal is to create a “perfect” relationship—it’s to help you develop the skills, trust, and emotional connection needed to weather life’s inevitable challenges together.

Discernment Counseling

Discernment counseling is an honest and open type of brief therapy designed for couples where one partner is uncertain as to whether they want to continue their relationship. The goal of this type of therapy is to help the couple consider all options before they make the decision to: 1) remain as is (the status quo); 2) commit to six months of couples therapy to work on their relationship with divorce off the table; or 3) to terminate the relationship as healthily and peacefully as possible. This type of therapy is helpful when one partner is “leaning out” (a.k.a. not necessarily wanting to continue in the relationship).

Nearly everyone enters marriage with the dream of a lifelong union. But sometimes, couples reach a crisis point where divorce is on the table. Usually there is one “leaning-out” spouse who thinks that divorce might be the best way to move forward, and one “leaning-in” spouse who wants to preserve the marriage and make things better. If this is your situation, it’s a tough place to be. Traditional marriage counseling can actually further alienate the “leaning-out” spouse if he/she isn’t committed to making the marriage work.

The goals of discernment counseling are as follows:

To help couples gain greater clarity and confidence in their decision-making about the future of their marriage
To help couples gain a deeper understanding of what happened to their marriage
To help both partners gain a deeper understanding of their personal contributions to the problems and set goals to address their part of the negative pattern.

Intimacy and Sex

Resolve discrepancies in sexual desire between partners;
Improve communication and understanding about each other’s sexual needs;
Overcome past traumatic sexual experiences to find trust and deepen intimacy in your relationship;
Learn ways to put the “spark” back into your relationship.

Affair Recovery

Extra-Marital Affairs/EMAs (Emotional and/or Physical) can be devastating to a relationship, but with professional guidance through the stages of affair recovery, couples who are dedicated to staying together and healing often find increased relational satisfaction after an affair is fully healed. Due to the often high emotional intensity after an affair, the injured partner may make rash decisions or follow the advice of well-meaning family and friends who are unaware of all of the intricacies of your marriage, as well as the true statistics of affairs in general. An affair does not have to mean the end of your marriage: An estimated 70% of married couples survive affairs. (McCarthy, B.) Having a couples counselor experienced with affair recovery can help significantly. Together, I will help you find meaning behind the affair, make wise decisions as a couple regarding your future, and accomplish sexual and emotional recovery.

How to Get Started

To get started with counseling, contact Jennifer.

Contact Jennifer*

New client?

If you’re interested in working with Jennifer and believe your goals for counseling are a good fit for her expertise, you may use the above link to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your goals for therapy and determine appropriateness of fit. Please ensure your phone number is typed correctly, and she will call you right at the time requested (if approved) for your consultation. Jennifer sees clients during the daytime Monday through Thursday.

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