But why?

When I first started as a therapist, I worked primarily with victims of abuse.  It was hard work, but very rewarding.  Seeing someone heal in extraordinary ways; there’s no words for it.  After years of doing that, I began to work with child victims of abuse. Whether it was abuse they witnessed or abuse they experienced, I worked with them all. And as you would imagine, the burnout rate for this type of work is pretty high.

Eventually I stepped back from that work to specialize in relationships.  The piece that made me step back from that work and primarily into couples and relationship counseling is because I saw it’s potential to create a bigger ripple in the system. My logic was that if I could work with couples to unlearn negative patterns of communication they experienced growing up and help them heal together, they could then raise their children in a way where the kids would never have to experience that generational trauma to begin with.  It felt like if I could help support and heal the relationship with the parents, it would actually help the kids tenfold.

The biggest reason that I so deeply enjoy working with couples in their relationships is because your kids get you at the level of healthiness you give yourself.

The healthier you are as a parent, the healthier your child will be. The safer and more stable your relationship is, the safer and more stable your child will be.  The more you practice healthy conflict and communication, the more your child will be able to do in their relationships.

I love the work that I do, not only because I get to be a very small part of the change and healing that happens in relationships, but also because I know that any work we do together only has a positive impact on your kid(s) and their future relationships.

Here’s to putting in your work and creating your own ripple effect.

~ A