Do you struggle with the nagging feeling that your partner doesn’t “get” you?
Is your relationship suffering from miscommunication, conflict, and resentment?
And do you wish that the two of you could simply move through the ebb and flow of life together without worrying that your future is in jeopardy?
Even if it seems like the disagreements you’re having are small or inconsequential, you may notice tension that has built up over time. Perhaps you’re not interacting as much, spending quality time together, or having sex. And it’s possible that each of your individual moods has negatively impacted the overall dynamic at home. If work, raising children, and other responsibilities have prevented you from meaningfully connecting with each other, you may be feeling farther and farther away from the closeness and intimacy that once defined your relationship.
When you’re out of sync with your partner, life can feel uncertain and uncomfortable. You may struggle with feelings of anxiety and fear, wondering if you can overcome issues both big and small together. Furthermore, disconnection breeds loneliness, causing you to feel isolated and as though you’re no longer on the same team. Having a safe space to explore and process your relationship is essential to developing a new understanding and appreciation of one another.
Human beings are wired for connection, yet none of us get through life without complicated relationship dynamics and conflict. While it can feel dire when our relationship struggles, a new way of engaging with one another is always possible.
From our perspective at Creative Arts Therapy Source, anyone in a long-term relationship—and not just those in marriages—can benefit from couples counseling. Therapy is not just for couples in crisis, either (though it’s certainly helpful in those situations). By offering you a safe, neutral place to express your feelings, a couples therapist can facilitate a new understanding of yourselves and your dynamic, which can positively transform any partnership, no matter its challenges.
Unfortunately, a lot of couples believe that they can handle issues on their own or that their problems aren’t “big” enough to warrant counseling. And many fall prey to the misconception that something is wrong and irreconcilable in the relationship if couples therapy is needed. However, a trained and unbiased counselor can be the key to helping couples see obstacles in a different way, making room for growth and new possibilities.
The catalyst for conflict and disconnection between couples is often a lack of healthy, effective communication. Therapy slows down the process of interaction so you and your partner can better understand your role in the dynamic and replace old, unhealthy patterns with new ones. In essence, counseling affords you the tools necessary for enacting positive change in your relationship.
At Creative Arts Therapy Source, we welcome couples of all backgrounds, orientations, and experiences to counseling. Whether you’re in the beginning stages of your relationship or in a long-term marriage, we are confident that our therapists can provide you with the coping skills and communication strategies needed for your relationship to thrive.
FOUNDER & ART THERAPIST
LCAT, LPAT, ATR-BC
WE BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS A UNIQUE STORY AND SOMETIMES, WORDS JUST AREN'T ENOUGH TO TELL IT.
At Creative Arts Therapy Source, art isn’t just an activity; it’s a language that allows you to express your deepest emotions, fears, dreams, and hopes. Your artwork becomes a window that offers a comprehensive view into your pain, experiences, and the hopes you have for the future.
We want therapy to be a joyful, enlightening, and playful exploration where you are free to express yourself in a way that feels right to you. Talk therapy, with the support of art therapy, can help you uncover a new perspective.
We want to help you tell your story
Much of the work you and your partner do in therapy will revolve around tracing current issues back to their core. Some of your challenges might have roots in experiences that happened before your relationship even started, such as trauma or toxic dynamics from previous relationships. A couples therapist will help you gently explore those experiences so that you can pave the way for concrete, lasting solutions.
In addition to developing more emotional awareness, you and your partner will learn new strategies for coping, restructuring communication, and establishing new behaviors. As you learn to understand your needs better, you will also learn how to express those needs to your partner—and vice versa. Through this work, you can foster a new, affirming sense of mutual acceptance within the relationship.
You have to learn what your needs are in order to understand them, and our therapists can be instrumental in this process. By giving you tools to become vulnerable, explore your needs, and express your emotions, you can reinforce a stronger foundation of knowing both yourselves and each other. With new perspectives on the relationship and your role in it, you can transform and strengthen your bond.
It’s becoming increasingly common for people to discuss their mental health struggles openly and unapologetically—if the most influential athletes, celebrities, and public figures can be honest and vulnerable about their experiences, so can we.
Mental health is just as important as physical health, though many people still don’t see it that way. But just as we would go to a professional for an injury, mental health counseling is often necessary for repairing and healing from emotional wounds. None of us get through life unscathed, and therapy is a meaningful opportunity to help us feel supported and develop new ways of thinking about and approaching our problems.
Change is not always easy, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be seen as a negative thing. In fact, change paves the way for growth. Even if your issues as a couple don’t seem severe enough to warrant therapy, it’s likely that a counselor can help you feel more confident and less anxious about your relationship.
By learning to take control of your emotional and communication processes, you can change your relationship dynamic in ways that will ultimately lead to more satisfaction, intimacy, and fulfillment.
We believe that any overnight solution is probably not a good one. Your issues as a couple didn’t appear suddenly, so they’re not going to be immediately resolved in the span of one session. However, our therapists are confident that the hard yet good work you do in counseling can positively transform your lives together, and we will be with you every step of the way.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Our administrative assistant can answer your questions and match you with the best therapist for your needs.
If you have any billing, scheduling or log-in questions or any other inquiry, contact us here.
Offering in-person therapy on Long Island and online therapy across New York and New Jersey.
