Psychotherapy In Atlanta

I provide therapy for individuals (adults only) and couples / relationships, including all-day intensives.
I also provide consultation for licensed clinicians.

Some issues I frequently work on with clients include:

• Relationships (including premarital)
• Alcohol / Substance Abuse and Recovery
• Depression and Anxiety
• Personal Growth and Development
• Life Transitions
• Family of Origin

Couples Therapy
I have trained and worked as a therapist since 2001. Originally I studied Family Systems and Object Relations (Psychodynamic) theories, as well as addiction/recovery and the intersection with spirituality. Like many couples therapists, I trained and worked for many years in the Gottman Method Couples Therapy and Sue Johnson’s Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT). I first encountered Terry Real’s Relational Life Therapy (RLT) more than decade ago and began to incorporate his approach in my couples/relationships repertoire.

It did not take me long to discover the revolutionary nature of RLT and how it literally transforms people’s relationships with each other, themselves, and the world. I was hooked. I read all of Terry Real’s books, watched him do intensive work with couples, and took some of his online courses. I made the commitment to intensive study and training in RLT and became a Certified RLT Therapist–one of the credentials I am most proud to have. Now Relational Life Therapy is the foundation of all my work.

Relational Life Therapy is different from other couples/relationship therapies. That’s a good thing. Many people come to an RLT therapist after unsuccessful attempts with other couples therapists, and in RLT they find the help they need because we are different.

How is Relational Life Therapy different?
An RLT therapist uses a much more direct and directive approach, and unlike the way most people think about relationship therapy, an RLT therapist does take sides. Our client is the relationship, and we are “on the side” of change. We are “on the side” of helping people stop using relationship-defeating strategies and instead building mutually-cherishing relationships. Although it can be a bitter pill to swallow, the route there isn’t always 50-50. We know that, and we can help you.

An RLT therapist takes a firm stand against relationally harmful behaviors while still holding the individuals in warm regard. One of Terry Real’s many sayings is: “The answer to ‘Who’s right and who’s wrong?’ is ‘Who cares!'” It’s the wrong question. Instead the question ought to be, How can we understand each other’s subjective reality, hear each other’s pain, and work toward a solution?  In RLT you will learn that it is to your advantage to help your partner get what they want and help them give you what you want. In RLT you will learn that partners are neither “one-up” nor “one-down,” but “same as.”  You will learn some of the neurobiology behind your button-pushed reactions and how to act differently and more skillfully. (Another of Terry’s many sayings is: “Other therapies teach you skills. We deal with the part of you that doesn’t want to use them.”) You may do some inner child/trauma work in front of your partner(s). You will learn to take responsibility for your needs and communicate effectively. You will learn how to be in better relationship with your partner(s), yourself, and the people around you. You deserve it. Your partner(s) deserve it. If you have children, they deserve it.

There is an article entitled “How I Learned That the Problem in My Marriage Was Me,” published in the New York Times in February 4, 2025 by Daniel Oppenheimer, the husband of a couple with whom Terry Real worked for a series of sessions. In it Oppenheimer describes his experience of the RLT process, the insights he gleaned, and how it helped his marriage.

Working with Me:

There are two ways to work on your relationship with me: regular appointments following the format below and/or one-day intensives (9-4 with a break for lunch).

Regular Appointments

• I coordinate my own appointments. When we first schedule a time to meet, you will need to pay a deposit (full session fee) to reserve the time, and before the first session you will each need to fill out my intake forms and take an online questionnaire. (With a 48-hour notice of cancellation, the deposit will be refunded.)
• In the initial 90-minute session I will meet with you together and invite you to talk about your goals for the therapy; I orient myself to you as a couple and your areas of concern; and I seek to identify the core problematic dynamic in a way that makes sense to each of you.
• In the following two 50-minute sessions I will meet with each of you individually to learn your personal histories and to give you an opportunity to share thoughts, feelings, and perceptions in more detail, including any additional concerns you may have.
• In the fourth (90-minute) session I will share with you any specific outside recommendations/referrals I believe are necessary as well as some foundational information about RLT, and I’ll refine the core problematic dynamic to begin to address it. I may also offer recommendations of additional resources. We will discuss the timing and frequency of subsequent sessions.

Intensives

The full-day intensive is 9:00-4:00 with a 60-90-minute lunch break. The purpose of the day is to achieve therapeutic movement that can otherwise take a month (or longer). The exact content differs to depending on a couple’s prior exposure to RLT, but here is a general overview:

• When we schedule a time to meet, you will need to pay a deposit to reserve the time, and before the intensive you will each need to fill out my intake forms and take an online questionnaire.
• The intensive session begins with my solicitation of the specific goals of each partner, a detailed orientation to the couple’s issues, identification of the core problematic dynamic that needs addressing, and assessment of any necessary outside resources (e.g., medical/medication consultation or addiction assessment and/or treatment). This may include a period for each partner of one-to-one interaction with me.
• As the day progresses, I interweave key education and skills building to begin to address the core dynamic and specific conflict(s) and improve communication. The day may include some experiential (inner child) work. At the end of the day, I make recommendations for the next steps.

Premarital Counseling
Premarital Counseling follows either of the formats above, with the addition of PREPARE/ENRICH, an assessment and counseling tool for couples preparing for marriage. Many counties in Georgia offer a discount on the marriage license for couples who have received premarital counseling/education. They generally require at least six counseling sessions for couples preparing for marriage.  Check with your county about specific requirements.

Consultation/Supervision
I offer consultation/supervision to licensed clinicians. Please contact me for more information.

Psychology/counseling students please note:
There are no internship or administrative opportunities available in my practice.