Premarital Counseling

Helping Your Marriage
Last a Lifetime

premartial-counseling-patients

Premarital Counseling
Helping Your Marriage Last a Lifetime

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couple going through divorce

Nobody Goes Into Marriage Expecting Divorce!

Did you know that researchers are 90% accurate in predicting which engaged couples will end up divorced? Does this mean your relationship might be doomed no matter what? Of course not! Counseling can help you assess your relationship and learn the skills that will ensure you and your partner stay happy.

Couples who struggle to communicate when difficult topics come up are at the highest risk of divorce. The negative behaviors that come with conflict or avoiding conflict eat away at the positive feelings and behaviors in relationships. Over time, couples shift from trying to understand each other to withdrawing from the relationship, defending their own point of view, or blaming their partner. When these negative behaviors become chronic, they lead to distress and divorce. This can be prevented! And the earlier you seek help, the better!

If you can relate to any of these statements, there’s hope. Millions of people have made changes in their lives through counselling. Come in person if you live in the Five Cities Area or meet me online via Zoom if you live anywhere in the Golden State!

Nobody Goes Into Marriage Expecting Divorce!

Did you know that researchers are 90% accurate in predicting which engaged couples will end up divorced? Does this mean your relationship might be doomed no matter what? Of course not! Counseling can help you assess your relationship and learn the skills that will ensure you and your partner stay happy.

Couples who struggle to communicate when difficult topics come up are at the highest risk of divorce. The negative behaviors that come with conflict or avoiding conflict eat away at the positive feelings and behaviors in relationships. Over time, couples shift from trying to understand each other to withdrawing from the relationship, defending their own point of view, or blaming their partner. When these negative behaviors become chronic, they lead to distress and divorce. This can be prevented! And the earlier you seek help, the better!

If you can relate to any of these statements, there’s hope. Millions of people have made changes in their lives through counselling. Come in person if you live in the Five Cities Area or meet me online via Zoom if you live anywhere in the Golden State!

Learn how to be the best
partner for each other!

It is possible to deepen your sense of connection and safety in your relationship, leading to greater commitment and happiness. With my help, you too can experience those “aha moments” where change happens. Real shifts can happen between you and your partner, when you begin to see the relationship, your partner, and yourself in a whole new way.

You and your partner can learn how to be the best partner to each other!
You can develop skills that ensure you will be able to:

  • Keep your trust and connection strong
  • Communicate and connect on even the most difficult issues
  • Find understanding and common ground on hot-topics, such as money, faith, sex, extended family

Arguing happens in even the happiest of marriages. It is how you argue, and whether or not the argument is resolved, that matters.

Learn how to be the best partner for each other!

It is possible to deepen your sense of connection and safety in your relationship, leading to greater commitment and happiness. With my help, you too can experience those “aha moments” where change happens. Real shifts can happen between you and your partner, when you begin to see the relationship, your partner, and yourself in a whole new way.

You and your partner can learn how to be the best partner to each other!
You can develop skills that ensure you will be able to:

  • Keep your trust and connection strong
  • Communicate and connect on even the most difficult issues
  • Find understanding and common ground on hot-topics, such as money, faith, sex, extended family

Arguing happens in even the happiest of marriages. It is how you argue, and whether or not the argument is resolved, that matters.

Positively Anchor Your Relationship
In Three Easy Steps

Step 1

Get More Clear

Arguing happens in even the happiest of marriages. We’ll get clear on how to communicate in healthy ways.

Step 2

Get More Focused

I will help you explore and will share my observations of what is happening in real time with the intent of helping you get to the bottom of your problems and helping you start to shift negative patterns.

Step 3

Get More Joy

Our shared process will help you make decisions that lead to the desired changes you’ve been unable to make up until now and ultimately transform your life.

Prepare Your Marriage
For a Lifetime of Love & Success

Meet Dr. (Coffron) Richardson – Your Relationship Specialist

In pre-marital counseling with me, you’ll get access to a therapist with advanced training and experience, who is up-to-date on current research with respect to what works and doesn’t work in intimate relationships. Couples work can be challenging and often takes advanced training to do it really well. I have completed extensive supervision, advanced training, and I participate in on-going consultation to ensure my effectiveness with couples. I chose to use a scientifically proven method, EFT (Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy), with my clients because of it’s proven research results. It really works.

Click on the following links if you would like to verify my advanced EFT training or learn more about EFT research.

Read More

Take Your Relationship to the Next Level

Asian couple running on beach

EFT (Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy)

I chose to use EFT with my clients because of it’s proven research results and because it out-performs most other models of couples therapy:

  • The majority of couples improve with treatment.
  • Couples who complete EFT treatment do not relapse. Two years after ending therapy, couples who created a secure bond will still have it. In other words, you won’t need to return to couples therapy year after year. Most other forms of couple therapy can not make this claim.
  • EFT is the only couples treatment approach with over two decades of research to indicate both immediate AND long-lasting results.
Think it’s too good to be true? Read an unsolicited testimonial from a couple who has worked with me and EFT. And be assured that theirs is not the only success story!  EFT really works.

  • “EFT is one of the best documented, most substantive and well researched approaches to couple therapy.”  Alan S. Gurman, Ph.D., leading authority on the clinical practice of couple therapy.
  • EFT is “one of the few approaches to marital therapy that has been proven to be effective.” Jay Lebow, Ph.D., LMFT, ABPP, Past President, Division of Family Psychology, American Psychological Association.
  • The New York Times calls EFT “one of the most promising methods” of couples therapy.

I’ve reviewed the research and wholeheartedly agree with their conclusion. Click on the following link to learn more about EFT research.

How long EFT takes varies significantly from couple to couple. Some couples come in with a relatively strong bond (trust, love for each other) and have only one or two stuck places in their relationship. For these couples, short term treatment is generally sufficient (8-15 sessions). Other couples come in with major ruptures (e.g. an affair or other significant breach of trust), with one person ready to end the relationship, or with a very strong or long-standing negative pattern that has greatly eroded the trust and safety in the relationship. These couples will understandably take longer to recover, as re-building trust and safety takes time (30+ sessions). I will do my best to set your expectations for therapy realistically, and you are always welcome to ask about prognosis and treatment timeframe at any point during our work.

Uncertain if EFT is for you? I am more than happy to answer any questions you might have about EFT or couples counseling in general over the phone. To ask about my availability, you can text me (for the fastest response), e-mail me, or call me at 805-975-8399.

Schedule an appointment today. You can text me (for the fastest response), e-mail me, or call me at 805-975-8399. If you are unsure if EFT is right for you, I am more than happy to provide a free introductory consultation to answer any questions you might have about EFT or couples counseling in general. Find Me:  My office is in beautiful downtown Arroyo Grande, near the park.

Are you interested but not quite ready to make that call? If you’d like to learn more about EFT, check out my blog article that describes the EFT process. You also might find it informative to read Dr. Sue Johnson’s books “Love Sense” and “Hold Me Tight.” Dr. Johnson is the creator of EFT.

Asian couple running on beach

EFT (Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy)

I chose to use EFT with my clients because of it’s proven research results and because it out-performs most other models of couples therapy.

Think it’s too good to be true? Read an unsolicited testimonial from a couple who has worked with me and EFT. And be assured that theirs is not the only success story!  EFT really works.

  • “EFT is one of the best documented, most substantive and well researched approaches to couple therapy.”  Alan S. Gurman, Ph.D., leading authority on the clinical practice of couple therapy.
  • EFT is “one of the few approaches to marital therapy that has been proven to be effective.” Jay Lebow, Ph.D., LMFT, ABPP, Past President, Division of Family Psychology, American Psychological Association.
  • The New York Times calls EFT “one of the most promising methods” of couples therapy.

I’ve reviewed the research and wholeheartedly agree with their conclusion. Click on the following link to learn more about EFT research.

How long EFT takes varies significantly from couple to couple. Some couples come in with a relatively strong bond (trust, love for each other) and have only one or two stuck places in their relationship. For these couples, short term treatment is generally sufficient (8-15 sessions). Other couples come in with major ruptures (e.g. an affair or other significant breach of trust), with one person ready to end the relationship, or with a very strong or long-standing negative pattern that has greatly eroded the trust and safety in the relationship. These couples will understandably take longer to recover, as re-building trust and safety takes time (30+ sessions). I will do my best to set your expectations for therapy realistically, and you are always welcome to ask about prognosis and treatment timeframe at any point during our work.

Uncertain if EFT is for you? I am more than happy to answer any questions you might have about EFT or couples counseling in general over the phone. To ask about my availability, you can text me (for the fastest response), e-mail me, or call me at 805-975-8399.

Schedule an appointment today. You can text me (for the fastest response), e-mail me, or call me at 805-975-8399. If you are unsure if EFT is right for you, I am more than happy to provide a free introductory consultation to answer any questions you might have about EFT or couples counseling in general. Find Me:  My office is in beautiful downtown Arroyo Grande, near the park.

Are you interested but not quite ready to make that call? If you’d like to learn more about EFT, check out my blog article that describes the EFT process. You also might find it informative to read Dr. Sue Johnson’s books “Love Sense” and “Hold Me Tight.” Dr. Johnson is the creator of EFT.

OFFICE INFO

  • 350 Blue Sky Dr.
    Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

  • You can text me (for the fastest response) at 805-975-8399.

  • (805) 975-8399

Contact Me Today!

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