Caroline Madden, MFT

read moreI believe that my role as your counselor is to help you identify your strengths, to examine self-defeating behaviors, and to uncover obstacles that are in the way of achieving your goals. I'm straight-talking, warm and friendly, and good-humored (when appropriate). I encourage free speech, and I will treat with interest and respect all your questions, comments, or criticisms-including angry ones. I will see you as an intelligent, collaborative partner in the therapeutic process. As an objective outsider, I can offer a safe space where you can be free to talk honestly about what you are really thinking and feeling.

read moreI can give you a safe space that you can talk about all of this, as much as you want. I can help you develop criteria for making a decision about what to do in your relationship. I can give you tools to move past the pain and get your life back. The first significant difference between a friend and a therapist is confidentiality. As a licensed therapist, Iam bound by fairly strict rules of confidentiality, which means that I am not ethically or legally allowed to discuss what goes on in session (or even the fact that's you're coming to therapy at all) except in a small number of very specific situations.

read moreMy approach is solution-focused: helping the two of you solve issues that prevent you from being the loving couple you once were. My therapy style is direct and interactive. You both came into this relationship with baggage: baggage from previous relationships and baggage from growing up. Many times people really just don't get how their words, tone of voice, jokes, and actions affect their partners. You are different people; you have different triggers and buttons. I can point out these dynamics and work with you to create an action plan.

read moreYou come in, have a seat, and tell me what you are hoping counseling can do for you. I'll ask some questions to get a better idea of where you are in life and where you want to be. By the end of our first session, I'll let you know if I think counseling would be helpful and approximately how many sessions it will be. I won't pressure you for a follow-up appointment. Typically I will suggest that you see me weekly for 4-6 weeks. This allows us to get to know each other, build trust and rapport, and hopefully relieve some of the pain that brought you in to see me.