Discernment Counseling

I have worked with couples who are at a crossroad in their marriage determine next steps for their relationship. Discernment counseling helps couples decide whether or not to end their marriage. This approach can be particularly effective when one partner wants to leave the relationship, but the other wants to remain together. Within one to five sessions, the therapist helps the couple determine if they would like the marriage to remain as is, commit to 6 months marriage counseling, or divorce.

Discernment Counseling isn't therapy. The discernment process is meant to provide you with clarity and confidence about a direction for your relationship based on a deeper understanding of what has happened in your relationship as well exploring the possibilities for the future. Discernment counseling is brief- just 1-5 sessions; and goal-directed, meaning there's no time to waste. If you're stuck and uncertain of the future. Discernment counseling can help.

If you're struggling with your marriage and uncertain about the future, I understand how difficult that can be. You haven’t agreed to end your relationship, but you haven’t decided to stay together either. When one or both partners is seriously considering separation or divorce, discernment counseling can help. Discernment counseling helps couples struggling with the decision to stay together or separate find clarity and confidence in whatever decision they make.

If you're struggling with your marriage and uncertain about the future, I understand how difficult that can be. You haven’t agreed to end your relationship, but you haven’t decided to stay together either. When one or both partners is seriously considering separation or divorce, discernment counseling can help. Discernment counseling helps couples struggling with the decision to stay together or separate find clarity and confidence in whatever decision they make.

I'm a certified Discernment Counselor who helps couples unsure about their relationship's future. Through our sessions, we'll explore the issues that have brought you to this point, and I'll help you to understand the dynamics of your relationship and to make an informed decision about the best path forward. I aim to help you and your partner find clarity, peace of mind, and the confidence to make the right decision for both of you.

Trained and working towards certification with Dr. Bill Dougherty in helping couples decide to work on their relationship.

Discernment counseling is a short-term model designed to assist couples on the brink. The goal of this intervention is to develope clarity about the marriage, secure confidence in moving forward, and understanding of the role each partner has contributed to the struggle. These goals are obtained by focusing on three specific pathways: path 1. Remaining in the marriage without change, path 2. Separation or divorce, path 3. Commitment to a course of 6 months of couples therapy.

If you or your partner are considering divorce but are not completely sure that’s the best path, Discernment Counseling is designed for you. I will help you decide whether to try to restore your marriage to health or move toward divorce. The goal is for you to gain clarity and confidence about a direction, based on a deeper understanding of your relationship and its possibilities for the future. The goal is not to solve your marital problems but to see if they are solvable.

Discernment Counseling is 1-5 sessions (in person in WA or virtual). I help couples gain clarity about the problems in their relationship and each person's contributions to those problems while also exploring the next best path (path 1-status quo/keep things as is, path 2-separation or divorce, path 3-couples therapy). Once a path is chosen clients often choose to meet an additional time to plan for their chosen path. I am certified with the Doherty Institute as a discernment counselor.

Discernment counseling is for couples on the brink of divorce. Discernment counseling avoids starting half-hearted couples therapy with these mixed-agenda couples. It accepts ambivalence rather than trying to work around it or overcome it.

The purpose of Discernment Counseling is to help couples arrive at a greater clarity and confidence in their decision making about the future of their relationship based on a deeper understanding of the problems in the relationship and each person’s contributions to them.

Discernment Counseling is designed for the couple who is experiencing divorce or breakup ambivalence. The goal of Discernment Counseling is to create greater clarity, confidence, and understanding about how to proceed in making a decision about the future of the relationship.

Discernment counseling is a new, very brief, targeted type of therapy for couples who are considering splitting up. Our goal is to find clarity and confidence about how to proceed. We don't try to solve your problems as a couple in discernment counseling. We determine whether your problems are solvable. One possible outcome is choosing to enter couples therapy together, but we don't assume that is the right path for you. I have extensive training in discernment counseling.

Discernment Counseling is for couples on the brink. It is a chance to make space to look at your options for your marriage, without working on the relationship. The goal is for you to gain clarity and confidence about a direction, based on a deeper understanding of your relationship and its possibilities for the future. I will work with each of you to help you decide whether to try to restore your marriage to health, move toward divorce, or take a time out and decide later.

Specifically for couples who are on the brink of divorce. Come to a decision about the future of your marriage. Understand how your marriage got to where it is, as well as each partner's contribution to the breakdown of the relationship. Decide whether or not those contributions can be worked on in couples therapy.

Discernment Counseling is a new way of helping couples where one person is “leaning out” of the relationship—and not sure that regular marriage counseling would help–and the other is“leaning in”—that is, interested in rebuilding the marriage. I am a certified Discernment Counselor.