Lia Bermudez

Emotionally Focused Therapy helps couples break out of "the dance" they are stuck in that keeps them disconnected and volatile. Fights are rarely about the thing a couple is fighting about. EFT helps get at the unmet need underneath that produces the disconnecting behaviors and attitudes. Couples are always asking of their partner, "Are you there for me?" EFT helps get couples to a resounding "YES!"

When your romantic relationship isn't right, everything seems off. Couples counseling helps address this fundamental part of clients' lives, to slow down interactions and understand what is actually being said. I am Level-2 trained in the Gottman Method, which means I come with tools to help clients implement strategies that build connection and eliminate behaviors that weaken it.

Every single client I have worked with has benefited from looking back at childhood. There we find their first connections with other people, what they learned about the world and what to expect from others. This information is invaluable and gives us a place to start working. Clients are able to slowly transform the narrative about others from insecurity to one of loving stability.

Our connections to others are a fundamental piece of our existence. When relationships are fractured or strained, our functioning is greatly affected. I help clients navigate their relationships with others, romantic or otherwise. This often includes developing identity within one's relationships, and setting and enforcing boundaries that align with your core values.

Couples often come to counseling describing a pattern of conflict, a style of arguing that erodes their connection. Sometimes there are clashing values that were formed in childhood that are undetected, or a lack of healthy boundaries that keeps both people safe and fulfilled. Sometimes it is simply a lack of skill in working through differences. I work with couples to identify what keeps them stuck, get at the issues underneath the arguments, and reestablish connection.