Sam Wasfi

Research tells us that infants need 4 things to build secure attachment (emotional bond) and I believe this is exactly what every couple is contending for when they are sitting on the couch in the therapy office: 1. to be seen (for your partner to understand your inner world), 2. soothed (for your partner to comfort you), 3. safe (to end a disagreement without being emotionally hurt), 4. secure (to know deeply that regardless of stressors around you, your relationship is fortified).

This is a model that acknowledges that life in all its beauty is inextricably mixed with loss, pain, and suffering. To transcend this suffering one has to "ACT" with intention, a conscious commitment to live according to one's core values (or the thing you want to stand for in life). ACT does not aim at combating thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs one may hold, it simply and gently shifts your focus towards engaging in the very things that bring you vitality, hope, and joy.

Out brain circuitry is wired in such a way that emotional bond with a loving partner helps us to feel safe and become resilient. Many of the mental health symptoms that you experience stem from an injury to a significant attachment such as a parent or spouse. Working to develop safe and intimate relationships will help you feel better in your body and in your life. I will teach you specific ways to begin cultivating connections that foster intimacy.

Anxiety, like all other emotions, are a communicative energy. An important part of treating anxiety is understanding its utility and how if can be used to help the individual instead of hindering and limiting. Understanding anxiety as a stress response and learning ways to confidently and competently manage stress, can without a doubt help you befriend anxiety and so that it can serve you towards growth and success.

Depression is often a witness to your pain. The voice that declares a yearning for something other than the present moment, but the lack of energy to pursue it. Feeling stuck, helpless, and sometime hopeless is very hard place to transition from. When you are able to take small steps toward the things you really love and value in life, the voice of depression begins to diminish. Our work includes a deeper look at what your heart is missing and what are the barriers that get in the way.

Between the pursuer and the withdrawer is a dance and underneath the criticism and defensiveness is a longing. Between the stonewalling and contempt- is a deep hurt, an unexpressed need. Couples engage in a dance, each move evokes a counter response, trying to establish a rhythm in the midst of injured toes can feel hopeless at times. I can help you to make a new meaning of your current struggle, to regain a positive image of your partner, to see clearly the intention and the goodness which led