My approach to the marriage counseling and couples therapy services I provide in Dallas, Texas, is grounded in Dr, Stan Tatkin’s Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (or PACT for short). As a Level-II trained PACT therapist, (meaning I have completed over 100 hours of in-person training with Stan Tatkin, including ongoing consultation and webinars), my work is experiential and strategic. Looking at the ways we were programmed to connect in childhood, I help partners understand and develop new ways to communicate and grow as a couple. With a deeper understanding of each other, I support couples in navigating their struggles more successfully, deepening their connection, and making meaningful changes in how they communicate and interact.
Because of the experiential nature of PACT, early sessions are longer than the traditional 45 minute therapy hour, lasting between 2 and 3 hours. We are able to make significant changes in these longer sessions, and as a result often do not have to meet as frequently. PACT therapists also do not treat or communicate with individual partners separately outside of the designated couples session. To do so would complicate things and make things worse for the relationship. It is to protect you as a couple.
Initial couples therapy appointments must be scheduled for a 2 hours in duration, although sometimes 2.5 to 3 hours is preferred, depending on the concerns bringing you in. During our initial session we will discuss future scheduling, including length and frequency of future meetings.
You can read more about PACT here, or listen to Stan’s Tedx Talk on relationships here: