Couples Therapy & Marriage Counseling
Strengthening Connection and Communication
Couples therapy with Dr. Sisk provides a secure and balanced environment where both partners feel respected, understood, and supported. Many couples enter therapy feeling disconnected, stuck in repeating patterns, or unsure how to communicate without escalating into conflict or shutting down. Therapy offers structure, clarity, and an opportunity to understand the emotional needs beneath each partner’s reactions.
Dr. Sisk's Approach
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is central to Dr. Sisk’s approach. EFT helps partners identify the core emotional needs—such as reassurance, closeness, or understanding—that often get lost beneath arguments or silence. Many couples experience predictable cycles, such as the pursue–withdraw pattern, where one partner reaches for connection while the other retreats in an attempt to reduce tension. These patterns are rarely personal; they are protective responses rooted in deeper emotional fears. Therapy helps partners slow these cycles, recognize what is happening underneath them, and respond to each other with more clarity and empathy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) complements EFT by helping partners examine automatic interpretations or assumptions that intensify conflict. Often it is not the behavior itself but the meaning assigned to it that creates distance. For example, one partner might interpret a neutral action as rejection or criticism. CBT tools help partners communicate more clearly, challenge unhelpful interpretations, and reduce defensiveness.
Strengthening Relationships From the Inside Out
In therapy, couples explore emotionally charged topics such as intimacy, sexuality, finances, parenting, family-of-origin influences, betrayal injuries, and long-standing frustrations. They learn how to express needs without accusation, listen without defensiveness, and respond to vulnerability with care rather than reactiveness. Repair work becomes a crucial part of the process—learning how to reconnect after conflict in a way that builds trust rather than accumulating resentment.
As therapy progresses, many couples experience a shift from blame and frustration toward teamwork and emotional closeness. They rediscover appreciation, rebuild trust, and create shared meaning.
Partners begin to recognize the vulnerable emotions beneath conflict—fear, longing, uncertainty—and respond to each other in ways that strengthen connection rather than undermine it.
Ultimately, couples develop a more resilient bond—not a perfect relationship, but one grounded in empathy, communication, and the ability to navigate challenges with steadiness and support.