Marital Counseling Guidelines and Agreements

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Making the decision to seek couples counseling takes courage. Usually, counseling results from repeated feelings of frustration and helplessness. Often, blame and anger have replaced acceptance and harmony. Counseling allows for a comfortable, guided and knowledgeable perspective on how the partnership is functioning and what can be done to enhance contentment for both members. Healthy relationships take tremendous effort. In order to “get along,” individuals are challenged to develop new communication skills. Learning how to honestly communicate emotions, thoughts, opinions and beliefs requires risk-taking, patience and commitment. Couples counseling paves the path to greater joy, understanding and hope by honoring the following standards:

Agreement*

During the assessment and interview phase of counseling, both members of the partnership will determine mutual goals for therapy.

Agreement*

The focus of treatment will be to improve the attachment quality, enhance satisfaction within the relationship, foster healthy boundaries, and repair damaged relationships. This focus in treatment is done without specific emphasis to an individual’s happiness. However, if remaining together is harmful to one or both partners, the focus of treatment may change to facilitate amicable separation therefore a referral to a professional mediator may be needed.

Agreement*

Both members of the partnership will attend scheduled appointments. If one member cannot attend, then the appointment may be rescheduled to allow both members to attend unless one member can be available by phone or Skype. 24 hour notice of cancellation required to avoid late cancellation fee.

Agreement*

When individual sessions take place with each member of the partnership, it is understood that in the event sensitive information (as listed below) is revealed that may interfere with the goals of therapy, the individual will be expected to disclose this ulterior threat to the relationship and/or understand that the information will be revealed in the course of any future couple counseling work. This includes:

“Love” interest, affair, or emotional attachment to another, other than partner.
Financial difficulties, debt, liabilities that may impact the partnership.
Medical concerns such as sexually transmitted diseases.
Legal problems such as court dates, DUI, etc.
Chronic alcohol and/or substance abuse, gambling, etc.
Any form or degree of physical contact during arguments of fights.

Agreement*

This contract is an agreement between the interested parties that neither party shall for any reason attempt to subpoena my testimony or my records to be presented in a deposition or court hearing of any kind forany reason, such as a divorce case, or child custody.

Agreement*

Both parties acknowledge that the goal of psychotherapy, either individual or marital or couples therapy, is for the sole purpose of the amelioration of psychological distress and that the process of psychotherapy depends on trust and openness during the therapy sessions.

Agreement*

Therefore it is understood by both parties that if they request my services as a psychotherapist, they are expected not to use information given to me during the therapy process against the other party in a judicial setting of any kind, be it civil, criminal, or circuit.

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