Individual Psychotherapy
People sometimes call to ask if Marriage and Family Therapists also see individuals. Yes! The advantage is that, because "no man is an island", individual clients are able to put their struggles in the context of their lives. Some issues tackled by individuals in therapy include:

• Stress and Anxiety Reduction
• Depression and other Mood Disorders
• Phase of Life Transitions
• Getting "Unstuck"
• Setting Life Goals
• Shifting Negative Thought Patterns
• Grief Process
• Career Challenges
• Single Parenting

Imago Relationship Therapy

As an IMAGO Relationship Therapist, I was trained and certified through the Institute for Relationship Therapy, founded by Harville Hendrix, PhD, and his personal and professional partner, Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt.

For 20 years, IMAGO has been touted as one of the most effective forms of couple’s counseling. Its enduring appeal springs from its uniquely practical approach to relationship education and therapy. Using simple tools that anyone can grasp, the IMAGO process strengthens existing relationships and provides couples with the ability to heal their childhood wounds to build joyful, healthful lives together. Another benefit is that IMAGO helps parents raise their children in the safe context of a stable relationship; children who grow up to contribute to a better and safer world.

As a couple in IMAGO Relationship Therapy you will learn to:

• Create safety and passion in your relationship
• Learn new communication skills
• Understand yourself and your partner better
• Create a conscious relationship
• Learn tools to resolve conflict
• Create intimacy
• Parent your children with love and empathy

As an individual, IMAGO Relationship Therapy, will give you the opportunity to:

• Explore how your past memories and experiences are affecting you now
• Examine and change recurring relationship patterns
• Get ready to choose the perfect mate

Pre-Marital Counseling
It is a documented fact that couples who receive some form of pre-marital counseling have lower divorce rates than couples who fail to fully explore complex relationship issues prior to their weddings. Mary Kay Cocharo has been offering pre-marital counseling for 17 years. Much of this counseling is aimed at helping couples think about and discuss their opinions and feelings about the following issues:

• Life Style Expectations
• Friends and Family Support
• Personality Match
• Personal Issues and Habits
• Communication Skills
• Problem Solving
• Religion and Values
• Parenting Goals
• Extending Family Dynamics
• Sexuality
• Finances
• Readiness for Commitment
• Career Goals and Values
• Cohabiting
• Remarriage

Interfaith Marriage Counseling
For some couples, differences in religious backgrounds and practice may be the single biggest issue they face. Mary Kay has years of experience in working with interfaith couples in helping them to explore their differences, discover their similarities and come to decisions concerning the spiritual formation of their children.

Separation and Divorce Counseling
Mary Kay Cocharo works with individuals to aid in the spiritual and emotional recovery from separation and divorce. She believes that the process of grieving, letting go and moving on can become more manageable and less painful when worked through with an experienced therapist. Some of the issues addressed include:

• Working through the stages of loss
• Identifying and coping with complex feelings
• Helping children adjust
• Easing isolation
• Finding forgiveness
• Defining yourself as a single person
• Utilizing available resources in the healing process

Coparent Counseling
When parents separate or divorce and continue to have difficulty in communicating and making decisions with one another regarding their children, Mary Kay meets with them either on a regular basis, or on an as-needed basis. Although many therapeutic techniques are used in this role, Coparent Counseling is highly structured and focused on increasing communication skills and strategies for preventing or reducing conflicts that arise. As a Coparent Counselor, I can also help parents resolve anger or grief related to the ending of the relationship so that both can focus more fully on parenting issues without the intrusion of destructive feelings.

Collaborative Divorce Coaching
Collaborative divorce is an intervention model in which the divorcing couple and attorneys agree to work toward a settlement without resorting to litigation. A key to effective use of this process is the use of other professionals, including mental health professionals, who are referred to as a Coach. The overarching goal of this coaching is to help the client manage the roller-coaster of feelings elicited during the divorce, develop strategies for expressing concerns, and make decisions to more effectively navigate the divorce negotiations in their own self-interest and the interests of their children.

Family Therapy
Mary Kay was trained in Systemic Family Therapy at the Galveston Family Institute in Houston, Texas. She has over 20 years of experience working with families, large and small. She can help family members to:

• Develop more effective communication
• Solve individual problems which are affecting other family members
• Create common values and goals
• Establish hierarchy within the family
• Implement structure and family rules
• Identify Development Stages
• Learn effective, loving and respectful parenting skills