Services

girl_on_beachIndividual 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

Premarital Counseling
It is a documented fact that couples who receive some form of premarital counseling have lower divorce rates than couples who fail to fully explore complex relationship issues prior to their weddings. Much of this counseling is aimed at helping couples think about and discuss their opinions and feelings about the following issues:

  • intimacyLife 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. I can guide interfaith couples to explore their differences, discover their similarities and come to decisions concerning the spiritual formation of their children.


divorceSeparated 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,  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
Working systemically with families helps 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

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