Couple’s Therapists

Ms. Carolyn Miller enjoys working with couples (pre-marital or marital) to identify the known and unknown influences of family systems, circumstantial stressors, and interpersonal conflict on their romantic relationship. She recognizes the holistic impact of distress on couples and provides a dignifying space for a couple to safely name and explore issues ranging from loneliness within the relationship to communication discord to infidelity. Her therapeutic approach also incorporates the resources and tools couples need to achieve their relational goals.

Ms. Hope Venetta enjoys working with couples and provides them with a safe, non-judgmental environment that allows them to identify issues causing distress in their relationship. Those issues may range from communication difficulties to life transition issues to infidelity. Broken trust, parenting differences, and an inability to resolve conflicts are also common difficulties that cause unhappiness and heartache. Ms. Veneta incorporates several therapeutic approaches in her work including Client-Centered, Humanistic, Cognitive-Behavioral, Behavior Management, and Psychoeducation, depending on the couple’s presenting issues. It is her belief that the most effective change happens when there is a therapeutic alliance of mutual trust and respect between the therapist and clients. One of Ms. Venetta’s special interests is premarital counseling. She is certified as a SYMBIS Facilitator (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts). 

Rae Ann Hamilton enjoys working with couples and provides them with a safe, non-judgmental environment that allows them to identify issues causing distress in their relationship. Those issues may range from communication difficulties to life transition issues to infidelity.

Using a humanistic approach and applying other modalities, Eileen Santaella assesses the couple’s background and presenting concerns to gain insight into the root cause of their issues, and then formulates with them a road map to arrive at their desired treatment goals. Through a safe, warm, and judgment-free environment, Eileen promotes that both partners comfortably share their relationship issues, triumphs, and areas for improvement. She promotes using values, identifying the strengths of the relationship, highlighting the positives, working to develop a positive/hopeful schema, relying on support systems, enhancing communication, building healthy intimacy, and working on individual self-improvement.

Meaghan strives to promote clear communication between couples to allow them to develop an in-depth understanding of themselves, their partner, and their relationship. She focuses on needs, strengths, and ways to overcome barriers as she guides couples to form a more positive relationship. Meaghan remains neutral and objective throughout the couple’s therapy process.

It is Dr. Lindsay Underwood’s aim to work with couples to improve communication through the utilization of their strengths, both individual and shared. She strives to create a safe space where couples can reflect on themselves, learn about each other, explore patterns in relationships, and overcome barriers. Treatment begins with exploring individual and shared histories and working together to identify shared goals and develop a strong treatment plan. Dr. Underwood believes a willingness to sit with discomfort, explore difficult feelings, and being open to growth are vital for this process. She strives to be neutral while being empathic and genuine.

Couples may enter therapy to work through a crisis, adjust problematic dynamics, or deepen connection and intimacy. Whatever the circumstances, Dr. Pritzker aims to meet couples where they are and foster a non-judgmental environment conducive to growth. She believes couples have the potential to benefit from therapy at any stage of a relationship or phase of life. Dr. Pritzker welcomes couples of all ethnicities, cultures, genders, and sexual orientations. She recognizes each relationship is comprised of individuals with personal histories, traits, needs, and desires. At the same time, every couple is a unique dynamic with its own challenges and opportunities. Working effectively with couples means both honoring the parts and strengthening the whole. In her work with couples, Dr. Pritzker is especially attuned to communication patterns in the relationship. Other important topics in couple’s therapy may include parenting, family dynamics, infidelity, grief, substance use, life decision and transitions, work, and individual mental health concerns.

Dr. Sophia Walder-Hoge works with couples to improve communication and utilize existing individual and shared strengths. She works to create a safe space where couples can reflect on themselves, learn about each other, and become empowered to break from negative patterns. She begins treatment by exploring the couples’ individual and shared histories and supporting the collaborative identification of a strong treatment plan. Dr. Walder-Hoge supports the development of clear goals and a shared path forward through emphasizing conflict resolution, emotion regulation, kindness, skill acquisition for effective action, and enhancing feelings of connection. She believes that a willingness to sit with discomfort, explore difficult feelings, and being open to growth are immensely helpful for this process. Dr. Walder-Hoge strives to be non-partial, while also being empathic, genuine, and reflecting of choices.

Dr. Colleen Hamilton enjoys premarital therapy, and for married couples an early intervention, “preventive medicine” approach when experiencing difficulties. She encourages couples to come in early in their relationship to help develop excellent couple’s communication and interaction skills. This also helps couples identify possible topics that may become problematic, and allows these concerns to be addressed sooner rather than later. When problems do occur, she encourages couples to come in as soon as they realize the problem is not alleviating quickly; research has shown that people who get help for problems early on are more successful and therapy takes less time. If individual issues such as depression, stress/anxiety, anger management, high emotionality, or trauma are impacting the relationship, Dr. Hamilton can take a combined individual and couple’s sessions approach to address these concerns. As a child psychologist as well, if child/teen issues are impacting the couple’s relationship, she can help guide and coach the parents to effectively address the child-related issues and alleviate the stress on the couple.

Dr. Lindsey Ohler is actively involved in assisting couples thoroughly assess and understand the root of their difficulties. She creates a safe environment where both partners comfortably share the struggles of their relationship and disclose their perceptions of one another.

Couples counseling/marriage therapy has been a primary specialty area for Dr. Lepage, and remains one of her favorite things to do. She has received specialized training from renowned psychologists to include: being part of an exclusive, personalized 9-hour 10-person training with Dr. Albert Ellis, a 2-day training with sex therapist Dr. Barry McCarthy, and a 2-day training with Drs. John & Julie Gottman.

Ms. Deja Buckner is passionate about guiding and assisting couples as they journey through life together. Ms. Buckner assesses the couple’s background and present concerns to gain insight on the root cause of their issues and then formulate a road map to arrive at their desired treatment goals. She creates a safe, warm, and judgment-free environment where both partners comfortably share their relationship issues, triumphs, and areas of improvement. Ms. Buckner values identifying strengths of the relationship, highlighting the positives, working to develop a positive/hopeful schema, relying on support systems, enhancing communication, building healthy intimacy, and working on individual self-improvement/self-perception as avenues to a stronger union.

As a therapist, Heidi helps couples to identify their challenges and goals for therapy as the first step in the process. She views couples therapy as a collaborative journey and fosters that through mutual respect, while guiding conversations so that each individual is heard. Using person-centered and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) modalities, each person begins to better understand themselves, their role within the relationship, and how their spouse/significant other operates, while they work together developing healthy relationship skills. Heidi enjoys working with couples who present to therapy to address communication skills and coping strategies, and assists them to identify risks as well as protective factors within the relationship.

Throughout her career, Melissa has worked with couples in crisis and transitions, and has experience managing relationship challenges that can arise between spouses, significant others, or partners. Melissa understands that at times relationships can be uncertain, even very upsetting, and couples may benefit from professional intervention. By focusing on the partners’ strengths, Melissa encourages clients to seek common ground and explore solutions for each couple and individual to be living in a healthy manner. To accomplish this goal, she utilizes psychoeducation about relationship stress and positive communication skill-building. By teaching mindfulness and positive coping skills along with other strategic interventions, Melissa assists couples in healing and even strengthening their relationship. Relationships can be defined in many different ways and Melissa explores with an open mind how the couple has chosen to define their commitment to the partnership. Couples are encouraged to identify their own needs and take responsibility for communicating that to their partner, and being receptive to hearing what their partner is seeking. Being open and willing to try new forms of communication is a way to restore the positive aspects of your relationship.

Ms. Cheryl Cohen is an interactive couples therapist who strives to bring forth strengths in the relationship and help minimize/improve the deficits. She is empathic, genuine and intuitive in nature. Cheryl will start by getting an in-depth assessment from the couple and each person individually, to have the most comprehensive information to work with when addressing the couple’s concerns. Healthy couples are a product of healthy individuals.

Dr. Alexandra Maestre aims to create a warm, non-judgmental, and empathic environment for couples. At the onset of treatment, she focuses on exploring with the couple the struggles that led them to seek therapy, while also highlighting the couple’s past successes and strengths that have helped them overcome obstacles. Dr. Maestre encourages each person to share their perception of the relationship and what they wish to achieve through therapy. In addition, she places great emphasis on communication and developing empathy for one another to reduce struggles, reconcile differences, and strengthen the relationship.

Relationships are difficult. This simple truth lies at the foundation of Dr. Messer’s interest and commitment to helping couples move forward.

Dr. Kevin Metz has a genuine and profound interest in working with couples. His work includes improving and strengthening communication skills before entering into marriage and helping couples work through and take control of deep-seated patterns of behavior and communication styles that cause conflict after years of marriage or partnership.

All Therapists Listed Above Are Providing Teletherapy Services For Clients, All Telemedication Services Are Online, And Many Psychological Evaluations Can Be Done Using Telehealth As Well.