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Columbia Counseling, Consulting and Research, LLC : Austin, TX / Columbus, OH (614) 204-0730
Don D. Allen, Ph.D.
LCSW/LISW-S,
Certified Gottman Therapist
What are the best ways to Finally have the marriage of your dreams?
Is it time to consider couples therapy?
Do you notice that, despite you and your partners' best efforts, you continue to feel more distant, lonely, or unseen by your partner?
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Has conflict resulted in power struggles where tempers flare and ability to repair has become difficult?
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Has intimacy started to be less fulfilling and connecting?
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Have you noticed you both are less and less able to repair when communication and events go wrong?
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Do you want to get back to having that wonderful positive experience that you had when you were first married or started dating?
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If you have never really had that wonderful positive experience, do you think it’s time that you finally learn the techniques that master marriage practices on a regular basis?
If you are answering “Yes” to enough of these questions, it’s time to explore interventions that are scientifically proven to create the success you’re looking for.
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There are many factors that go into why couples struggle in relationships.
When you fail to bond in a meaningful way, particularly with your main loved one, it can be especially lonely, traumatic, stressful, and emotionally draining.
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It is possible that you, or your partner may have never really learned how to have a loving relationship or express feelings and emotions from your own childhood.
These negative experiences may be keeping you from feeling seen, soothed, safe, and secure in our relationship.
The remedy may be easier than you think!
The Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy(EFT) are two scientifically driven intervention strategies for creating an ongoing healthy and happy relationship.
Couples/Marriage Counseling
What is the Gottman Method?
The Gottman Method is an approach to couples therapy that includes a thorough assessment of the couple’s relationship, and integrates research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory.
Dr. Allen talks about The Gottman Method
Play Video
For over 40 years Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Gottman have devoted their life to the research and practice of fostering healthy, long-lasting relationships.
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This method is considered the gold standard in relationship intervention. Dr. Allen is a Certified Gottman Therapist, also is one of the master trainers at Gottman Institute.
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​Please watch his interview which he is talking about the Gottman Method.
What is Emotionally Focused Therapy(EFT)?
Emotionally Focused Therapy(EFT) is a cutting edge, tested and proven couple intervention, but it is also used to address individual depression, anxiety and Post traumatic stress (PTSD). Dr. Sue Johnson, clinical psychologist, is the primary developer of EFT and a leading innovator in the field of couple therapy and adult attachment.
The science of EFT has expanded the understanding of induvial dysfunction and health as well as the nature of love relationship and family bonds.
It is a humanistic approach to psychotherapy with the science of adult attachment, a profound developmental theory of personality and intimate relationship.
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Please watch his interview which he talks about EFT.
Dr. Allen - Emotionally Focused Therapy
Play Video
How does the Gottman Method works?​
The Gottman Method is equipped with exceptionally strong science that can successfully predict why couples will succeed or fail in their relationship. By utilizing this science, not only through a thorough assessment, but also through Dr. Allen’s understanding of the couple, it is possible to customize an intervention uniquely for a couple and oversee the therapy and the education. This potentially allows the couple to become proficient in having a successful relationship, now and for a long time to come.
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We explain the marriage through a metaphor called the “Relationship House”. By building, with the couple, all facets of this house, couples will have an ongoing template to regularly maintain their marriage in a positive and successful way. It should be fun, easy, and achievable if couples follow this method.
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Often clients, after successfully completing their therapy, will occasionally check in with Dr. Allen to share their successes, and to engage in a checkup to be sure that they are staying on the path of success. Dr. Allen always welcomes and looks forward to these conversations.
How does the EFT works?
EFT is empirically (science based) driven to help couples achieve a healthy relationship very effectively, with the possibility of passing it along to other meaningful relationships in life, such as to your children!
With EFT, therapy is done in the moment, and only addresses the feelings.
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Each partner has with the issues being discussed by doing so, couples can discover their dance, a metaphor for inadvertently creating destructive patterns between the couple that keep them distant and feeling afraid and alone. Once the dance is seen as the imposter, the couple then join forces against the dance and instead take turns supporting each other when they feel abandoned and “attachment distress”.
We provide In-person or Telehealth couples therapy.
Through the course with Dr. Allen, starting with the couples assessment using
Gottman Connect (web-based application tool), you will be introduced to well-researched intervention exercises.
Schedule a free 15 minutes consultation today!
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