Premarital & Relationship Enrichment
Building a Foundation of Trust, Communication, and Connection
Healthy, lasting relationships aren’t built on perfection — they’re built on awareness, skill, and care. Premarital and Relationship Enrichment Therapy offers a space for couples to explore their strengths, navigate challenges before they escalate, and intentionally create a relationship that can thrive through life’s inevitable changes.
Whether you’re preparing for marriage, deepening a long-term partnership, or simply wanting to grow closer, this work helps you build the tools and understanding to sustain love that lasts.
What Is Premarital & Relationship Enrichment Therapy?
Premarital and Relationship Enrichment Therapy is a proactive approach to relationship health. Rather than waiting for conflict or crisis, this work focuses on prevention, connection, and growth
It’s an opportunity to:
Strengthen communication and listening skills
Deepen emotional and physical intimacy
Identify shared values and goals
Navigate differences in expectations, money, family, or faith
Develop healthy patterns of conflict and repair
Build habits of appreciation, affection, and trust
Premarital counseling can be especially valuable for couples transitioning into marriage, parenthood, or cohabitation — but it’s equally powerful for long-term partners seeking renewal, understanding, and joy.
My Approach: Combining the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy
I draw from two of the most effective, research-backed approaches to relationship well-being:
🧠 The Gottman Method: Tools for Lasting Love
Based on decades of research, The Gottman Method helps couples strengthen their friendship, manage conflict constructively, and build shared meaning.
In our sessions, you’ll learn:
How to communicate with clarity and empathy
How to navigate conflict without defensiveness or criticism
How to maintain emotional connection and respect, even in disagreement
How to nurture affection, appreciation, and laughter
These skills create a “relationship house” built on trust and emotional safety — a foundation that supports love through change and time.
💗 Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): Deepening Emotional Intimacy
Emotionally Focused Therapy focuses on attachment — the way we bond, connect, and seek comfort from one another. It helps partners understand their emotional patterns and respond to each other’s needs with warmth and empathy.
Through EFT, couples learn to:
Recognize emotional cycles that create distance
Express vulnerability and needs in safe ways
Strengthen connection and responsiveness
Experience love as a source of healing and security
When combined, Gottman and EFT provide a balance of structure and heart — skills and soul — helping couples grow together with confidence and compassion.
Why Premarital & Enrichment Therapy Matters
Too often, couples enter marriage or long-term commitment believing love alone will carry them through. While love is the foundation, healthy relationships also require skills — communication, repair, flexibility, and awareness.
Premarital therapy provides the tools to navigate inevitable differences and stressors with respect and understanding.
For long-term couples, enrichment therapy helps you:
Reignite curiosity and romance
Reconnect emotionally and physically
Revisit shared dreams and goals
Repair areas of hurt or misunderstanding
It’s an invitation to keep growing — together.
Topics We Often Explore
Premarital and relationship enrichment sessions are tailored to each couple, but common topics include:
Communication & conflict resolution
Emotional and sexual intimacy
Money, finances, and shared responsibility
Family of origin patterns
Spiritual or cultural differences
Expectations around marriage, parenting, or lifestyle
Balancing independence and togetherness
Trust, honesty, and repair after hurt
We work collaboratively, blending structured assessment tools with reflective conversations that help you feel seen and understood.
Working With Connection, Intimacy, and Sex
Emotional closeness and physical intimacy are deeply intertwined. When communication falters or life becomes stressful, intimacy can fade — not from lack of love, but from disconnection or avoidance.
I create a warm, affirming space to talk about sex, desire, and affection with openness and respect. We explore:
Understanding sexual differences and needs
Rebuilding intimacy after stress, birth, or betrayal
Navigating shame, inhibition, or religious conditioning
Reigniting pleasure, curiosity, and play
My work is sex-positive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and kink-aware, helping all couples feel comfortable expressing their authentic selves in loving, consensual ways.
What to Expect in Sessions
Each session offers a structured yet relaxed space for discovery and practice. Together, we will:
Explore strengths and growth areas in your relationship
Clarify shared goals and values for your future together
Practice communication tools to increase understanding and reduce defensiveness
Learn repair strategies for moments of disconnection
Develop rituals of connection that nurture friendship and romance
You can expect a balance of insight, practice, and humor — and a safe, supportive space where both partners feel heard.
The Benefits of Premarital & Relationship Enrichment Therapy
Couples who engage in this work often describe feeling:
More connected and secure in their bond
Better equipped to handle stress and conflict
More aligned in their goals and shared values
Reinvigorated with intimacy and affection
Confident entering new life stages together
These sessions help create not just a strong marriage, but a resilient partnership — one rooted in friendship, trust, and love that continues to evolve.
For All Kinds of Couples
Every relationship deserves the opportunity to grow. My practice welcomes:
Engaged couples preparing for marriage
Newlyweds adjusting to shared life
Long-term partners seeking renewal
LGBTQIA+ couples and nontraditional partnerships
Interfaith, intercultural, and blended families
Love takes many forms — therapy honors them all.
A Thoughtful Investment in Your Future
Premarital and Relationship Enrichment Therapy is not about fixing problems — it’s about cultivating skills, awareness, and connection that will serve you for years to come.
It’s one of the most meaningful investments you can make in your relationship — a commitment to communication, compassion, and continued growth.
Begin Your Journey Together
If you’re looking for Premarital or Relationship Enrichment Therapy in Santa Barbara, I would be honored to support you.
Together, we can strengthen your foundation, deepen your connection, and help you build a relationship that truly lasts — one rooted in authenticity, love, and joy.