Couples Counseling
Break Free From Destructive Patterns and Create Lasting Connection
When relationship issues threaten the partnership you've worked so hard to build, you need more than surface-level communication tips. I specialize in helping couples navigate relationship challenges through Relational Life Therapy (RLT) in an intensive therapy session format that creates real, sustainable transformation.
Having personally navigated intense corporate environments while balancing marriage and motherhood, and having lived in multiple countries myself, I understand the unique pressures you face. I speak your language, the language of board meetings and bedtime stories, quarterly targets and quality time, startup pressures and partnership struggles. I also understand the complexities of expat life versus local experiences, the challenges of building relationships across cultures, and the unique stressors of international relocations.
Who I Work With
I specialize in couples counseling for couples in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who are:
-
Married couples seeking to break destructive patterns
-
Partners preparing for marriage who want a strong foundation
-
Couples navigating demanding careers and relationships
-
Partners struggling with work stress affecting their connection
-
Couples seeking transformative change, not just symptom management
My couples come to me because they're experiencing communication breakdowns and relationship problems. While they often believe better communication is the solution, I help them see that the real issue lies in the destructive patterns they've created together, the loops they're stuck in and the parts of themselves that keep perpetuating these cycles they desperately want to break.
Relational Life Therapy: The Core of My Couples Work
.png)
Building Awareness of Relationship Patterns
Many couples feel stuck repeating the same fights or disconnects without knowing why. My role as an RLT therapist is to help you see these harmful patterns clearly. In sessions, I name the “elephant in the room” by calling out destructive behaviors as they happen, always with both accountability and care. This real-time awareness helps break cycles that keep you distant and creates space for real connection.
Healing Trauma Before Learning Skills
Have you ever noticed how all your good intentions and communication skills disappear the moment you feel triggered by your partner? That is because when we are activated, old wounds take over. In RLT, before focusing on new relationship skills, I guide clients to work with the deeper parts of themselves that resist change, often rooted in family-of-origin trauma. By addressing these blocks, you can finally make lasting use of the tools you have tried to learn.
.png)
Learning Relational Skills for 21st-Century Relationships
Healthy, modern relationships need more than just conflict management. In RLT, couples learn practical relational skills designed for the challenges of today’s marriages and partnerships. These include cherishing one another, listening with empathy, speaking truth with love, repairing quickly after conflict, setting healthy boundaries, and negotiating fairly. Together, these skills help you move from destructive stances into practices of connection, intimacy, and mutual respect.
Intensive Couples Therapy: Accelerated Transformation
Why Choose Intensives?
For couples juggling demanding schedules, traveling frequently, or facing time-sensitive relationship challenges, intensive therapy sessions offer a powerful alternative to traditional weekly couples counseling. These extended sessions, ranging from half-day to multi-day formats, allow for deep, focused work without the start-stop nature of conventional therapy.
Intensives are particularly effective for:
-
Couples on the brink of major decisions
-
Partners with limited time due to work or travel schedules
-
Those seeking breakthrough moments rather than gradual change
-
Couples who want to address relationship problems before they escalate
-
Partners preparing for marriage who want to establish strong foundations
What Happens in Intensive Therapy?
I offer two types of intensive approaches, each designed for different needs:
Exploration Intensive A shorter, focused process designed to build clarity and address specific challenges. Perfect for couples who need immediate insight into a particular issue or pattern. In these sessions, we identify the specific loops keeping you stuck and gain a clear understanding of what needs to change. You'll leave with actionable insights and a roadmap for moving forward.
Deepening Intensive A sustained process for deeper repair and long-term transformation. This comprehensive approach is for couples ready to do the deep work of restructuring their relationship patterns. We explore what parts of each partner perpetuate destructive cycles, practice new ways of relating in real-time, and create lasting change through experiential learning.
Both intensive formats allow us to accomplish what might take months in traditional weekly therapy. The concentrated nature creates momentum that's often lost in weekly sessions. You leave with not just insights but actual experience of relating differently. This experiential learning creates lasting change because you've felt what it's like to break free from destructive patterns.
%20(4).png)
My Integrative Approach to Couples Therapy
Beyond Traditional Marriage / Couple Counseling
While RLT provides the core framework, I integrate additional modalities to address the full complexity of modern relationships. My biopsychosocial approach recognizes that relationship satisfaction emerges from the interplay between your nervous system responses, thought patterns, and social environment.
Internal Family Systems for Couples I help partners understand the different "parts" of themselves that show up in conflict. Perhaps your protective part takes over during stress, pushing away the vulnerable part that your partner needs to see. By mapping these internal dynamics for both partners, we create space for more conscious choice in how you respond to each other.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT helps couples clarify their shared values and commit to actions aligned with those values, even when emotions run high. This proves especially valuable for managing stress and maintaining connection despite the pressures of demanding careers and family responsibilities.
Body-Based Awareness Relationships live in our bodies as much as our minds. I help couples recognize how their nervous systems respond to each other, the tension that builds before a familiar fight, the physical withdrawal that signals emotional disconnection. This awareness becomes an early warning system for relationship problems, allowing intervention before patterns fully activate.
Common Relationship Challenges I Address
Work-Life Balance and Relationship Dynamics
Many couples struggle to balance professional demands with relationship needs. The same drive that brings success at work can create relationship issues when applied at home. I help couples navigate:
-
Power dynamics in the relationship
-
Competition versus collaboration in partnership
-
Work stress spillover affecting emotional intimacy
-
Difficulty switching from "work mode" to "partner mode"
-
Perfectionism undermining relationship satisfaction
.png)
Trust and Connection Issues
Whether dealing with betrayal, emotional distance, or the gradual erosion of intimacy, I help couples rebuild their foundation. This involves:
-
Understanding how trust broke down
-
Identifying what each partner needs to feel safe
-
Creating new agreements and boundaries
-
Rebuilding emotional and physical intimacy
-
Developing resilience for future challenges
Communication Breakdowns
While communication skills matter, most couples need more than active listening techniques. I help partners:
-
Understand the emotions driving their words
-
Recognize triggered states before they escalate
-
Express needs without criticism or contempt
-
Stay connected even during conflict
-
Repair quickly after ruptures
What Makes My Approach Different
Real-World Integration
I understand that therapy insights mean nothing if they don't translate to daily life. That's why I focus on practical application, how you transition from work to home, how you protect a couple 's time despite busy schedules, and how you maintain connection during business travel. We explore the real-life factors that support or sabotage your relationship: sleep, exercise, nutrition, boundaries, and stress management.
Understanding Expat and International Challenges
Having lived abroad in multiple countries myself, I deeply understand the unique challenges that expat and international couples face. The stress of relocations, navigating new cultures, building support systems from scratch, and managing relationships across different cultural expectations, I've experienced these firsthand. This personal experience helps me connect with couples who are navigating the complexities of international life, whether they're expats adjusting to new countries or partners from different cultural backgrounds creating their own unique relationship culture.
Getting Started: Your Path to Relationship Transformation
Free Consultation
Begin with a complimentary 15-minute consultation where we discuss your specific relationship challenges and determine if my approach aligns with your needs. This conversation helps you understand how my approach to therapy and intensive work could benefit your partnership.
Smooth Onboarding
My Client Care Coordinator, Mei, ensures a seamless onboarding process, handling logistics so you can focus on your relationship. The clear structure helps both partners feel comfortable and prepared for the work ahead.
First Session Focus
In our initial session, we:
-
Set clear goals for your couples counseling journey
-
Map the history and patterns of your relationship
-
Identify the specific loops and dynamics keeping you stuck
-
Explore what parts of each partner perpetuate these cycles
-
Begin experimenting with new ways of relating
You'll leave with clear insights into your relationship patterns and a roadmap for transformation.
Ongoing Support
Between sessions, you'll have:
-
WhatsApp access for scheduling and scheduling-related questions
-
Session reminders to help you prepare
-
Mindfulness practices tailored to your relationship needs
-
Clear action steps to practice new patterns
.png)
Flexible Delivery Options
I offer both online sessions and in-person sessions to accommodate your lifestyle. Whether you're in Singapore (online), Dubai (online), or San Francisco (online), Jakarta (In-Person) my platform provides the same depth of couples therapy. This flexibility ensures that travel schedules and geographic challenges don't interrupt your progress.
Investment in Your Relationship
Choosing intensive couples counseling or weekly therapy work represents an investment in your most important partnership. Through our work together, you'll develop:
-
Deep understanding of your relationship patterns
-
Tools to break generational cycles
-
Skills for navigating conflict constructively
-
Strategies for maintaining connection despite external pressures
-
Confidence to face future challenges together
This transformation extends beyond solving current problems, it's about creating a relationship that supports both partners in becoming their best selves.
