affair recovery san diego

Relationship Coaching

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Relationship Coaching. People often ask me what’s the difference between a life coach and a therapist? One of the most fundamental differences lies in the process and purpose. Therapists help clients explore the cause(s) of their problems. As we are products of our upbringing that often means digging into past traumas, hurts, or unhealthy patterns. Therapists help their clients understand how they got to where they are and how to break what can sometimes be destructive habits. Therapist are trained to treat mental, emotional, and psychological disorders.

Relationship Coaching

Coaches on the other hand, focus on their clients’ futures. They help their clients identify actions that will move them forward and introduce strategies for solving problems and overcoming obstacles. Coaches help their clients build the bridge from where they are to where they want to be. A relationship coach is someone who supports individuals and couples in learning vital skills for relating, especially in marriages and romantic partnerships. Relationship coaches teach you to develop conflict resolution skills and offer tools to deepen intimacy and pleasure. The couple determines what they want to work on or enhance. The coaching gets that couple results sooner rather than later unlike talk therapy where the process can take longer due to gathering information from individual sessions to assess for personal issues that may affect couple’s issues.

Relationship coaching includes:

  • Achieving clarity about each partners’ vision, goals, and values
  • Developing mutual understanding and acceptance of differences in personality and gender
  • Getting a reality check; each partner being accountable to their identified requirements and needs
  • Developing strategies for testing and decision-making
  • Addressing emotional and compatibility issues
  • Discovering and overcoming issues and obstacles
  • Developing mutual understanding and acceptance of differences in personality and gender
  • Identifying and negotiating mutual wants, needs, and goals
  • Building lasting intimacy, trust, communication, love, fulfillment

Reasons for relationship coaching:

  • You are serious about having a successful life partnership.
  • Working with a coach can move you farther and faster than you can move on your own or in talk therapy.
  • You don’t know what you don’t know, and your success may depend upon access to new information about yourself and relationships.
  • Using a coach can be the most effective means of translating knowledge into practice. One of the most indispensable roles of a coach is to help you use what you already know to make effective choices and take the actions necessary to be successful.
  • You deserve to get what you want. You do not want to settle for less or risk failure, and you are willing to gift yourself with the support and technology needed to ensure success.

As I have helped more than 2,000 couples over the past 25 years I have the professional and personal experience to move couples into the 21st Century getting them what they want. For more information on life and relationship coaching please contact me at (858) 735-1139 or visit my website at CouplesCounselorSanDiego.com

The New Year And Your Relationship

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The New Year And Your Relationship. Another year come and gone. What are your expectations about 2022? There are still uncertainties about the pandemic. The way I see it COVID-19 is still not being managed effectively. Our new normal seems to include feelings of paranoia, fear, confusion and anxiety. The way we behave has changed as we continue to social distance and wear masks. These types of physical boundaries may have psychological long term results. If you’ve had COVID there are the residual long term physical health concerns that “long haulers” are managing.

The New Year And Your Relationship

When the vaccine became available people received their two inoculations. Many, like myself believed this would keep us safe from getting the virus. Then the boaster became available and like many, I believed we would be extra safe. I contracted COVID after both doses. I, like many others, became less diligent about following the CDC’s best practices for protection. Wash hands, use sanitizer, stay six feet apart, and wear a mask. Even with testing readily available on some level this pandemic may be here to stay.

Happy Me Happy We

As a marriage counselor working with couples dealing with issues of infidelity (affair recovery), neurodiversity (Asperger marriage), and relationship discord, I know they just want to be happy and content. With the uncertainties of life it’s important to know what you want so you know what your relationship needs. Happy Me Happy We was launched during the pandemic and is still a best seller helping individuals do just that.

Relationships in the time of coronavirus is an opportunity to think about what you want in life moving forward. If the last couple years have been unhappy due to being isolated at home do something about it. As a Marriage Counselor, I see some couples who have become closer due to the proximity of time and space. For others, that time and space adds to their unhappiness. A woman I’m working with said her husband doesn’t interact with her at all. She says she feels lonely in her relationship. She also said she’s taking this time to reassess her marriage as status quo is no longer working or wanted.

Life is too short to remain in a relationship that isn’t working for you. I help people who ask the question…”Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” Through my counseling process I help couples look at and choose from three options. Option 1 – keep status quo, option 2 – move forward with an action plan, or option 3 – move on and find another life that best suits you.

If reassessing your relationship is something you know you want to do please contact me at (858) 735-1139 or visit my website CouplesCounselorSanDiego.com

Decide what your “new normal” is going to look like.

 

 

 

Reasons To Seek Marriage Counseling

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Reasons To Seek Marriage Counseling. There are many reasons to seek marriage counseling. After the Honeymoon stage where both can do no wrong, couples enter into the Conflict Resolution stage, where they may experience problems from communication to sex issues. The details of life can become overwhelming affecting their connection to one another. If conflict is not resolved feelings can deteriorate where loss of being “in love” can change into roommate situations or even worse, where feelings of contempt will always lead to unhappiness and possible separation.

Couple seeking marriage counseling

No matter how healthy your relationship is, you may experience some problems that might affect your connection to one another. That is not to say you have lost your love for them, but maybe it is time to address some trust issues or communication concerns. Couple’s Counselor San Diego could be how to have that peace of mind and to feel supported through a hard time. They are there to guide you through the journey of Affair recovery while helping you every step of the way moving forward.

One of the main reasons people seek therapy is for help with intimate and close relationships. And while couples counseling tends to be viewed as something for only relationships in crisis, there are many reasons people in relationships might pursue it. Some are small, some larger, but all are important and deserve to be explored and worked on.

Here are 10 good Reasons To Seek Marriage Counseling:

1. COMMUNICATION ISSUES

Communication is the foundation of all relationships. Communication comes in many forms, both in person and over the phone, text, or social media. Therapy teaches couples how to communicate with each other in a positive manner that works. The type of communication a person grows up around tends to strongly affect how they communicate in their adult relationships. Counseling can help couples make a conscious choice of communication style and not just fall back on what they know from their history.

2. PREMARITAL COUNSELING

There are many issues couples face before they tie the knot. Premarital counseling is a place to discuss many things. One example is finances. Will bank accounts be shared? What about making decisions about what to purchase? Another consideration is household duties. Are children part of the picture? What role(s) will in-laws play in your life? Couples counseling can be a safe place to start the conversations that need to be addressed.

3. SEXUAL ISSUES

Sex can be something that heals and brings a couple together, or it can be a battleground fraught with anxiety, embarrassment, anger, and hurt. Counselors encounter sexual issues frequently and can help.

Sex issues
4. INFIDELITY AND UNFAITHFULNESS

Infidelity within a relationship can be the most hurtful and damaging thing a couple ever goes through, but it does not mean the relationship has to be over. Couples counseling provides a healing space to begin the journey toward resolution. It can help find practical and meaningful ways to navigate the treacherous waters of unfaithfulness.

5. ASSISTANCE MANAGING OTHER RELATIONSHIPS

Couples have relationships with people outside of their relationship together. Friends, extended family, children, coworkers, and supervisors/bosses/professors are just a few. These relationships can be either healthy or unhealthy. Some things that can be discussed are boundaries with members of the opposite sex or same sex, communication with exes, and together and alone time.

Nontraditional intimate relationships, such as polyamory, open, and swinging, can have problems and struggles—some of which are specific to their lifestyle and identity, some that all couples deal with.

6. NONTRADITIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Nontraditional intimate relationships, such as polyamory, open relationships, and swinging, can have problems and struggles—some of which are specific to their lifestyle and identity, some that all couples deal with. It can be intimidating to seek relationship therapy for fear of not being valued or understood because of the type of intimate relationship one is in. Many relationship counselors are comfortable and have the background and understanding to work with people in nontraditional relationships and can provide an open and safe place to work on the struggles a couple is having.

7. BLENDED FAMILIES

When one or both partners have children from another relationship, blending has its own specific struggles and difficulties. Parenting differences, the role of the other parent, and the new identity of the family all need to be explored.

8. THE END OF A RELATIONSHIP

When a relationship has ended, whether by mutual agreement or otherwise, managing life can be difficult. Often, individuals need to express anger, sadness, and grief. There may be practical issues to sort out as well, such as housing and children. Agreeing how and when to communicate is another example of a matter to be discussed in couples counseling.

9. DIGITAL-AGE ISSUES

Facebook. Twitter. Texting. Sexting. Instagram. YouTube. Snapchat. These are just a few ways technology can infiltrate and affect relationships. Communicating via social media has its own pros and cons. Couples often have conflict regarding who to “friend,” what to “like,” and who to text, block, or chat. Communicating that is not done face-to-face or even on the phone is hard. No matter how many emojis are used, words can be misconstrued and misread. Tone of voice and body language are important to understanding what is being conveyed. Relationship counseling can help couples work through problems technology has caused, and create boundaries with each other to help restore trust when social media have hurt the relationship.

10. TRUST ISSUES

After trust is broken, relationships can be harmed or even destroyed. Part of having a solid and healthy relationship is to be able to trust one another. Learning to trust again is a slow and hard process, and it can be painful and frustrating when it doesn’t happen quickly. Counseling can educate and assist couples with understanding the process of regaining trust, and provide tools and direction to help.

All relationships are difficult in some form or another. There will be disagreement, conflict, and hurt even in the best of times. Marriage counseling can help couples grow and heal. Like all types of therapy, the lessons learned and behaviors changed will continue to serve each person for much longer than the therapy itself.

It takes work to have a solid and positive relationship. Marriage counseling is worth considering for any couple and can promote mutually beneficial change for years to come.

For more information please contact me at (858) 735-1139 or visit my website at CouplesCounselorSanDiego.com

Not Every Marriage Counselor Is The Same

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Not Every Marriage Counselor Is The Same. Sarah Ruggera, M.A., LMFT Helping People Who Ask The Question….”Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” Sarah is a licensed marriage and family therapist working with individuals, couples and families. She specializes in Affair Recovery and Neurodiverse Couples. Her expertise includes psychotherapy and coaching to help people in the decision making process. Important decisions should never be made impulsively or haphazardly. Sarah Ruggera helps her clients make informed thoughtful decisions.

Not Every Marriage Counselor Is The Same
Sarah Ruggera, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Not every Marriage Counselor is the same. She is different because she offers extended sessions that include her 3-hour Couples Intensive. Designed to create dramatic and long lasting shifts in your relationship where you acquire valuable tools needed to move forward. In this one session counseling venue couples will learn to make implicit assumptions and agreements explicit so that each partner knows exactly what is expected from one another. Couples intensives are designed for those who can’t attend weekly sessions, have childcare challenges, and busy schedules receiving results sooner rather than later. Talk to Sarah Ruggera to find out if her work can get you what you want out of your relationship.

As a marriage and Family Therapist and Affair Recovery Specialist, she has helped over two thousand couples answer the question, “Should I stay or should I go?” A results-oriented therapist, Sarah puts strategies in place and focuses on innovative and hands-on tools for effective communication and personal relating. Every couple is different with their own set of circumstances so there is no “one size fits all” approach. Sarah develops moving forward plans based on what each partner wants from one another to move forward. She develops a system in which to implement the acquired tools for meeting the couples’ objectives.

You can have a healthy, happy relationship. It starts with taking charge of your own thoughts and actions, learning to be your own person. With a better understanding of self, a firm foundation of healthy communication skills, and the insight to make better choices, you’ll know how to interact positively with others. You’ll be able to create the healthy, loving, supportive relationship you know you deserve.

Sarah’s book “Happy Me Happy We: Six Steps To Know Yourself So You Know What You Want In A Relationship” helps her clients get grounded enough to know their part in any relationship conflict so there is no finger pointing but end results that work for both.

Call her at (858) 735-1139 or visit her website CouplesCounselorSanDiego.com

Rated Top Three Best Rated Marriage Counselors since 2018.

 

 

Gold Digger

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Gold Digger. I’m not talking about gold diggers from the California Gold Rush. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase commented upon some women, men, too, but this article is focusing on women, “she’s a gold digger,” a person whose romantic pursuit of, relationship with, or marriage to a wealthy person is primarily or solely motivated by a desire for money. I find this phrase insulting when the woman in question happens to have her own resources. Meaning she makes a good living for herself. In my opinion, this phrase isn’t so reactive from men as it is for women. I believe men who say this about their women do so to place their insecure selves in a “one up” position. I also believe if a woman is with a man who continues to position himself in a “one up” position should carefully examine why she’s with him to begin with. But to say she’s a gold digger is surpassing any boundaries of good intent. And when confronted with this derogatory term, if any behavior exercised other than remorse and regret, I wouldn’t waste any time defending this form of domestic violence.

Materialistic Woman and Gold Digger Lady Concept

Abuse isn’t always physical. Domestic violence aka Intimate Partner violence has been widely known to include physical, emotional and sexual. Whatever form of abuse often follows an escalating pattern where the controlling behaviors worsen over time. What’s scary is the abusive partner may use oppression systems already set in our society to assert their bad behavior against the other person. These perpetrators of domestic violence are highly intelligent individuals who scare their victims into situations that are highly conflictual and dangerous resulting in Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD), a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. As domestic violence is ongoing and tends to escalate PTSD is what keeps victims in this toxic cycle. No one wants to remain in an abusive relationship. Victims feel shame and a sense of helplessness because they stay in a situation they know is beyond bad.

Teasing name calling or “put downs” also place a women in a “one down” position. When being criticized for what you say or do is also abuse. Having to live in the perpetrator’s reality is also abuse as their reality is typically that of “one up” and “one down.” Common sense would dictate leaving such a relationship but again due to the subtle and ongoing trauma that keeps you in a “one down” position PTSD keeps them stuck in the cycle of abuse. I work with highly intelligent well read women who hold post doctorate degrees who are absolutely disappointed with their lack of being able to leave these toxic relationships.

In Alyce LaViolette’s bestseller, “It Could Happen To Anyone: Why Battered Women Stay” states just that. All women not matter race, age, socio-economic level, or education level, are at risk of entering the cycle of abuse. By developing a greater sense of self you prevent yourself from that possibility and developing a support system where resources lead you to that exit.

So the next time someone tells you or you hear the term gold digger directed at an innocent victim, speak up and correct the slight. Domestic abuse is nothing to laugh about.

Call me at (858) 735-1139 for more information.