I’m done with this relationship.

If you are strongly leaning towards breaking-up, Irene can offer you two options. One is short-term Discernment Counseling to support you in taking a final look at your decision, and to support your partner in understanding your decision. If you are certain you want to separate, Irene can offer you personal help and referrals to mediators and collaborative lawyers. Irene may assist you in navigating the best divorce possible with individual therapy, offering you a “family first” approach to the ups and downs of your divorce process. Irene will ensure that, if you have children, you protect them. Irene can mitigate emotional overreactions and prevent spouses from further damaging one another.

I have mixed feelings.

If you are not yet ready to make a decision, you may want to sort through thoughts and feelings before sharing with your spouse. Irene can be a gentle yet challenging guide to help you see things more clearly. Irene believes that we often have more impact on those around us than we realize. Discernment Counseling is designed to offer clarity and confidence around your role in the relationship and the direction you may wish to go.
There are three paths as the outcome of this 1-5 session work.
Path 1: do not pursue divorce nor couples therapy.
Path 2: pursue separation or divorce.
Path 3: full out, six-month effort at couples therapy with divorce off the table.

I would consider reconciling.

Be sure you’ve watched the video below before reading this.
You are in a tough situation. Discernment Counseling can help you clarify what has to change if you are to stay in the relationship. Irene can support you in communicating your needs to your spouse in a non-antagonistic way. Irene will help you figure out how you’d like to change and understand your role in the current dysfunction to support a future healthy marriage. If you are low on hope or demoralized, Discernment Counseling is by far the best approach to gain clarity and confidence on how to move forward.

I don’t want this divorce.

Watch the video below first.
If your spouse is throwing out the divorce word, you’re in the right place. If they are low on hope for the marriage and really not interested in couples therapy, Discernment Counseling is likely the best path for both of you. Many times a leaning-out spouse is pleased to find this type of service and will be open to attending one session. (We only commit to one session at a time. You both decide if you want to return.) If your spouse is uninterested in Discernment Counseling, then you still have a lot of work you can do individually to improve your marriage. Irene will be glad to walk with you through these terribly stressful times in the hope that we can get your marriage to a point where your spouse is open to couples work.