Couples Counseling and Family Therapy for Fairfax County, VA

Amy Beckman lcsw Psychotherapy

Mindfulness to emotions and thoughts enable me to empower you.

Couples and Marriage Counseling & Family Therapy

for Northern Virginia

Serving Teens & Adults in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, including...

Fairfax County, VA - McLean, Arlington, Alexandria, Hemdon, Reston, Fairfax,

Burke, Springfield, Annandale, and Vienna - Potomac & Bethesda, MD

(703) 356-3239

Marriage and Couples Counseling & Therapy for Families

Illness or disability, job loss, economic stress, parenting conflicts, infidelity, sex, anger, communication problems, mental health challenges such as ADD/ADHD, depression or anxiety — all can contribute to distress in marriages or other relationships. If you and your partner are experiencing stress in your relationship you know that this impacts every aspect of your life. Problems at home seep into your life outside and relationships at home can be negatively impacted by external stress.

“It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.”

~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Throughout my many years of work with couples I have come to develop the art and skill of listening, using empathy and problem solving. Many couples therapy methods are grounded in these principles. In particular, the Gottman method of couples therapy is widely regarded as an outstanding embodiment of excellence in treating couples. I have completed Level 1 and Level 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and use this method in my therapy with couples. I have also completed the Gottman Seven Principles Program Educator training.

The therapy that I offer to couples — married or not — gay or straight, helps them understand and resolve conflicts and improve their relationship. I help couples develop tools to communicate better, negotiate differences, problem solve and even argue in a healthier more productive way. Successful couples’ therapy results in healthier functioning for the couple, the individuals within the relationship and the entire family unit. I generally work with couples to identify underlying issues impacting their relationships and help to develop and strengthen communication and problem solving skills. My approach is strengths based, using methods that maximizes hope and diminishes stress and discord.

Couples counseling can help resolve conflicts and heal wounds. The key is to try to avoid waiting until too much pain or damage has resulted in serious fractures in the relationship. If a couple has already reached the point of no return, couples counseling is useful to help manage a couples plan for a separation and how best to care for children or other loved ones who have been and will be affected by the changes in a family unit.

Couples therapy is similar to mental health counseling such as psychotherapy as it relies on the principles of confidentiality, treatment goals that are mutually established and the process of change is achieved with support, education and guidance but with a specific focus — a couple's relationship. Couples therapy can be short term. You may need only a few sessions to help you weather a crisis. Or you may need couples therapy for several months or longer, particularly if your relationship has greatly deteriorated.

I also work with parents, children and families to help repair relationships that have become estranged during times of divorce, or have histories of high conflict interactions.

For 25 years I have been working in the field of mental health counseling and practicing as a psychotherapist. I have treated a wide range of presenting problems. I manage my own practice and have developed a model that merges professionalism and clinical skill with warmth and care. I create a supportive therapeutic environment where people can explore and discuss intimate and difficult emotions, memories of the past and challenges of the present day. My high level of skill and my caring approach facilitate successful outcomes.

Most of us want to find a partner with whom to share our lives. When we finally fall in love and commit to a relationship that we believe will last us to old age, we have expectations that we will act together to reach our dreams.

Inevitably though, every couple will experience relationship difficulties. Couples will always be confronted, and sometimes overwhelmed, by challenges they face, but mostly they are able to deal with them and move on.

However, these challenges sometimes leave each partner feeling alienated and alone and unable to sort out the issues, no matter how hard they try. The same old arguments occur, with the same frustrating outcomes, and both partners can feel stuck.

Amy Beckman LCSW

Psychotherapist

Counseling for individuals, couples and families.

Serving teens and adults.

1499 Chain Bridge Rd., Suite 200

McLean, VA 22101

(703) 356-3239

Amy@NorthernVirginiaPsychotherapy.com

Amy Beckman, LCSW sees patients for individual (teens and adults) & couples counseling, family therapy, and lifestyle coaching in Northern Virginia. As a therapist and counselor, she treats for depression and anxiety including bi-polar disorder, grief and loss, substance use and abuse, relationship, parenting, stress management, and education, work & career issues. From her McLean, VA practice, she serves the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area including the counties of Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William in Virginia including the neighborhoods of McLean, Great Falls, Countryside, Sterling, Hemdon, Reston, Wolf Trap, Tysons Corner, Pimmit Hills, Idylwood, Falls Church, Arlington, Seven Corners, Bailey’s Crossroads, Chantilly, Centreville, Fair Lakes, Fairfax, Oakton, Mantua, Merrifield, Annandale, Lincolnia, Alexandria, Springfield, Burke, Newington, Woodbridge, and Dale City; and the county of Montgomery in Maryland including the neighborhoods of Potomac, Bethesda and North Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Rockville.