a teletherapy practice offering online appointments to clients in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Utah, Arizona, and Idaho
LDS Couples Counseling
What kind of feeling does this picture evoke in you? Depending on your life experiences in your faith and in your marriage, it could be a source of strength and hope or pain and sadness. It helps to work with a therapist who understands LDS culture, and I am curious about your own Mormon story.
For “all in” active LDS couples and for those figuring out mixed-faith or post-Mormon marriages
Working with a therapist who is well-versed in Mormon culture can help you feel like your religious beliefs will be respected and understood, and you won’t have to waste time trying to explain cultural nuances. I will not make assumptions about your personal beliefs, but I have a thorough understanding of the doctrine and culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In therapy, not only will you learn strategies to improve your communication, intimacy, and emotional connection, we will also consider ways that your Mormon culture influences your relationship.
If you and/or your spouse are going through a faith transition, I can help you find ways to understand each other, compromise, and rebuild emotional intimacy and trust. If you and/or your spouse have left the LDS church and are working to rebuild a life of meaning without the church, I can help you find ways to live and connect with the values that are important to you in a new way. I do not have an agenda for where you end up. If you and your spouse are happy as active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that’s great too, and I will have a good understanding of your lifestyle and how it might be relevant when we discuss the problems that bring you to therapy.
I currently serve as Past President of the Mormon Mental Health Association where I am committed to culturally competent, ethical therapy for clients anywhere on the spectrum of Mormon belief/activity.
Click here to learn more about my approach to individual therapy for LDS adults. Click here to learn more about my approach to working the LDS kids and teens.
Is working with a counselor who is culturally competent to work with Mormons/LDS people different than working with any marriage therapist?
I use the same research-based approaches that you might expect to receive when seeing any other therapist. However, you should have a lot less explaining to do when it comes to cultural factors that may be affecting your relationship.
Common culturally specific issues include ideas about the harmfulness of pornography, parenting issues related to church standards, priesthood and gender roles, the way church callings and activity affect your family lifestyle, the heartbreak of infertility, the difficulty when a spouse or a child no longer wants to be active in the church, and more.
It is important to note that I am not a spiritual advisor or a replacement for ecclesiastical leadership. My role is to help you improve your mental health and relationships.
Are you or your spouse going through a faith transition?
I love working with people on every inch of the Mormon spectrum, whether you are fully active, have removed your name from the records of the church, or are somewhere in between.
A faith crisis can strain relationships and exacerbate existing mental health issues. As your therapist, I am aware of how Mormon culture can affect your mental health, and I have no agenda for your level of religious involvement. I can help you find peace and fulfillment again.
I also understand how painful and scary it can be for believing spouses to feel that they are being rejected alongside the religious lifestyle that you originally agreed upon and promised to follow together. Couples counseling can help you reconnect with the values you still share and help you be there for each other during this period of transition.
My Approach
Hi, I’m Kelly. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I am trained in systemic thinking which means I envision you and your problem not in isolation, but in the context of your relationships, your family, you school or workplace, and your culture. Your culture includes your Mormon background, which may play an important part in understanding your problems.
I use this systemic, relational approach in combination with research-based techniques including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and the Gottman method for couples to help you learn new coping and communication skills, gain clarity, and feel better.
Pricing
Learn more about my rates and find answers about payment options.
