The Relational Life Therapy (RLT) approach breaks many of the rules of traditional therapy to deliver lasting change. The RLT model is different in many ways, including:
We take sides: Often, couples therapists are trained to remain neutral, but in RLT, we explicitly side with the disempowered partner (if there is one) to restore balance in the relationship.
We heal trauma in the presence of the partner: In traditional therapy, trauma work is done individually. But opening up such levels of vulnerability in their partner’s presence helps people go much deeper for more remarkable transformations.
Therapists and clients are equal: Therapists aren’t above clients as experts, nor are we simply facilitators. We’re right there in the thick of it with you, sharing our own experiences of relational living to inspire, motivate, and build trust.
We’re direct (but compassionate): We’re upfront in telling clients what they’re doing to harm their relationships. We tell them what to do in certain situations so they can have a corrective emotional experience with their partner over and over.
We educate: The nurture that traditional therapy offers isn’t sufficient on its own to provoke lasting change. We focus on educating our clients so they can continue forging authentic connections for life.