Yes! Recent research suggests that the average person receiving marital therapy, for example, is significantly better off than 84% of those who don’t seek treatment, and that treatment gains are generally sustained over time. In fact, the “effect size” (a statistic that essentially says how well some method of treatment works) for marital therapy is higher than the effect size for coronary bypass surgery for angina! In other words, if you get quality marriage counseling, your marriage has a better chance of succeeding than your angina has of being treated successfully through coronary bypass surgery! There is similar research about the effectiveness of the individual therapy approaches that I use. That said, neither we nor any other therapists can guarantee positive results. Much of that depends on how you apply what you learn in counseling, whether the therapist’s techniques, values, etc. are a good fit with you, whether the therapist knows and believes in what he/she is doing, and so forth. We strive to have therapy feel like a safe place to explore your difficulties. Our clients often mention that they appreciate feeling safe and supported, yet challenged and stretched as well. Even though we have an extensive knowledge of the approaches listed below, you will feel like we are working with you rather than doing things to you. Reference: Shadish, W. R., & Baldwin, S. A. (2002). Meta-analysis of MFT interventions. In D. H. Sprenkle (Ed.), Effectiveness research in marriage and family therapy (pp. 339-370). Alexandria, VA: American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.