Courtesy of: Clinton Power + Associates
The PACT Approach
The PACT Approach to Couples Therapy & Couples Intensive Retreats
Couples Counseling, Couples Intensive Retreats & Individual Counseling Sessions Using the PACT Approach are Available in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Florida, Vermont, or internationally in British Columbia, Australia, South Africa or Israel via Teletherapy.
Is your marriage in trouble? As a PACT therapist I can help you get your marriage back on track.
Being a married couple isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be downright hard. COVID-19 has not made it any easier. In fact, couples I work with are often a breaking point in their marriages. The daily struggles have turned into outright wars and couples want solutions or they want out.
As a certified PACT Level 3 (highest certification available currently) and a Gottman certified couples therapist, I bring a lot of tools to our work together so we get to solutions quickly and efficiently. Many couples tell me they have tried traditional couples therapy in the past and it didn’t help them. When they call me, it’s their last attempt to get their relationship back on track.
I agree with these couples.
Most couples don’t seem to improve their marriage with traditional couples therapy because those models don’t address healing and repair in a way that helps the couple to find true happiness and connection.
That’s where PACT, the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy, comes into the picture.
What Is PACT Therapy?
Dr. Stan Tatkin, a renowned relationship therapist, developed the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT) which integrates how the mind and body functions together so couples can learn how to create an enduring and secure, long-lasting relationship.
Using the PACT psychobiological approach to couples therapy, you will learn:
- How to protect and care for each other.
- How messages such as, “love yourself first before loving anyone else” can be confusing and misleading in relationships.
- How your values and beliefs keep you committed (or not committed to each other).
- How to work together to create a foundation of safety, security and love to thrive.
- How to connect deeply in your relationships.
When we work together, you will not learn tools and techniques because you will forget them during your next heated fight or disagreement.
Most of my clients tell me, “I didn’t realize with a small adjustment in how we discuss issues and deal with conflict, we could be HAPPY”.
These topics and many more will help you develop a secure-functioning relationship which is at the heart of the PACT approach.
So What Is A Secure Functioning Relationship?
At the heart of the PACT therapeutic approach is the basic belief that healthy couples are each other’s greatest strength. Secure functioning relationships are rooted in fairness, equality, respect, and a genuine partnership. Couples who engage in PACT therapy learn how to approach their marriage with a set of attitudes that amount to being better together; being each other’s greatest protector; knowing each other’s needs; repairing hurts quickly and with loving intention; and working together to uplift one another through all of life’s storms.
As we work together to heal the challenges in your marriage, this will be our goal and I will teach you how it’s done.
How Effective Is PACT Therapy?
My experience is that it is very effective. As a couples therapist, my goal is to offer you the best tools to eliminate unnecessary marital strife and crisis. Truly, all couples fight at times. But, the PACT therapy approach helps couples to leverage their deep love for one another in a healing way so they are better together.
And it happens fast. PACT sessions are usually 2-3 hours in length and usually require fewer sessions than traditional couples therapy.
PACT Therapy With Gottman Method/Skills & More
When I work with clients, my approach is to integrate the Gottman Method and skills, PACT therapy along with many other approaches because there is no one size fits all when it comes to seeing couples.
Therefore, in each session, I listen for my client’s needs and pull out that specific “tool” from my therapy toolkit.
Currently, I am PACT Level 3 (highest certification available) and a PACT Ambassador. PACT Ambassadors are chosen by Dr. Stan Tatkin as leaders in the field who write about this approach and present PACT at mental health workshops and training.
One of my favorite concepts from Dr. Stan Tatkin, founder of PACT, is The 10 Relationship Essentials (seen below). You will learn the significance of these principles and how to apply them to your relationship.
Get Started With PACT Couples Therapy Today
If you’re in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Florida, Vermont, or internationally in British Columbia, Australia, South Africa or Israel I offer couples counseling and intensive couples retreats (from your home) to help your relationship quickly and effectively.
Our sessions are conducted via teletherapy so they are easy and convenient for you.
Nothing will set your marriage on the right footing like a secure functioning relationship. If you’re seeking a couples therapist, take the special time needed to work through big issues like family and kids, mental health, finances, work-life balance, and more before they become a true issue between you.
For more details about how PACT therapy can help your relationship, read Lisa’s articles:
7 Tips For Improving Communication in Marriage and How PACT Therapy Helps
How To Reconnect With Your Partner: 3 Tips To Help Your Relationship
To start your healing journey, please email me at lisar@tsecuremail.com to explore how to get started.
