Anne L. Koenig, P.C.
Buckhead Counseling- Atlanta, Georgia
About Anne
Areas of Practice
• Play Therapy for Children
• Individual Therapy
• Couples Counseling
• Supervision
Articles and References
Forms
Directions, Hours, and Fees
Contact Anne
Home
Areas of Practice
• Play Therapy for Children
• Individual Therapy
• Couples Counseling
• Supervision
Articles and References
Forms
Directions, Hours, and Fees
Contact Anne
Home
Welcome to the private therapy practice of
Anne is an associate member of Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapists
Couples Therapy
Couples therapy is different than individual therapy in that issues are approached in terms of both partners and their needs. At the same time, each partner must be viewed and understood as an individual.
While the relationship is the focus of attention, relationship issues always involve individual symptoms and problems as well. In couples therapy, I help you and your partner identify the core conflict issues within your relationship and I then help you decide what changes are needed for both of you to feel satisfied and fulfilled in the relationship.
I focus on helping couples learn different ways of interacting, using different behaviors to produce better results for both parties.
Often there are children involved who also experience the effects of relationship problems between their caretakers. That’s why it is important to view the dynamics of the group in total to help people feel better as individuals.
Couples therapy is different than individual therapy in that issues are approached in terms of both partners and their needs. At the same time, each partner must be viewed and understood as an individual.
While the relationship is the focus of attention, relationship issues always involve individual symptoms and problems as well. In couples therapy, I help you and your partner identify the core conflict issues within your relationship and I then help you decide what changes are needed for both of you to feel satisfied and fulfilled in the relationship.
I focus on helping couples learn different ways of interacting, using different behaviors to produce better results for both parties.
Often there are children involved who also experience the effects of relationship problems between their caretakers. That’s why it is important to view the dynamics of the group in total to help people feel better as individuals.
One tool I often teach couples is called NVC. The basic steps include:
1) Make observations without judgment or criticism, such as “I sense you are very worried about our child right now.”
2) Identify your own true feelings at that point, such as anxiety, anger, fear, frustration, guilt, dread, etc.
3) Connect the feeling to a personal need, For example, if you feel tense, you may have a need to relax.
4) Make a very clear request (not a demand) about your needs, such as “I hear you're worried about our child. Right now I feel tense and I need to calm down. Would you be willing to wait until we’ve finished dinner to continue this discussion?"
For more information, see Marshall Rosenberg’s work on Non-violent Communication.
Non-violent Communication (NVC) Process