by Sabrina Walters | Oct 7, 2026 | Communication, Conflict, Counseling, Couples, couples counseling, couples therapy, Couples Therapy Portland, Discernment Counseling, Marriage, relationship counseling, Relationships
In discernment counseling, most of the work happens individually — not as a couple. Sessions are structured to give each partner private space to reflect honestly, without the pressure to perform for or protect themselves from their partner. That shift alone changes...
by Sabrina Walters | Oct 6, 2026 | Communication, Conflict, Couples, couples counseling, couples therapy, Discernment Counseling, Gottman Method, Marriage, relationship counseling, Relationships
Discernment counseling is a brief, structured process for couples where one partner is considering leaving the relationship and the other wants to stay. Unlike traditional couples therapy, the goal isn’t to fix the relationship — it’s to help both partners...
by Sabrina Walters | Sep 28, 2026 | Communication, Conflict, Connection, Couples, couples counseling, couples therapy, Couples Therapy Portland, EMDR, Emotional Regulation, Gottman Method, Gratitute, Marriage, Neurofeedback, relationship counseling, Relationships
Every one of Gottman’s Four Horsemen has a specific antidote — a replacement pattern that, when practiced consistently, can shift the entire emotional climate of a relationship. The antidotes aren’t complicated. But they do require intention, especially...
by Sabrina Walters | Sep 17, 2026 | Communication, Conflict, Couples, couples counseling, couples therapy, Couples Therapy Portland, EMDR, Gottman Method, Marriage, relationship counseling, Relationships
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are four destructive communication patterns — criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling — identified by Dr. John Gottman as the most reliable predictors of relationship breakdown. Recognizing them is the first step toward...
by Sabrina Walters | Aug 21, 2026 | Connection, Couples, Fun, Gottman Method, Intimacy, Marriage, Relationships
Couples who play together regularly report stronger emotional connection, better communication, and higher relationship satisfaction — and the reason isn’t complicated. Play pulls partners out of survival mode and back into genuinely enjoying each other. It...
by Sabrina Walters | Jul 21, 2026 | Connection, Couples, couples counseling, couples therapy, Couples Therapy Portland, Family, Gottman Method, Marriage, Relationships
Couples stay connected during summer by protecting small, intentional rituals — a meaningful goodbye in the morning, a weekly date, a stress-reducing check-in — even when routines loosen and schedules shift. Summer can quietly erode the habits that keep...
