IMAGO Certified Couples and Relationship Specialist
The most common "hot button issues" in marriages are lack of trust, lack of communication, sexual problems and financial problems.
The inability to agree on one or more of these issues causes great frustration, leading many marriages to reach a point where one or
both spouses is wondering what they are doing with the other person.
To make a marriage work you need that special relationship time. Your partner needs attention, the odd
little gift, the kiss hello and goodbye, the fleeting caress and a cuddle at the end of the day. Never
lose site of what is important, take stock, sort out any marriage problems and get back on the right track. You make
time for everything else in your life so don't become complacent with what matters most, your
partner and your marriage.
IMAGO Relationship Therapy is effective for couples who want to work through these issues and return to
a place where the passion of their original love is rekindled and renewed, ultimately creating a deeper understanding of one another.
The premise of IMAGO Relationship Therapy is that there is an unconscious purpose (we call it imago) guiding us in our selection
of a mate and how we conduct ourselves in our relationships. Thus, the difficulties experienced in marriage arise from a lack
of awareness about what we're doing in our relationships, not from our choice of partners.
The goals of IMAGO Relationship Therapy are:
- Learning to create an atmosphere of safety and compassion through dialogue (talking and listening) and showing empathy towards your partner
Empathy is the 'capacity' to share and understand another's 'state of mind' or emotion.
- Learning to manage differences in a way that enhances connection
- Gaining a profound understanding of the impact that our childhood and past experiences have had upon the
way in which we experience and behave in our current relationships
- Identifying and changing behaviors that sabotage the relationships we care about the most
- Developing the true intimacy that is the source of passion and joy
IMAGO Relationship Therapy also teaches us:
- How our early experiences of love with childhood caretakers have profoundly affected our patterns of perception and behavior in our current love life.
- That we bring to our love relationships an unconscious agenda - to get some kind of love
from our partner that we didn't get in our childhood so we can heal old wounds.
- That frustration and struggle are a part of the development of a relationship, as we merge
our "agendas" and attempt to get our needs met. In the process we often unconsciously
rewound each other in ways we were wounded in childhood!
- To develop important skills to resolve the pain and conflict in relationships so that they remain safe, growing and lasting!
- How to really love each other.
IMAGO Relationship Therapy is for...
Couples who:
- Are experiencing difficulties and want to resolve conflicts.
- Are considering divorce but want to find out if they can work things out.
- Want to enrich their relationship.
And Singles who want to:
- Understand why past relationships didn't work.
- Create satisfying and fulfilling relationships in the future.
- Break destructive patterns.
- Heal old hurts and frustrations.
What You Can Expect from IMAGO Relationship Therapy sessions:
When you come to your first session with you partner you will probably feel nervous or
apprehensive, but you will soon be pleasantly surprised. Your imago therapist will explain the structure of therapy to you, which will include:
- Homework assignments that are designed to help you become aware of and share valuable information with you partner.
- Coaching and practice of communication process that will make it safe to share.
- Learning skills that will help you resolve conflict and enhance joy together.
How do you know if you achieved the benefits of IMAGO Relationship Therapy?
The couples that come out on top are those that area ble to recognise their failings, accept that some work needs
to be done and refocus their attentions on what really matters.
Who developed IMAGO Relationship Therapy?
IMAGO Relationship Therapy was developed by psychologist Harville Hendrix, Ph.D. and his wife,
Helen Hunt during the
early 1980's. Dr. Hendrix wrote the best-selling books, "etting the Love You Want: A Guide for
Couples" and "Keeping the Love You Find: A Guide for Singles". Since the 80's Dr. Hendrix has
established the Institute for Imago Relationship Therapy (IIRT) in Winter Park, Florida, which
now has a faculty of 18 trainers around the world who contribute to the theory and practice
of IMAGO Relationship Therapy and to the worldwide training of imago therapists.
Who are IMAGO Therapists?
Only licensed and credentialed professionals, who have been through a yearlong training
(over 96 hours) in IRT through the Institute, are qualified to call themselves Certified Imago
Relationship Therapists.