Mediation and couples counseling | Couples therapy | Marriage counseling

Mediation and couples counseling/ couples therapy/ marriage counseling Bremen

Mediation is a very helpful process for finding solutions to more practical conflicts. For example, when it comes to child custody arrangements, the question of who stays in the shared home after a separation, and similar issues.

In contrast, couples counseling or couples therapy focuses on emotional clarification. To be able to interact peacefully and lovingly with each other again, couples often want to better understand "what happened between us" or "why we keep falling into these patterns.".

They want to reconnect and foster closeness, less arguing and more open communication. Sometimes it's not enough to reach an agreement on certain disagreements; it also requires being seen with love, sometimes an apology, restitution for a hurt, a resolution on an emotional level.

Couples counseling, couples therapy and marriage counseling

In the first phase of falling in love, people often become completely absorbed in fulfilling the wishes and needs of their partner and, in turn, feel completely fulfilled by the fact that their wishes and dreams have finally come true.

After some time, however, it becomes clear that the partner cannot always be available to fulfill one's needs – this leads to feelings of being shortchanged, treated unfairly, or not getting what one needs. The couple is now forced to negotiate and discuss what each person wants or needs and what is realistically achievable.

These conversations don't always go smoothly, and the couple doesn't always find a solution that satisfies both of them. Sometimes the discussions start going in circles, or an accusatory, reproachful, or aggressive tone creeps in, which neither of them actually wants. In such a situation, it can be helpful to bring in a counselor to moderate these conversations, to develop new solutions together, and to find their way back to loving and successful communication.

My work with couples incorporates the insights and methods of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). This approach is based on the premise that the longing for a stable, secure emotional bond with a loved one is a fundamental human need, not an unhealthy "dependency." On the contrary, the security that this bond can provide frees us to explore ourselves and the world. In EFT, couples can learn to reconnect emotionally, even after a situation in which one or both partners have felt hurt or abandoned.

I support couples in all phases of a relationship, and also couples during or after a separation.

Mediation

Mediation is a conflict resolution process in which the conflicting parties are supported by a neutral person. The goal is to find solutions that satisfy the interests of all involved. It is not about determining who is "right" or who was "at fault" in the past. Rather, the focus is on looking ahead to discover what might work in the future.

In a conflict, those involved are often no longer able to communicate constructively and objectively. The mediator's role is to restart the conversation by providing structure and ensuring that previously agreed-upon ground rules are followed. In the process, a model emerges for how conflicts can be resolved constructively in the future—even without mediation.

The mediator does not evaluate, judge, decide, or assess. Responsibility for the outcomes remains with the participants.

The prerequisite is that all parties to the conflict are willing to actively participate in such a process.

Examples of reasons for mediation:

• Family conflicts, including before, during and after separations and divorces
• Agreement on visitation arrangements
• Neighborhood disputes
• Conflicts in the workplace, between employees or between management and employees
• Conflicts between companies
• Conflicts in clubs and initiatives

Cost:
on request