Marriage/Couples Counseling
Angela S. McLean is a licensed marriage and family therapist serving the Raleigh, NC area. Her training has focused specifically on understanding relationships and helping couples build or re-build happy marriages. For your convenience, evening and day-time hours are available.
We specialize in helping couples build a strong foundation and a lasting, satisfying relationship by partnering with them to increase affection, intimacy, and communication skills.
What to Expect:
Marriage counseling generally begins with Angela getting to know the couple and gaining insight into the problem from each partner’s perspective. The next 2-3 sessions consist of assessment in which Angela becomes more familiar with the couple and their problem including placing the problem in a larger context by discussing the marital/relationship and family history. Angela always meets with the couple together and almost never sees one member of the couple alone. This allows her to maintain a balanced therapeutic relationship with both partners in which the marriage is the client rather than either individual. After the assessment phase, counseling continues for an average of 8-20 sessions over a period of 3 to 9 months.
Approach to Couples Counseling:
Angela McLean, LMFT focuses on providing a relaxed atmosphere and developing a relationship with both partners so that everyone feels comfortable. Couples talk about where they are stuck, but also are asked to remember what originally attracted them to one another. Angela often points out patterns of communication that don’t appear to be effective. Couples learn how each of them helps to maintain the problems they bring to therapy, usually without realizing it. Then Angela can partner with the couple to help them find new, more effective ways to solve problems.
At the conclusion of each session, Angela typically gives a simple homework assignment designed to help you incorporate what you learned into day to day life. These will include things you can do immediately to help you feel more relaxed and begin to reconnect. Angela will help you consider how your individual, marital, and family history may be impacting your relationship today. In addition, Angela often helps couples address parenting difficulties and the needs of their children during marriage counseling.
Benefits of Couples Counseling:
Couples Counseling can lead to more satisfying relationships by achieving the following results:
- Increased respect and appreciation
- Revitalized sexual desire and passion
- Greater understanding and closeness
- Create a process for healing and forgiveness
- Time together sharing interests and activities
- Increased ability to resolve conflicts
- Ability to maintain improvements in your relationship
Angela also helps new couples who want to get their relationship off to a good start through premarital counseling.
Request an Appointment Today
(919) 868-6242
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