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Carolyn Gerard, MA, LMFT

Carolyn Gerard, MA, LMFT

San Diego, California
VerifiedTelehealth Available

Professions: Marriage & Family Therapist, Mental Health Counselor

Languages: English

Telephone: 858-281-0731

My Approach to Therapy

All couples experience conflict. Few, however, have learned to effectively communicate frustration without it turning into a fight. I specialize in helping COUPLES communicate after experiencing CRISIS. If you've experienced infidelity or betrayal of trust and want to give your relationship one more chance, I can help. With therapy we can create a safe enough place for each of you to express the underlying hurt and resentments that keep you from feeling connected. As an Emotionally Focused Therapist and wife in my own 35+ years of marriage, I am aware of how challenging relationship ruptures can be. It requires work and commitment. Together we can work through the challenges. There is hope for troubled relationships.

My Practice & Services

Couples often pursue therapy as a last resort before seeking divorce. Not only is divorce costly (the average divorce is $20K, attorney fee $300hour) but it often sets you up to become adversarial. Relationships don't have to end up this way. And if there are children involved parents have a responsibility to work through their differences. My fee for therapeutic services is $165. I am not a preferred provider with insurance companies, however, if you have a PPO I can help you with the paperwork and you will be reimbursed directly from your insurance carrier. Regardless of your choice of therapists, I encourage you to select one who specializes in using Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. Feel free to contact me if you have questions regarding this.

Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With

My specialty is working with all Relationship Distress. I've received extensive trauma training, working with infidelity and betrayal, sexual and pornography issues, and Post Traumatic Stress. I am an Emotionally Focused Therapist, studying AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy) and have taken Part 1 and Part 2 EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) training.

How Psychotherapy Can Help

Human beings naturally thrive when they can love and feel loved in return. Psychotherapy helps you to make sense of the triggers that signal "panic" when rejected, helpless or alone. When the loving feelings are gone couples find themselves caught in a destructive interactive cycle of critical-blame defensive-shut down. In therapy we slow the fighting down and begin to communicate from a place of understanding and repair.

Expertise & Specialties

Age Groups I Work With

AdultsElders

Groups I Work With

Relationship Challenges - Infidelity, Betrayal, Couples in Crisis, Military

Concerns & Challenges Addressed

Communication ProblemsInfidelity / Affair RecoveryPosttraumatic Stress / TraumaPre-Marital Counseling

Therapeutic Approaches & Evidence-Based Methods

Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)Emotionally Focused Therapy

Industries & Communities

Entertainment IndustrySelf-Employed and Freelance Professionals

Location & Contact

Primary Office

1516 Front St

San Diego, California, 92101

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