Relational Life Couples Therapy, Weekend Intensives and Discernment Counseling
Somewhere inside you know that you should have sought help six months ago. Or, perhaps you did seek counsel, and it was not effective. You are now feeling more hopeless than ever before.
You’ve come to the right place.
More than any other therapy that I do in my office, couples come to me in the most crisis.
Like unstoppable bleeding in the relational emergency room, the injury in the couple is incessant. Help is needed fast.
I transform relationships. I work in a sequenced and condensed process that gives couples the maximum benefit in the shortest amount of time. Using my skills as a master-trained Relational Life Therapist (aka Terry Real’s “The New Rules of Marriage”), I use a unique model that is intensive, effective, and results-driven.
Get to the heart of your issues – fast.
Through my laser-like emotional precision and a direct, no bullshit approach, I get to the heart of the issue in a timely manner. The process of change is accelerated to move you and your partner to a healthy way of relating.
I offer real solutions that can revive a connection and create a secure and satisfying relationship.
This model of therapy (RLT) is particularly helpful to partners that are Love Avoidant– those that need a micro-coaching approach to know the ins and outs, the whys and hows, of becoming close and connected to another human being. As if never having entered the candy shop of human connection, Love Avoidants are terrified of close contact, yet have no idea what he or she is missing.
Where we start:
Specifically, I will lead you through a four-step process:
- Assessing the current state of the relationship and identifying the core dysfunctional dance of the two partners;
- Stopping the current injury in the relationship;
- Rebuilding the inner workings of the relationship to turn the tide toward reconnection and healthy functioning;
- Deepening the relationship toward greater intimacy and overall satisfaction.
Couple Therapy Program Packages and Services:
1. Couples’ X-Ray: Your First Step to Relational Success
The Couples’ X-Ray is a unique opportunity that will assess and give insight as to the inner workings of your relational dance. After just four hours, you will know what is not working in your relationship, why and what are the possible next steps in your relational journey.
2. Premarital / At the Beginning of your Committed Relationship – FOUNDATIONAL PACKAGE – 3 x 120-minute/sessions
Whether at the start of your journey or right before you say, “I do,” set your relationship up for success. Prevent those bad relational habits before they take root and begin to erode your loving connection. I will help you lay a strong foundation to weather the inevitable highs and lows that a long-term relationship will encounter and must endure. You will gain relational skills and tools that will strengthen your connection and deepen your intimacy for the long haul.
3. The Muddle In the Middle – SUBSTANTIAL PACKAGE – 8 x 90-minute/sessions
Your relationship is stale or stuck. You are far from calling it quits, yet you’ve hit a plateau. Something feels missing. You are living in the never-never land of “stable misery” – neither of you is very happy, but no one is leaving.
Perhaps your happily-ever-after has been dampened by kids, bills, and household chores. Or criticism, withdrawal or control. You and your partner lack the necessary skills to turn the ship around, and your relationship desperately needs some attention before it is too late. Let’s bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, while setting you up to not only go the distance, but also travel to places you have never been before.
4. When All Seems Lost – TRANSFORMATIONAL PACKAGE – 20 x 90-minute/sessions
If you are here, you know it. The pain is pervasive. Injury of the other – and the relationship – is constant. Prior marriage therapy has failed. You can either try one more time or call the lawyer.
Let me be the last stop on the train. One way or another, we will work to end your agony. We will either transform a “hanging on the brink” relationship or dare to tell a sad and hard truth. Either way, you have it in you for “one more try” before calling it quits.
5. Give It One More Chance – Self-guided, online program
I have combined my knowledge and experience to develop a self-guided, online program for couples. It’s based on the fact that anyone can fall in love; it is a learned art and takes many skills to make love last. Our ten-week self-study program provides an opportunity for discovery: How did I get here and how do I create a relationship I desire and deserve? It is a combination of coaching and teaching. You will be guided through diagnosis, stopping injury, transformation, and deepening of the relationship. You will receive weekly support sessions and access to an online private forum where you can share and grow with others who want to grow and thrive in their relationships. Find out more here: www.giveitonemorechance.com
6. Weekend Intensives – For those that are traveling from outside the Washington, DC area or for those that want a condensed jumpstart to a new relationship.
We will work in a highly intense and compact format that allows your relationship to heal and grow. This is a personalized experience, not a group. The weekend will be focused entirely on you as a couple. Progress can be made in a shortened amount of time rather than the months it would take in once a week couples therapy.
We will put together a package that makes sense for your needs and schedule. – Price TBD
7. Discernment Therapy: Should We Stay or Go?
Couples who are on the edge of divorce and need guidance as to whether or not to end the marriage—you’ve come to the right place.
Couples with “mixed agendas,” where one partner is leaning towards divorce and the other wants to remain married, are stuck in ambivalence. The goal of discernment counseling is for each partner to have greater clarity and confidence in terms of their decision-making for the future of their relationship.
Through a short-term guided process of five or less sessions, we will determine thoughtfully and thoroughly together the best next step in your relationship. Discernment counseling differs from traditional couples therapy in that it is not assumed that both parties want the marriage to work. Rather, discernment therapy moves the ball from stable misery to a decided upon path forward, of which there are many options.
The end result? A clear direction for your marriage. Plus, better sleep knowing that you acted with integrity and precision. And in the process, you might learn a few things about yourself that will either help this marriage or the next one.
8. Couples Sessions – A La Carte
One way or another, something needs to happen in your relationship – whether for yourself, your marriage, your vows, your finances or your kids.
Call me and we will get started doing it differently and better.
You are a relationship game changer. I believe you are a relationship power for good-wherever that leads the parties. Thank you, Ginger. You have far-reaching impact.
L.F.
You are the Olympic gynmast of couples therapy!
L.C.
Ginger, I am grateful towards you and your top-notch work with couples — not only for the benefit of my patients, but also because it makes it easy for me to confidently refer. Thank you!
L.M., Professional Clinical Colleague
How do you do what you do? You have a gift. You bring more to it than just a job.
A.R.
Thank you so much for all of your work with us this weekend. We both feel really lucky to have found someone who is clearly so incredible at what they do.
K.A.
Thank you for all your help. it’s working.
F.D., Couples Therapy Client
I simply want to thank you for everything you did for me during the couples work we did with you. It had a profound effect on my life. Thank you for what you do and what you do for others
M.G.
Your work with us was transformative.
S.T.
I don’t give away my summer weekends very easily, but working with you was more than worth it. We had an amazing and satisfying weekend with you. I am very grateful.
G.L.
Ginger is Couples Therapist Extraordinaire. Her approach is highly effective and includes concrete tools. I love too that she offers intensive weekends.
W.K., Couples Therapy Colleague
It sucks that you were not a disappointment. Now I have to reassess my marrige and if I should stay and work on it.
B.S.
The Couple Weekend Intensive made a huge difference. We are communicating extremely well. Thank God we came when we did! We’ve been able to work together. We have a lot more understanding of who we each are. Thank you!
H.E., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
I wanted to let you know just how much gratitude I have for meeting with you this past weekend. You truly do have a superpower and as I continue to decompress and integrate our sessions, that gratitude grows. I knew it was going to be a great weekend when I noticed your affinity for post-its and sharpie pens. Thank you very much.
P.K., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
I am so happy I am here. You are very good and effective.
A.G., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
You are a pro. You are really good at what you do. You are smart and I love your no bullshit approach. Your coaching has been phenomenal.
F.D, Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
Many thanks for investing into us over the weekend. We were both extremely pleased with the sessions. We want to continue this journey with you at the helm and are hopeful as to what is to come.
C.A, Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
You are a goddess! Thank you for your efforts on our behalf this weekend. It was a giant step forward for us!
D.C., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
I’m so impressed with your process. I am blown away! For the first time, we have a game plan to have a successful marriage.
P.M., Weekend Intensive Participant
Your advice, intellect, and empathy are so appreciated and I am really thankful we have you in our lives during this stressful time in our marriage. You are so good at what you do and we are lucky to have found you.
S.M., Couples Therapy Client
Thank you for this weekend and meeting us where we are. My husband commented how much he respected you and benefited from your direct approach.
M.C., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
I’m sure [you] receive a lot of positive feedback. However, I couldn’t pass on not sending a message. In my partner’s words, ‘this was the best counseling I’ve ever had.’ I echo his sentiment.
S.A., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
This past weekend with you was life changing. Thank you.
S.T., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
This has been life changing for us. Thank you.
A.S., Couples Therapy Client
Thank you for a terrific weekend. We are so much more on the same page than we were before. So, thank you!
H.S., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
I’d like to thank you so much for your professionalism this weekend. It was a lot, it was raw, it hurt, but it needed to be done.
V.M., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
Your advice has been incredibly insightful and valuable.
H.J., Couples Therapy Client
Thank you for your unwavering grace in this process.
G.N., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
The two day Intenstive is fantastic!
T.J., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
We’ve never had a therapy session like this before! You are very good.
A.R., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
My husband really liked Ginger. I think she helped me more in thirty minutes than I’ve had all year with my own therapist!
M.T., Client
I got more out of two sessions with you than I did in the prior six months of couples therapy with the prior therapist. Thank you.
R.G., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
Of all our therapy dollars, the best investment we have made is our Weekend Intensive with you.
G.N., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
You’re tough, but fair. I know how much you’ve helped us. I can’t think of anyone I would trust more.
B.C., Former Client
Thank you so much. We’ve already started implementing your teachings and it’s making a difference. I’m so glad we started this process with you.
S.L., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
Your help and guidance has been invaluable.
C.R., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
The time with you was very, very worth it. You were fantastic. I am going home feeling hopeful that our relationship will last the long haul.
A.T., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
You are very good at what you do. We are fortunate to have found you.
M.B., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
Every couple should spend a weekend with Ginger!
P.D., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
It was mind-blowing! Ginger is great. The weekend far exceeded our expectations.
S.R., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
Thanks for your work over the weekend. You are amazing at what you do. It really was an honor to be a part of your process.
J.S., Couples Weekend Intensive Participant
High-end products, wonderful skill.
Psychologist/Referring Clinician, New Jersey
I cannot speak more highly about Ginger’s approach to couple’s counseling. My fiancé and I arrived seeking guidance and tools to establish the sturdiest foundation possible before our upcoming marriage. Ginger taught us communication techniques and the necessary perspective to continue to solidify our relationship, guiding us in the direction of growing together, learning and supporting each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The journey of marriage is unpredictable, but I will be forever grateful to Ginger for opening this door and providing a resource that will undoubtedly serve us for the rest of our lives.
S.B., Former Client
When I first called Ginger to obtain information regarding therapy, I thought she was incredibly expensive and the commute would be annoyingly burdensome. As it turned out, the commute was burdensome, but she turned out to be quite affordable as she saved our marriage. People forget that divorce is even more expensive than therapy, and failure to live life to the fullest cannot be measured…Not only did Ginger teach us how to fall in love again, the process helped with all of our relationships…hiring Ginger was the best decision we have ever made together.
T.L., Former Client
Prior to finding Ginger Sullivan, my spouse and I had used a number of therapists over the course of our almost 30-year marriage with varying levels of effectiveness. We found Ginger’s approach to be more than just the usual – so how did that make you feel? Rather, Ginger is insightful and is a quick read in analyzing the blockages that are occurring in the relationship. As a result, based on that insight, Ginger ends up being less expensive in the long run when retaining a therapist. Regardless, my spouse and I agree that Ginger is cheaper than getting a divorce and is worth every penny.
G.S., Former Client
Thank you so much, Ginger. We both gained a lot from our weekend together. I feel very fortunate that we found you! Your intuitiveness, thoughtful demeanor and approach to your craft was very refreshing. I think you may have found your calling.
K.L., Former Client
Things are better than ever! Thank you for what you’ve already done.
J.H., Former Client
She’s smart and cool!
A.F., Former Client
Damn. She’s good!
J.K., Former Client
Thanks so much for all of your help. You are truly great at what you do!
M.M., Former Client
I cannot recommend your guidance enough.
L.B., Former Client
Your techniques are effective. They have helped me across the board in all areas of my life, not just in my marriage. I am grateful for your help.
C.W., Former Client
I think of you often and the lessons you helped me learn. With love and gratitude,
K.R., Former Client
I am constantly appreciative of you in how our work with you has improved both me as a person & our marriage.
B.S., Former Client
There have been moments over the past few weeks during this pandemic that I have been really glad we came to you. Because of our work with you, we now have the skills, tools and emotional wherewithal to have handled this unforeseen crisis extremely well.
J.M., Former Client
I once read that most couples wait six years before going to see a relationship counselor and by then it’s often too late. We wanted to work with Ginger early in our relationship – before growing in our bad habits. Ginger didn’t just help us resolve the issues we thought we had at hand – she taught us how to have those and future conflicts in productive ways. She helped us see the places we each got stuck individually and where we get stuck as a couple, helped us heal those wounds, and helped us learn to help ourselves and each other through it in the future. Looking back, I don’t know how anyone has a happy or healthy marriage without doing this kind of work. When we came to Ginger, we didn’t know if we were a good “fit” and if we should stay together. We’ve since gotten married with confidence and, for maybe the first time in our lives, feel stable and safe.
J.S., Former Client
Ironically, I found Ginger from a friend who said ‘if there’s one person who can save your relationship, it’s Ginger.’ That friend was probably correct, but as painful as the process was, I credit Ginger for helping my ex and I work through our ultimate separation and divorce. In our case, it was the right thing to do. Ginger helps you face the hard things in life, saving you from years of suffering as you avoid them. Four years later I was back in Ginger’s office for more relationship counseling. This time it wasn’t to save a relationship, it was to help set one up for success. My wife and I now have relationship skills that have been battlefield tested and we couldn’t be happier. I can’t express the amount of gratitude I feel for Ginger’s wisdom, compassion, and guidance over the years.
T.W., Former Client
Ginger is a knowledgeable and innovative therapist. She challenges her clients to actively craft their best lives. I am a huge fan!
S.H., Former Client
After exploring other couples therapists and going through some very difficult times, we’ve realized that you were the most effective therapist for us.
H.G., Former Client
My dear friends speak very highly of you and what you have done for their marriage. Thank you for all that you do!