Couples therapy at Canyon Passages offers a different path forward when conventional counseling hasn't provided the depth of healing you're seeking. I specialize in therapy for relationship issues that integrates clinical expertise with expanded consciousness work, serving couples ready for profound transformation rather than surface-level fixes.
Couples therapy in my practice draws on over 20 years of experience as a licensed therapist with specialized training in Gottman Method, Internal Family Systems, EMDR, and psychedelic-assisted therapy. I work with successful professionals and creatives who value depth, privacy, and personalized care in their healing journey—partners who recognize that transforming relationship patterns requires more than managing symptoms.
Couples therapy
Transformative Therapy for Relationship Issues That Goes Beyond Traditional Approaches
Why Choose Canyon Passages for Couples Therapy?
Clinical Expertise Meets Spiritual Wisdom My unique background combines traditional therapeutic training with specialized certifications in EMDR, ketamine-assisted therapy, and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. This integration offers couples access to both evidence-based treatment and transformative healing modalities.
Boutique, Personalized Experience Unlike large group practices or clinical settings, you work directly with me throughout your entire journey. Every couples therapy session is tailored to your specific relationship dynamics, history, and healing goals.
Trauma-Informed Approach With extensive training in trauma therapy and EMDR, I understand how past wounds impact current relationship patterns. My approach addresses both individual trauma and relational trauma that may be creating barriers to emotional intimacy.
Expanded States Integration For couples curious about or experienced with psychedelic therapy, I offer carefully guided ketamine-assisted and psilocybin-assisted couples work within proper clinical protocols and sacred containers.
Comprehensive Relationship Counseling Services
EMDR for Couples Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing isn't just for individual therapy—it's profoundly effective for healing relationship wounds. I use EMDR to help couples process implicit memories and nervous system responses that fuel reactive patterns, allowing partners to respond from present-day wisdom rather than past trauma.
This approach is particularly powerful for couples dealing with shared trauma, trust issues from past relationships, or communication breakdowns rooted in childhood experiences.
Psilocybin-Assisted Relationship Healing
For couples seeking the deepest levels of transformation, psilocybin-assisted therapy provides 6-8 hour journeys that allow for comprehensive exploration of relationship dynamics. This sacred medicine work combines clinical safety protocols with ceremonial reverence, creating opportunities for heart-opening experiences and profound shifts in how partners see and relate to each other.
My shamanic training deeply informs this work, creating containers that honor both the clinical and spiritual dimensions of healing.
Ketamine-Assisted Couples Work
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy offers couples access to expanded states of consciousness that can facilitate profound healing. During therapy sessions, the medicine temporarily softens defensive mechanisms, allowing partners to experience deeper empathy, emotional connection, and understanding.
Benefits often include enhanced emotional availability, expanded perspective on relationship patterns, increased capacity for forgiveness, and deeper appreciation for the love that exists beneath layers of hurt and defensive behavioral patterns.
Integration of Individual Therapy and Couples Sessions
Many relationship issues require attention to each partner's individual healing journey. I frequently combine individual therapy sessions with joint couples work, recognizing that healthy relationships require two people who are each doing their own inner work.
Individual sessions may focus on personal trauma processing through EMDR, addressing mental health concerns, or developing emotional regulation skills. This individual work enhances the couples therapy process and supports lasting relationship satisfaction.
Specialized Support for Complex Relationship Challenges
Intimacy Issues and Sexual Satisfaction
Physical and emotional intimacy challenges often stem from trauma, shame, or spiritual disconnection. My approach addresses these issues comprehensively, exploring the physical, emotional, and energetic dimensions of intimate connection while maintaining clinical sensitivity and expertise.
Shared Trauma and Loss
Couples who have experienced significant trauma together—such as the loss of a child, serious illness, or other life-altering events—require specialized approaches. I provide support for both individual healing and relational repair, helping couples find meaning and growth through their shared experiences while honoring each person's unique grief process.
Communication Breakdowns
Beyond teaching basic communication skills, I address the underlying factors that create persistent communication problems. This includes nervous system regulation, trauma-informed communication practices, and somatic awareness that helps partners attune to both verbal and nonverbal cues.
Trust and Betrayal Recovery
Whether dealing with infidelity, emotional betrayals, or accumulated disappointments, rebuilding trust requires more than behavioral changes. My approach addresses the deeper wounds and nervous system impacts of betrayal, helping couples develop authentic forgiveness and renewed emotional bonds.
The Canyon Passages Therapeutic Process
Initial Assessment and Fit Consultation Our work begins with a comprehensive initial assessment that includes a brief application and 15-20 minute fit call. This allows us to explore whether my approach aligns with your needs, readiness, and relationship goals while ensuring clinical safety for any specialized modalities.
Personalized Treatment Planning Based on your unique situation, we create an individualized roadmap that might include preparation sessions, EMDR work, medicine-assisted therapy sessions, integration periods, and ongoing support. No two couples follow identical paths because no two relationships are identical.
Preparation and Safety Protocols For couples interested in psychedelic-assisted work, extensive preparation ensures physical, emotional, and spiritual readiness. This includes medical screening, establishing safety agreements, and creating clear intentions for the healing journey.
Active Therapy Sessions Whether working with traditional talk therapy, EMDR, or medicine-assisted modalities, each therapy session is carefully guided and held within a container of clinical expertise and spiritual reverence. Sessions typically range from 90 minutes to full-day intensives, depending on the modality and your needs.
Integration and Follow-up Support Transformation requires thorough integration. We create specific practices, communication agreements, and ongoing check-in processes that help you embody insights in daily life and maintain therapeutic gains over time.
Who Benefits from This Approach
My ideal clients are individuals and couples who:
Have tried traditional couples therapy but seek deeper transformation
Are successful outwardly but carry inner wounds affecting their relationship
Value privacy, personalization, and boutique-level attention
Are curious about or experienced with expanded states of consciousness
Want clinical credibility combined with spiritual depth
Are ready to invest in their relationship as their next great growth edge
Relationship Issues I Specialize In
Communication and Conflict Resolution Moving beyond surface-level communication techniques to address nervous system regulation, trauma responses, and authentic emotional expression that leads to effective communication and mutual understanding.
Trust and Relationship Patterns Addressing both conscious and unconscious patterns that create relationship distress, including family history influences and repetitive relationship dynamics.
Emotional Intimacy and Connection Helping couples overcome barriers to emotional closeness, whether stemming from past relationships, individual trauma, or spiritual disconnection.
Couples Facing Major Transitions Supporting partners navigating career changes, health challenges, spiritual awakenings, or other significant life transitions while maintaining and strengthening their emotional connection.
Serving Santa Fe, Sedona, and Pagosa Springs
I provide both in-person and online therapy sessions to serve clients throughout the Southwest. My practice locations in these spiritually-rich communities attract individuals and couples who value both clinical excellence and connection to the natural world in their healing journey.
Whether you're seeking couples counseling for communication issues, individual therapy to support your relationship, or exploring expanded consciousness work with your partner, Canyon Passages offers a unique integration of therapeutic modalities designed to facilitate lasting transformation.
Your Next Step Toward a Fulfilling Relationship
The journey toward deeper connection and authentic love begins with a single step. If you're ready to move beyond traditional relationship counseling toward an approach that honors both clinical expertise and spiritual wisdom, I invite you to explore whether Canyon Passages is the right fit for your healing journey.
Through comprehensive couples therapy that may include EMDR, psychedelic-assisted work, and integration support, many clients discover they can resolve conflicts more effectively, develop lasting emotional intimacy, and create the fulfilling partnership they've always desired.
Your relationship challenges are invitations to deeper growth, greater self-awareness, and more authentic expression of your true selves. When approached with proper support and sacred containers, your relationship can become a pathway to the most connected and fulfilling life you've ever imagined.
Ready to begin your transformation? Contact Canyon Passages today to schedule your fit consultation and discover how this deeper approach to therapy for relationship issues can serve your journey toward lasting love and connection.
Located in:
Santa Fe, NM
Sedona, NM
Pagosa Springs, NM
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Couples therapy in my practice goes beyond conflict management or communication skills. I work with partners who have often tried conventional approaches but are seeking transformation at a deeper level. Using Gottman Method and Internal Family Systems, I help you understand the root patterns driving relationship struggles, whether those stem from individual trauma, attachment wounds, or shared losses. This is boutique, personalized care designed for couples ready to transform their connection, not just survive it.
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I offer both online sessions and in-person couples therapy to serve partners across Santa Fe, Sedona, and Pagosa Springs. Online sessions provide flexibility and privacy for busy professionals, while in-person work allows for deeper presence and attunement. Many couples begin online and transition to in-person for intensive work, or they alternate based on their schedules and the specific focus of each session.
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Yes, couples therapy can integrate psychedelic-assisted approaches when appropriate and safe. I offer ketamine-assisted couples sessions for partners ready to explore expanded states together under clinical supervision. This work requires careful preparation, medical screening, and a foundation of trust in the therapeutic relationship. Not every couple is a fit for this modality, and I assess readiness during our initial sessions together.
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I primarily draw from Gottman Method and Internal Family Systems in my couples work, often weaving in EMDR when individual trauma is impacting the relationship. Gottman Method provides research-based tools for understanding relationship dynamics and building friendship, while IFS helps partners recognize and work with the protective parts that show up in conflict. This combination addresses both the practical skills and the deeper emotional wounds that shape how you relate.
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The duration of couples therapy varies based on your specific goals and the depth of work you're seeking. Some couples engage in short-term intensive work over several months, while others choose ongoing support during major life transitions or integration periods. I don't offer quick fixes or promise resolution in a set number of sessions. Instead, I outline an individualized roadmap during our early sessions so you understand the journey ahead and can make informed choices about your commitment.
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Your first session is typically 90 minutes and serves as both an assessment and an introduction to how I work. I'll explore what brought you to therapy, your relationship history, individual backgrounds, and what you're hoping to transform. This session also allows us to assess whether my approach aligns with what you need. You'll leave with a preliminary sense of the roadmap ahead, whether that involves weekly sessions, intensive blocks of work, or preparation for expanded modalities.
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While I can work with couples at different levels of readiness, there does need to be shared willingness to engage in the process. If one partner is seeking transformation and the other is skeptical or resistant, we address that dynamic directly in our early sessions. Sometimes individual therapy alongside couples work helps create the internal readiness needed. I'm honest about what's possible and what isn't, and I won't keep you in a process that isn't serving the relationship's highest good.
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Not at all. Many couples I work with are functioning well outwardly but know something deeper is possible in their connection. You might be navigating a major transition, recovering from shared trauma like the loss of a child, or simply feeling called to grow together rather than apart. Couples therapy in my practice serves partners at crossroads, whether that's crisis, curiosity, or conscious evolution. The common thread is readiness for depth work.
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Yes, working with shared trauma is one of my specialties. Whether you've experienced the loss of a child, a medical crisis, betrayal, or other profound ruptures, I provide trauma-informed couples therapy that honors both individual healing and relationship repair. Using EMDR and somatic approaches alongside relational work, I help partners process what happened while rebuilding safety and trust. This work requires patience, skill, and deep presence, all of which I bring to the therapeutic container.
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You're likely ready if you've tried conventional approaches without experiencing the transformation you're seeking, if you value privacy and personalized care over a clinical setting, and if you're willing to invest deeply in your relationship's healing. My ideal couples are often high-achieving professionals or creatives who recognize that their relationship deserves the same level of attention they give to their work or personal growth. If you're curious about expanded modalities, open to depth-oriented healing, and ready to move beyond surface fixes, let's explore whether this work is right for you.