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Marriage Counseling At Take Charge, Inc. Guides Couples To Celebrate Their Relationship Every Day

Marriage counseling with Terri Dichiser at Take Charge, Inc., in Overland Park, Kansas, can help you learn to celebrate your relationship and marriage by strengthening it every day, not just on a holiday like Valentine’s Day. Terri utilizes Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) to help couples reconnect with one another. She uses therapy and marriage counseling to help couples recognize the patterns they have established in their relationship and offers tools and strategies to break those patterns to create a renewed sense of safety and security with your spouse. Romance, roses, chocolates, and champagne are only a small part of what makes up a marriage.

EFT is counseling therapy based on 20 years of clinical studies with proven results for couples in crisis. EFT counseling is based on therapy with your spouse in the safe environment of Terri’s office to help you create a haven of safety and strength in your marriage. Marriage based on a connection with your spouse that makes you stronger as an individual and in your marriage.

Valentine’s Day is looming large on the horizon, and everywhere you look, commercials, magazines, store displays, and more are focused on helping couples plan the “perfect” February 14th celebration.

Marriage-Counseling-At-Take-Charge-Inc-Guides-Couples-To-Celebrate-Their-Relationship-Every-Day

Yes, if you’re in a relationship, it is important and enjoyable to celebrate your love on this special day. The truth is, it’s the 364 days that surround February 14th that can make or break the quality of your relationship. If you want to give your spouse the most meaningful Valentine’s gift of all, commit to putting daily thought — and yes, work! — into your relationship.

A happy marriage is the cornerstone of a happy life — if your marriage isn’t good, you’re going to have trouble feeling fulfilled in other areas as well. Terri uses EFT with marriage counseling to help you and your spouse move past the surface problems you face into the root issues that brought your relationship to this point. In these root issues, Terri guides you to recognize the destructive patterns of behavior and communication you and your spouse have created in your relationship. Couples recognize these patterns and behaviors are the enemy in the marriage, not each another.

Believe it or not, your marriage vows weren’t a one-time deal. No, you and your spouse probably aren’t going to stand in front of your loved ones and recommit yourselves to one another on a regular basis, but if you want to cultivate a strong and happy marriage, you should start each morning by making a renewed personal commitment to keeping your relationship healthy and rewarding.
For more information about marriage counseling at Take Charge, Inc., call (913) 239-8255.

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Marriage Counseling Teaches Couples How to Create A Giving Relationship

Marriage counseling is available at Take Charge, Inc. for couples to learn giving the gift of taking care and nurturing the marriage. We take care of our vehicles, homes, and other parts of life, yet couples forget to maintain and continuously give to the most important relationship they’ve committed. If we have a car and drive it every day but never do an oil change, put gas in or provide basic maintenance the car will stop running.  The same thing happens in our marriages.  We marry and provide a lot of attention and care to the other, yet this can fade when unresolved hurts and conflict goes unattended.  Don’t let your marriage stop running as your relationship is a foundation to all we do in life.  Marriage counseling is also for maintaining that giving to each other, not just when your marriage reaches a critical point and is needed immediately.

Life, so the saying goes, is all about give and take, where we get along by trying to balance our giving and taking. All relationships, it seems, have this element of striving for balance. Unfortunately, in many cases we give a lot when the other doesn’t give enough. Marriage differs from other types of relationships.

At Take Charge, Inc., Terri Dichiser utilizes Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT). EFT is counseling therapy based on more than 20 years of clinical studies with proven results for couples in crisis. EFT marriage counseling is based on therapy with your spouse in the safe environment of Terri’s office to help you create a haven of safety and strength in your marriage – a marriage based on a connection with your spouse that makes you stronger as an individual and in your marriage.

Marriage counseling at Take Charge, Inc. teaches couples how to create a giving relationship.Marriage is a give and give relationship at its core, which sets it apart, and above, from all other relationships. We need to apply the principles of mutuality and reciprocity in our marriage. Reciprocal relationships require a spirit of cooperation, as well as an understanding of and ability to embrace interdependence. If one partner tries to use control, be superior or is competitive with their spouse then reciprocity will be difficult to maintain. If you treat marriage like any other relationship, you will never get the great marital benefits.

Marriage requires you to provide a higher level of commitment as we can’t just take and ignore maintenance to our relationship.  We need to understand our needs and our partner’s needs instead of just trying to get as much as possible from our spouse. Remember you married your partner for both of you to experience connection and safety.

Terri uses EFT to help you and your spouse move past the surface problems you face into the root issues that brought your relationship to this point. In these root issues, Terri guides you to recognize the patterns of behavior and communication you and your spouse have created in your relationship. Couples recognize these patterns and behaviors are the enemy in the marriage, not each another.

For more information about marriage counseling, call Take Charge, Inc. at (913) 239-8255.

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Marriage Counseling Can Ease The Stress Of The Holidays For Couples

Marriage counseling at Take Charge, Inc. is available for spouses so they can navigate the holidays together, whatever life throws at them. It can be especially stressful for one or both spouses if they have experienced trauma, which can resurface during this time of year. Marriage counseling will help you build your marriage and spouses can enjoy the holidays as a team.

This time of year can inspire festive gatherings and activities of joy, togetherness, and heartfelt memories with family and friends. For some, though, the holidays can be a challenging time of stress, adversity, and a difficult trigger of strong emotions, pressures, or traumatic experiences. The holidays can cause friction in even the strongest marriages. Money, family members, and traveling are some of the top challenges a couple will deal with over the holidays.

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) is used by Terri Dichiser at Take Charge, Inc., during marriage counseling. EFT counseling is based on therapy with your spouse in the safe environment of Terri’s office to help you create a haven of safety and strength in your marriage. Marriage based on a connection with your spouse that makes you stronger as an individual and in your marriage.

Be especially mindful of the impact the holidays can have on well-being and its influence on trauma reactions. The holidays can heighten emotions of loss, loneliness, anxiety, tension, sadness, and much more. Fatigue or poor eating and drinking habits influenced by holiday activities and pressures can take a physical toll. Sensory-based experiences with holiday-inspired music and smells can be painful for some survivors to navigate, as well as past memories, traditions, or loved ones. Trauma-informed care recognizes how these experiences can impact a survivor during this season. Know that it’s okay to say no to others if your feelings are too overwhelming to participate in certain activities. Be mindful not to isolate yourself regularly but it is okay to say no at times.

Marriage counseling can help one or both spouses deal with the trauma they endured. Terri uses EFT to help you and your spouse move past the surface problems you face into the root issues that brought your relationship to this point. Marriage based on a connection with your spouse that makes you stronger as an individual and in your marriage.

Marriage counseling at Take Charge, Inc. can help make the holidays merry

Fighting over money happens at some point in every marriage. In fact, some couples fight over this regularly. Therefore, it’s no surprise that holiday time puts an excessive amount of stress on a couple. Get together as a family to write up how much you are willing to spend on that special day. You can also allocate amounts for certain purchases or activities. Put these amounts in envelopes. Once the cash runs out of the envelope, the shopping experience is over.

Then there’s family. Some you love, some are difficult to be around. Regardless of how you feel about them, you will cope better knowing you and your spouse have each other’s back by setting boundaries. When dealing with toxic family members, it’s okay to articulate your feelings with love and respect. It’s also okay to remind your parents that you are both adults capable of making your own decisions. An open dialogue with each other about your fears and expectations around holiday plans will give couples the opportunity to discuss strategies to deal with potential conflict. Marriage counseling provides the environment for spouses to speak freely about their feelings in a safe environment. Presenting that united front will yield better results and reduce marital stress.

How many times have you sat in an airport during the holiday season and thought, “What was I thinking?!” Traveling during the busiest time of the year can bring out the worst in you both, but by being aware ahead of time of the stress, as a couple you can make the best of it. Even if the family home has plenty of space, it is a good idea to build in some personal space to save the holiday. Stay in a hotel to get over jet lag or to have a quiet place to go to during the long all-day event. It’s best to automatically factor in around 25 percent extra time for delays and incidentals to reduce stress and frustration around what is likely to happen anyway.

Your life does not need to be a lifestyle magazine photo spread. Simple is better, and we often remember the quaint fails with more warmth than the pristine table. The holidays can be a time of stress on a marriage, but marriage counseling can also help it go smoother, and know what to anticipate and how to deal with it.

For more information about marriage counseling, call Take Charge, Inc. at (913) 239-8255. To schedule an appointment, click here.

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Marriage Counseling Is Available For Spouses Who Have Experienced Childhood Trauma

Marriage counseling is available at Take Charge, Inc. for couples who are experiencing the effects of childhood trauma, whether it’s one or both spouses. Complex trauma happens while growing up, and the effect of that trauma can in turn effect who we pick in life, cause trust issues with a spouse, and determine how comfortable you are with your partner. Trauma in early childhood can cause emotional flashbacks during the holidays.

Although adults often say things like, “He was so young when that happened. He won’t even remember it as an adult,” childhood trauma can have a lifelong effect. And while kids are resilient, they’re not made of stone. Early intervention could prevent your child from experiencing ongoing effects of the trauma as an adult.

When a child experiences a trauma that teaches him that he cannot trust or rely on that caregiver, however, he’s likely to believe that the world around him is a scary place and all adults are dangerous — and that makes it incredibly difficult to form relationships throughout their childhood, including with peers their own age, and into the adult years.

Marriage counseling at Take Charge, Inc. is available for those experiencing trauma.What happens to us as children can affect the attachment style we carry into our adult relationships. Trauma hugely influences attachment. Often people who grew up in happy, healthy, and stable homes where caregivers were emotionally available and responsive to their needs have a secure attachment style. These people don’t push partners away or cling too tightly. While they may have troubles in their relationships, an unhealthy attachment style isn’t the cause.

During marriage counseling, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Terri Dichiser uses Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), which is based on more than 20 years of clinical studies of couples in crisis. EFT counseling is based on therapy with your spouse in the safe environment of Terri’s office to help you create a haven of safety and strength in your marriage. Marriage based on a connection with your spouse that makes you stronger as an individual and in your marriage.

Ebenezer Scrooge wasn’t the only person to be visited by unwelcome apparitions from prior chapters in one’s life. Oftentimes during the holidays, survivors of trauma may re-experience flashbacks of prior traumas. The holiday period (in the U.S. from Halloween through Valentine’s Day) is loaded with remembrances of milestones that went awry, due in large part by their history of abuse and sense of lack of personal power. Terri uses marriage counseling to focus on these effects.

For more information about marriage counseling at Take Charge, Inc., call (913) 239-8255.

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Marriage Counseling At Take Charge, Inc. Addresses Narcissistic Relationships

Marriage counseling at Take Charge, Inc., in Overland Park, Kansas, is available for couples and individual counseling for those in a relationship with a narcissistic tendencies or diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Narcissistic relationships are formed when one or both partners struggle with a narcissistic personality.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is defined by The Mayo Clinic as “a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration. Those with narcissistic personality disorder believe that they’re superior to others and have little regard for other people’s feelings. But behind this mask of ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem, vulnerable to the slightest criticism.” Terri Dichiser, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Kansas and Missouri, utilizes Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) for marriage counseling including with couples where one or both have symptoms of NPD.

Narcissism is a personality disorder that seems to be more common in the current day. The severity of symptoms may vary from one person to another. Many times people from the outside see a narcissist as someone who sees themselves as more important than others or constantly focused on their own needs and wants. Terri works with couples in marriage counseling to address issues which affect them because of symptoms of NPD.

Marriage counseling can help those in a narcissistic relationship.

There are signs to look for to discern whether your spouse (or yourself) may be a narcissist. Some include:

Distorted need for attention and validation
Narcissists yearn for constant attention and approval. They may be expecting simple praise, such as compliments for effort they are putting in around the house. Other times, they may be extremely clingy. They could follow you around wanting more. At times, your words may seem to go straight through them meaning nothing.

Feeling superior and entitled
Narcissists live in a world of hierarchy. There’s always the best and the worst along with the right and the wrong. This mindset opens up their world of control. They must be the best, be right and hold the final answer. On the opposite end, narcissists can also get that superior feeling by being the worst, the most wrong, or the most ill, upset, or injured for a period of time. Then they feel entitled to receive empathetic concern or even the right to hurt you or demand apologies to “make things even.”

Lack of empathy
Narcissists rarely have the ability to empathize with others. They lean more towards being selfish and self-involved. Their ability to feel what others are feeling is rare. Narcissists expect others to think and feel the same as they do and seldom give any thought to how others feel. Apologies, remorse or guilt are not frequent fliers from a narcissist’s mouth. When the words are in reverse however, narcissists take these three as threats to themselves. They are very sensitive and threatened by anger or rejection of others. They can take your true statements of apology, or expression of love, as a manipulative threat.

Often NPD or symptoms of NPD are rooted in attachment trauma.  This trauma is a disruption in the critical process of bonding between a child and his or her primary caregiver. That trauma may be abuse or neglect, or  the less obvious lack of affection or response from the caregiver.  EFT marriage counseling, and Emotionally Focused individual counseling, at Take Charge, Inc. can help identify and address this attachment trauma.  Narcissistic relationships tend to be very challenging. EFT research is based on 20 years of clinical studies with proven results for couples in crisis. EFT counseling is based on therapy with your spouse in the safe environment of Terri’s office, to help create a haven of safety and strength in your marriage.

For more information about being in a narcissistic relationship and marriage counseling at Take Charge, Inc., call (913) 239-8255.

Terri Clinton Dichiser

A Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Kansas and Missouri, Terri Clinton Dichiser has provided exceptional service to clients since 1991.

Working with families and individuals facing challenging situations, Terri helps clients address concerns in new and constructive ways.

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