About Therapy
Working with couples brings joy to me.
I love working with all kinds of clients. It makes every day new and exciting.
Some couples who come to see me are in a state of chaos. Frequently, they come to me as their last-ditch effort to confirm they shouldn’t be together, and if it does work out, they are surprised.
Other clients are more proactive, sense where their relationship is heading, and seek correction before things get bad.
I also work with those considering marriage who wish to get it right from the beginning.
Rebuilding a connection is essential.
Whether in a state of chaos or coming in for a checkup, I make sure all my clients feel heard by me and each other.
Together, we work toward rebuilding their connection emotionally and physically. Without the emotional bond, many cannot engage in the physical.
We sort out resentments, conflicts, and communication difficulties. Couples learn to listen, express their needs, and understand their partner’s needs.
Healing begins weekly, but fewer sessions over time.
Generally, weekly sessions are essential when therapy begins. Some clients come randomly or as issues arise, but I don’t suggest this as a way to start. Consistency and work are the best ways to attain your goals.
From the beginning, I stress relapse prevention so that the time you spend in session will serve you in the present and the future. Ideally, you will create a therapy folder that will become a reference guide so that outside our sessions, you can refer back to and practice what you learned.
As stability builds and the couple gets on track, our sessions will be spaced further apart, providing the couple with greater independence. My job is to be out of your lives! We will review your accomplishments and assess your overall marital health when you reach your goals.
I welcome my clients back even after their goals are met. We work to maintain progress.
I stay available to all my clients. Even when therapy ends, I am there for whatever may spring up. A refresher session is sometimes sought, and an impartial third party is occasionally needed briefly. Whatever the need, I will be there.
About Cathy Cosentino, Esq., LMFT
I love adventure.
As in my practice, I enjoy a challenge. I engage in various kinds of racing from triathlons to adventure racing. In my spare time, I enjoy being outdoors. Living close to the beach is fantastic all year long.
I love animals, as they represent the innocent among us. My happiest places are among them, and I enjoy spending time at animal sanctuaries tending to goats, donkeys, and horses.
I frequently take my dogs for a hike. I also tend to nag my clients to get out and move their bodies to improve their mental and physical health.
Seeing is believing.
In my practice, I use modalities that have been tested, like the Gottman approach, because of their decades-long research. Although I use other modalities, Gottman Couples Therapy is my favorite. However, if a strategy works, I use it.
I also believe in common sense, wisdom, and experience. I have learned a few things after 32 years of marriage and children.
I am sold on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
When I first witnessed this technique performed, I thought it was a con. Really. I was waiting for the smoke to clear and the trick explained. Although I was told it was not a trick or a gimmick, but an effective technique to rid one of trauma by removing the emotions of the traumatic event from the memory. I thought to myself, “Yeah, right!”
So, I went to get trained mainly to prove the scam. Instead, I discovered the wildest, most terrific way to help someone get the trauma out of their body. It was amazing to see how my clients could talk about their trauma because, without some form of releasing the trauma from their bodies, they don’t get very far.
After using EMDR, clients tell me that they feel a weight being lifted, that the event doesn’t feel so “heavy,” that it “No longer matters” or >“it doesn’t bother me anymore.” It is effective, and I use it for all kinds of trauma.