Couples Counseling in Grand Rapids, MI

Couples therapy provides a safe and empathetic space where couples can work together to address communication, work on conflict resolution, and learn how to deepen their emotional connection.

Couples therapy is an evidence-based approach supported by research that is effective in helping partners resolve differences, improve communication, and work through challenges together.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy helps individuals understand and harmonize their inner conflicts by exploring different parts of themselves. These subpersonalities—managers, exiles, and firefighters—can often be at odds, leading to emotional turmoil. IFS works to bring these parts into balance, fostering a deeper connection with the core Self and promoting healing and personal growth.

Co-parenting after a separation is often one of the most difficult aspects of adjusting to life post-divorce. With heightened emotions and personal differences, finding a way to work together for the sake of the children can feel overwhelming.

Unlike the effortless connections we make as kids, adult friendships require more deliberate effort and understanding to cultivate and maintain.

Supporting a spouse with addiction involves understanding the nature of addiction, providing emotional and practical support, and seeking professional help when necessary.

Healing from a toxic relationship requires intentional steps toward recovery and self-discovery.

Navigating relationships can be particularly challenging when cultural differences are involved. These differences influence everything from communication styles and values to expectations around family involvement and gender roles, which may possibly lead to misunderstandings and conflicts.

Past traumas can surface in every relationship, influencing interactions and disrupting the health essential for a healthy relationship.

Recognizing and breaking free from these harmful patterns is vital for victims’ safety and vitality.

At its core, an avoidant attachment style acts as a coping mechanism to maintain a sense of control and self-sufficiency, often at the expense of close personal connections.

It’s not about labeling codependence as bad but understanding the conditions under which healthy dependence supports growth versus situations where codependency impedes personal and mutual development.

Understanding and addressing these patterns is the first step towards fostering independence, healthier relationships, and a robust sense of self.

Due to the complementary nature of codependency and narcissism, it’s essential for couples to recognize potential imbalances in their relationships and address them constructively.

Co-parenting counseling is an option that provides a structured platform for parents to collaborate, communicate, and resolve their differences.

Being single on Valentine’s Day can be an opportunity to celebrate and embrace the most important relationship of all: the one with yourself. 

In the vast realm of human relationships, the intricacies of our bonds often balance between reliance and autonomy. At times, this balance shifts in subtle yet significant ways, setting our trajectory toward excessive dependency.

ADHD in one or more partners in a relationship does not, in the early stages of the relationship have much, if any negative impact. However, as relationships deepen, and as people’s lives merge with shared goals, aspirations, and responsibilities, problems begin to emerge.

It’s become apparent to me over the years that however diverse we are as humans, one common thread that weaves through our stories is the desire to find meaningful connections.

Watch therapist and Start My Wellness CEO Dr. Anton Babushkin discuss “How mental health impacts relationships” with Nurse Practitioner Laila Marashi

Valentine’s Day can bring up many, varied feelings for each individual, regardless of relationship status. It can be a day to perform the love we have for those in our lives, a day to mourn love loss, a regular Tuesday in February, or something completely different.

Whether you’re recently single, intentionally committed to focusing on yourself, or entering “yet another” holiday season as an uncoupled person, the holidays can feel like a challenging time to navigate.

The holidays can be a challenging time for couples, old and new, to navigate. There are interpersonal challenges: when can we find meaningful time to spend together during a busy season, what expectations do we have of one another around gift giving/receiving, how can we support each other to find contentment as the end of the year approaches?

COVID-19 has changed the ways in which people socially engage with one another. A “return to normal” might seem desirable at first glance, but minimizing the ways that COVID-19 has impacted our world is unfair to both ourselves and to our community.

Don’t be afraid to make your own priorities be clear – being up front will make it easier to assess whether the other person is on the same page. Author: Lindsay Hall, MSW

The fear of disappointment, inadequacy, and selfishness often leads to our need to please others. Consider your personal needs, boundaries, & what you may be sacrificing before saying yes. Author: Jordan Reynolds, LLMSW

Here’s a truth about relationships that a lot of us struggle with: you have to learn how to communicate your needs to the person you are with. My clients balk almost every single time this comes up in session. For some reason, we get hung up on this idea that our partners, or our friends, or our coworkers, or whoever, should just know how to support us and help us feel loved, that we shouldn’t have to tell them how we feel.

Dr. Anton Babushkin, CEO of Start My Wellness, was recently featured in the wonderful Resiliency Podcast Series by Susan Bailey of Marsh & McLennan.

Relationships are challenging. In this article from the New York Times, one person looks back on how his relationship to himself and to others changed over the course of his work in therapy.