Tag: couples counseling West Hempstead

Premarital Therapy to Begin Marriage a Healthy Way

Begin your marriage in a healthy way and learn how to keep it healthy!

Don’t wait until there’s a problem before seeking therapy.

Some couples avoid premarital counseling for fear it will damper the ‘good times’. The truth is, premarital counseling is a proactive way to address potential relationship issues before they become problems in your marriage. Examining your relationship before you head down the aisle will actually bring you closer.

Learn to talk – Communication is the bottom line in successful marriages. Couples who are able and willing to talk openly about personal issues are much more likely to stay together, happily.

Plan for problems – In the midst of your joyous plans, bad times do come as well. The more planning you do for handling problems, the less trauma your relationship will suffer when life’s challenges find you.

Fight fair – The other side of communication is disagreeing. As much as you adore your spouse, there will inevitably be a day when you take different stances on something. Premarital therapy can teach you in advance how to make your way through a fight without doing damage, and to come out the other side with greater understanding.

Remember independence – You’re becoming a new pair. It’s still important to acknowledge one another as an individual, and that the marriage itself is a separate entity from you and your partner. Don’t forget what makes you happy independently while you become a married couple.

Ask a lot of questions – What do you expect your relationship to look like in 15 years? How do you feel about money? Dogs, kids, both, none? What’s your partner’s credit score? How will you deal with in-laws?

To book an appointment with Chana Pfeifer, LCSW, click here.

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Imago Therapy in West Hempstead, NY

Imago Therapy in West Hempstead, NY with Chana Pfeifer, LCSW

Imago therapy was created by Drs. Harville Hendrix & Helen LaKelly Hunt, internationally-respected couples’ therapists, educators, speakers, and New York Times bestselling authors. Together, they’ve written over 10 books with more than 4 million copies sold including, Getting The Love You Want: A Guide for Couples. In addition, Harville has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey television program 17 times!

Chana Pfeifer, LCSW * The Happier Me
Chana Pfeifer with Harville Hendrix

One of the most important components of Imago therapy is that it’s not about being right. The idea behind Imago therapy is that two people can have completely different world views, and it doesn’t mean that one is right and the other is wrong.

The goal in this is not to be right. It’s not proving a point. It’s about actively listening, being heard, validation, and being in tune with our partner.

To assist the transformation of all relationships, Harville & Helen co-created IMAGO RELATIONSHIP THERAPY, which is applicable to couples, families, parents, and professionals who seek to be more effective in their life and relationships.

Learn how to connect through differences and become more present in all of your relationships.

For additional information on Imago Therapy in West Hempstead, contact Chana Pfeifer, LCSW today.

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Guided Meditation before Couples Counseling

Guided Meditation before Couples Counseling with Chana Pfeifer, LCSW in Long Island, NY

One thing that I appreciate about you is….
One thing that I appreciate about me is….

Learn breathwork to slow down the mind before therapy.

Get attuned with your awareness of your emotional state.

Awareness and communication are what makes a connected relationship work. If you feel you are having difficulty communicating with your partner, it would be beneficial to have a therapist guide you in the process. Sometimes, couples become so emotionally disconnected and stuck in negative patterns that it is difficult to talk openly and honestly. If this feels like you, then reaching out to a professional social worker could be a great step toward having a connected relationship.

Chana Pfeifer, LCSW – counseling for couples and individual adults in a safe, supportive place.

For people who have concerns about their upcoming marriage, or want to increase compatibility with their partner, attending couples counseling with Chana Pfeifer can be a very rewarding experience!

Offices in both Cedarhurst & West Hempstead, NY:

422 Berrywood Court West Hempstead, NY 11552
222 Rockaway Avenue Building 1 Cedarhurst, NY 11516

For more info. on couples counseling or guided meditation in Long Island, click here.

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Imago Therapy for Social Work Professionals

What is Imago Therapy? Hosted by Nancy Hilsenrath, LCSW, CASAC, SAP, Treatment Placement Specialists, with Chana Pfeifer, LCSW, CIT.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020
11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Join us for an interactive discussion with Chana Pfeifer, LCSW, CIT surrounding Imago therapy for couples coaching and relational counseling. This event is for professionals in the field of social work and mental health.

Imago therapy is a specific style of relationship therapy designed to help conflict within relationships become opportunities for healing and growth. The term imago is Latin for “image” and, within imago relationship therapy, refers to an “unconscious image of familiar love.”

Speaker: Chana Pfeifer LCSW,CIT

Chana Pfeifer, LCSW * The Happier MeChana is a social worker practicing for over 23 years. She is a certified Imago therapist who specializes in couples and relationships in her private practice. She has office locations in West Hempstead and Cedarhurst, New York. She also is a per diem social worker for NYU Winthrop’s home care department and is an adjunct professor at a division of Concordia College, Sara Schenirer.

For questions and to RSVP, please contact Nancy Hilsenrath
Nancy.Hilsenrath@AcadiaHealthcare.com
(516) 316-7657

Imago Therapy for Professionals

Prime Bistro – 305 Central Avenue Lawrence, NY 11559

Prime Bistro: elevated French fare served in a classic, sophisticated setting with banquette seating & a cozy bar. Wheelchair accessible entrance / seating.

Imago Therapy for Professionals

Pre-Marital Counseling West Hempstead, NY

As you prepare for your wedding, have you also prepared for your marriage?

A survey published by the Journal of Family Psychology reported that couples who underwent pre-marital education reported higher levels of marital satisfaction. They also noted a 30% decrease in the likelihood of divorce happening in over five years of the study.

Pre-Marital Counseling West Hempstead, NY

Chana Pfeifer, LCSW * The Happier MeEssentially, pre-marital counseling is a specialized type of therapy that prepares couples for marriage. The main goal is to help couples build a healthy, strong relationship that establishes a healthy foundation for their union.

Here is how an accredited counselor can help couples build a solid foundation for their union:

1.   Change Perspective

A counselor’s role is to help each partner evaluate the relationship in a more objective manner. They learn how to recognize their interactions and regard each other in a positive light.

2.   Identify Strengths

Pre-marital counseling helps couples identify their strengths in the relationship as a partnership. An in-depth understanding of the stronger aspects of the relationship helps build a spirit of resilience. Ultimately, couples will know that a solid foundation is what builds the marriage.

3.   Improve Communication

For a relationship to be successful, effective communication is an important factor to consider. Pre-marital counselors guide couples on how to talk to each other and remain intimate by openly expressing thoughts and feelings in a supportive way.

4.   Eliminate Dysfunctional Behaviors

Pre-marital counseling helps couples rectify dysfunctional behaviors such as dominance, control and addiction.

5.   Cultural Issues Affecting Marriage

Cultural beliefs tend to affect how partners relate to each other in their lives. It influences the daily common behaviors such as eating, working, and managing their money. The sooner a couple identifies and cultivates a new culture for themselves, the better. A counselor helps reveal cultural issues and teaches the couple how to compromise for each other.

Common Issues Addressed:

Pre-marital counseling addresses a wide range of topics:

  • Conflict Resolution – premarital counselors educate couples in resolving conflicts and how they can come to terms on issues they disagree on.
  • Finances – finance is a hot topic that couples should sit down on and learn how to navigate. The role of the counselor is not to act as a financial adviser – but to help each partner determine how they are going to create a financial system that will suit them both.
  • Sex and Intimacy – intimacy is what keeps partners close together. If uncomfortable discussing sex after being celibate, a counselor helps breaks the ice. Partners get to understand each other sexually and work towards maintaining a healthy relationship in the matrimonial bed.
  • Family – getting married sometimes includes starting a family together. Counselors direct the conversation in a serious light especially when it comes to the number of children and the aspect of timing.

Pre-Marital Counseling West Hempstead, NY

Adherence to privacy is what helps couples confide in their counselor. Be sure to work with Chana Pfeifer, your trusted therapist, providing exceptional skills and a supportive atmosphere for all couples in need of counseling services.

For additional information about attending, please call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com.

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10 ingredients of a connected relationship

1.     Connect with each other through touch to feel alive EVERY day.

2.     Be responsible to REMOVE your criticism, put-downs, blaming, shaming and negativity in your relationship space.

3.     Be aware of YOUR reactivity so you don’t vomit it into the relationship.

4.     Make a big deal about what you appreciate about your partner EVERY day.

5.     Make direct eye contact with each other for at least 10 seconds EVERY day.

6.     How can you self-soothe when you are frustrated, angry or negative?

7.     Show each other respect and hold yourself responsible for what you do.

8.     Have interests, hobbies and/or other relationships outside of your relationship, which creates a more whole person with interesting bits.

9.     Carve out time for your relationship as a couple.

10.  No one has the perfect romance like the movies and lives happily ever after.. and neither will you; it’s healthy to work on your relationship.

Awareness and communication are what makes a connected relationship work. If you feel you are having difficulty communicating with your partner, it would be beneficial to have a therapist guide you in the process. Sometimes couples become so emotionally disconnected and stuck in negative patterns that it is difficult to talk openly and honestly. If this feels like you, then reaching out to a professional social worker could be a great step toward having a connected relationship.

For any questions regarding relationship therapy as an individual or couple, feel free to email me or call me at (516) 592-1107.

Chana Pfeifer, LCSW, CIT

Counseling for couples and individual adults in a safe, supportive place.