Confused? Full of Questions?
Don't Know Where To Start?
Let Erica & Eric Answer All of Your Questions About Our In-Person and Online Therapy
Video Sessions Anywhere In Florida or In-Person In Our Private Boca Raton Office
Husband & Wife Co-Therapy Team Approach to Pre-Marriage Counseling in Florida
Dedicated To Helping Couples Prepare For Marriage
Getting Effective Therapy Should Not
Be Overwhelming & Expensive
When You Choose To Discover Your Destiny, you will…
Secure HIPAA-Compliant Video Sessions
In-Person Sessions at our Boca Raton Office
Private Pay Only
Florida Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Unique Husband & Wife Co-Therapy Team
Convenient Scheduling Options
Erica & Eric are Passionate, Experienced, and Focused on Helping
Couples Located ANYWHERE in the State of Florida.
Watch To Learn About Our Unique Co-Therapy Experience When Working With Couples...
Eric & Erica Specialize In Helping Couples of All Backgrounds, Cultures & Ethnicities
Click to play
'HAPPY SPOUSE...HAPPY HOUSE'
Marriages aren't 50-50, only divorces are. In a healthy and satisfying marriage, you and your spouse EACH needs to give the relationship 100% effort, desire, love, motivation, compassion, and empathy. Common misperceptions of successful marriages are reflected in the phrases: "2-halves becoming 1" and "Happy Wife - Happy Life." Rather, we view relationships as 2 individuals joining together to form a successful and powerful "Relationship." Mathematically, think of it not as "1+ 1 = 2" but as "1 + 1 = 3."
Common Issues
Planning for a wedding can be daunting and stressful. Preparing for a marriage can be even more nerve wracking and throw curveballs at couples that they often haven't been prepared to experience.
According to a survey published in the Journal of Family Psychology, couples with pre-marriage counseling reported higher levels of marital satisfaction and experienced a 30% decline in the likelihood of divorce over five years.
Couples who are considering entering into a lifelong partnership will want to engage in Pre-Marriage counseling so that they can navigate and resolve the many issues that will likely arise in in their marriage. Additionally, Pre-Marriage counseling can help sort out any expectations of their relationship and work through any differences that each spouse may have about their role and their soon-to-be spouse's role.
Communications:
Communication issues are the most common "problem" that cause couples to seek our expert help. You are likely asking yourself one or more of these questions: Why do we keep fighting about the same issue? Why does it feel like we're living in gridlock? Why have we focused on being "right" than being "accommodating?" Why does it feel like a tug-of-war instead of working on the relationship's needs and desires? Do you often feel that whatever you say you are "wrong" or feel "imprisoned" by your words? We Help Couples To Communicate Effectively!
Defining Expectations & Roles
More often than not, couples enter into a marriage creating a false set of expectations or role beliefs that they had already envisioned their union to look like. Having a carefully laid out conversation about the structure of the relationship can often help in those false beliefs or preconceived notions about just that. It is important to get comfortable with the concepts of household chores and it’s responsibilities, job division and creating a balance that works for both partners, the way the household is set up (i.e. spotless or clutter), needing alone time and creating space for that time, and needing more help with certain projects around the house or wanting more independence.
Couples often begin a relationship with patterns and behaviors that have pre-existed before they chose to be with their partner. Pre-Marital Counseling can help to identify and correct any of these dysfunctional behaviors, such as compulsive behaviors, control, being stuck in my-way-versus-your-way thinking, etc.
Cultural & Family-Of-Origin Beliefs
Family-of-origin and cultural beliefs affect how the partners understand all the relationships in their lives. It also affects day-to-day behaviors, such as eating, working, and managing money. Differences in cultural expectations can cause difficulties in the relationship. The sooner the couple learns to identify and manage these differences, the better. We can help the couple with their mismatched beliefs through compromise and fleshing out these cultural clashes.
Research demonstrates that shared values are more important than common interests, and couples with the same values have a better chance of staying together. Pre-Marital Counseling helps couples explore the impact of culture, family-of-origin and personal values on the relationship as the couple begins life as spouses.
Sex & Intimacy
Are both partners equally comfortable — or uncomfortable — when discussing sex? What does each partner expect in terms of intimacy and a sexual relationship? Couples should speak honestly and openly about sex, even if they have chosen to remain celibate until marriage. An ability to discuss these issues without reservations helps lead to a successful marriage. In Pre-Marital Counseling, Erica & Eric help couples to begin or expand upon the difficult conversations surrounding sex and intimacy and the impact of them as soon-to-be spouses.
Finances
Many couples are uncomfortable when discussing their personal finances. Issues such as the value of money, spending philosophies and budgeting often create conflicts in marriages. In Pre-Marital Counseling, we help each partner to understand their own financial style and philosophy, and then work with the couple explore these issues and resolve any conflict in their financial views and beliefs. Dealing and exploring with these issues before marriage will pave the way for a marriage with less conflict and clearly-defined financial values and beliefs.
A couple's strong bond is special and the foundation of the relationship. Eric & Erica expertly help pre-married couples to identify troubled areas in their relationship before saying "I-Do". We then focus on providing the spouses with techniques and creative interventions to strengthen the core of the relationship. Our goal is short-term therapy focused on measurable outcomes and achievable goals.
Pre-marital counseling can help the couple identify strengths in the relationship as a whole or in each individual partner. A thorough understanding of the stronger aspects of the union helps build resilience and a solid foundation upon which to build the marriage. Conflict resolution skills are critical for a healthy marriage. Pre-Marital therapy offers couples a way to identify potential conflicts and how to develop the skills necessary to get through tough battles. We can provide that reassurance that your marriage will reach the longevity it deserves as you both embark on the path of Discovering your Destiny.
Why We're Unique
We Are A Happily Married Couple Helping Other Couples To Thrive
Husband & Wife Team:
Eric and Erica are both Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. We have been happily married for 23+ years. We have two teenage children, a boy and a girl, and have been through many challenges in life that often break-up couples and marriages. However, rather than destroy our relationship, we intentionally chose to join forces to focus of the needs of our relationship - and not solely our individual needs - to overcome and conquer those immense difficult and overwhelming situations. As a couple, we work together with other couples in our unique and innovative co-therapy format.
Balanced Approach:
Our experience working with many couples has confirmed our belief that men and women often have concerns that working only with a male or female therapist may favor the male or female member of the couple unit. We believe that people's perceptions are their reality, and that such perceptions -- regardless if objectively true or untrue -- can inhibit the development of an effective client -therapist relationship (i.e., trust, safety and comfort being vulnerable in sessions). As a husband and wife team, we intentionally ensure that our couples feel we are fair, non-judgmental, and never "take-sides" against either partner.
Multiple Perspectives:
Pre-married couples benefit from our ability to combine individual perspectives about life, marriage, relationships, children, extended families, therapeutic models and preferred interventions, into a coherent approach. Our goal is to be "a couple helping another couple" nurture, strengthen and grow their relationship and their soon-to-be marriage during our pre-marriage counseling sessions.
Our Style Is Not For Everyone:
Engaged couples may desire pre-marriage counseling because they are seeking quick solutions. They want to leave each session with a handout or specific "trick" that they can use when they go home. We don't believe in this "bandaid" approach to couple's counseling. Erica and Eric believe that simply scraping away the scab will not produce long-term lasting change in the couple's interactional patterns of behavior. Rather, we focus on removing the scab, deep cleaning the relational wound of its poisonous bacteria, and then working with the couple to suture the wound back up to grow a permanent and minimally visible scar. If you want surface-level therapy, we aren't a good fit for you. If you want long-term lasting change, let us help you today.
Eric & Erica vs. Only 1 Therapist
It's a No-Brainer!
Pros
Cons
In the single therapist experience (left image), One Therapist is the only go-between with the couple & the discussion is very limited and restricted.
Co-Therapy with Husband & Wife Team Eric & Erica (right image), allows the dialogue, analysis, and interactions are spread among all 4-people in the room - creating a balanced, interactive and effective environment
Conclusion: Co-Therapy With Eric & Erica Is Best For All Pre-Married Couples!
Who Am I?
ERICA is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Family Trauma Professional and Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator. I've earned Masters Degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy, as well as in Education.
PASSIONATE, experienced and sensitive therapist specializing in working with Teenagers, Adolescents, College Students, Millennials, Women, Couples and Families. I accept my clients where they are in life – and do not focus on changing them. It takes tremendous courage to face your fears, address your weaknesses and ask for help, guidance and compassion from another person. Allow me the honor to show you the respect you deserve, and embrace your stories and unique experiences with the goal of helping you reach your dreams, overcome difficulties, and thrive as you traverse life’s paths towards Discovering your True Destiny..
Erica H. Epstein, LMFT
Who Am I?
ERIC is Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an attorney with 29+ years experience and a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator.
NON-JUDGMENTAL, empathetic and experienced therapist specializing in helping Couples, Men, Families and Professionals. During my life’s journey, I have gone through periods where I felt overwhelmed, stuck or simply confused as to how to open-up and explore my emotions as a man in our society. I understand the challenge that men often experience letting down their guard to freely explore their emotions in their lives and relationships.
Eric B. Epstein, LMFT
affordable RATES
Private Pay Only
AFFORDABLY priced private-pay session fees accommodate almost all budgets. We also offer the convenient choice of either 50-minute or 80-minute sessions at our reasonable private pay rates.
CONTROL of the therapist-client relationship, including the number, frequency and length of sessions, are solely made by ourselves, as therapists, and you, as the couple.
CO-THERAPY with the husband/wife team of Erica and Eric is a unique experience. Can you put a price tag on the benefit of having two therapists (husband/wife and male/female) working with you at the same time? .
Benefits of Therapy For Couples
Positive Regard
Many couples that first come to work with us are caught in a vicious cycle of negative inferences of their partner. When one partner does 'x', the other partner tends to immediately assume a negative interpretation of 'x' or of their partner's intentions in choosing to do 'x'. We break that cycle.
Communication Skills
Couples often have difficulty expressing their emotions and feelings to one another without it leading to argument, and resentment. We give them a safe place to express themselves, and develop communication skills to better understand each partner's thoughts and feelings.
Affair Recovery
Unfortunately, many couples in today's world are dealing with the current implications of infidelity, or the past wounds of an affair that still are present like a ghost in their relationship. We help partners to safely explore infidelity, and heal and recover from the pain and mistrust.
Eliminate Problems
Some relationships exhibit certain well-researched negative characteristics of relationships: Criticism; Contempt; Defensiveness; Stonewalling. We teach couples to recognize these negative behaviors, and to engage in specific actions to act as antidotes to create healthier interactions.
Statistics
6 Years
The average length of time that couples report waiting before seeking help. (Gottman, J.M. 1994)
49%
The percentage of people who say they have attended couple's counseling.(MNU Survey 2017)
12
The median number of sessions attended (65% completed within 20 session).
71%
The percentage of couples who found therapy to be helpful to very helpful.
(MNU Survey 2017)
Easy Process To Work With Erica & Eric.
1
Learn about our services and our backgrounds
Review our website to learn about our therapy and counseling services, including our unique Husband & Wife Co-Therapy Team approach to pre-marital counseling. Read our backgrounds and how we have dedicated our professional lives to helping couples overcome challenges, grow, and thrive.
2
Contact us for a free phone consultation
Call, Text or Email Eric/Erica to learn more about how we can help you and your particular need and situation. Let us answer all of your questions and concerns about therapy. Feel free to reach out anytime, 7-days per week.
3
Schedule your first session, either in-person or by video
When you're ready, we will schedule a date/time for our 1st session. We offer the option of seeing you in-person in our convenient Boca Raton Office. We also specialize in working with couples via secure & private Video sessions from the comfort of home or office (HIPAA-Compliant system). Whatever works for you - works for us too.
4
Complete our intake forms and questionnaire.
We will email you and your partner a link to our secure Client Portal where you will fill-out our easy to complete Intake Forms and Couple's Questionnaire. We use the questionnaire to help us learn some background about your situation, and your perspective about your concern and goals.
5
Have your first session with us. Get ready to meet your goals.
Congratulations! You're now ready for our 1st session. It's normal to feel anxious or nervous thinking about the 1st session. It's Time To Discover Your True Destiny!
How much longer will you wait before asking for help?
Days
:
Hours
:
Minutes
:
Seconds
You missed out!
❝
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be…” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Take Our Quiz & See If Pre-Marital Counseling
Is Right For You
Many Satisfied Clients...
ANONYMOUS COUPLE
Having them allows for both husband and wife to feel comfortable...
❝
"Eric and Erica are both wonderful!! They opened my eyes up to things I never thought of before and taught me not only skills I can use in my relationship, but in life. Having them both in couples therapy allows for both husband and wife to feel comfortable and feel as if the therapy isn’t one sided. Thank you both for everything!."
A.P. & V.P.
Eric and Erica were such a blessing in our lives and helped us...
❝
"My wife and I were having some challenges in our marriage. I started looking for some counseling or couples therapy, but felt torn between a male therapist and a female therapist. Eric and Erica were such a blessing in our lives and helped us to get our marriage and our relationship back on track. I would highly recommend them to anyone, especially couples!"
E.A.
Our time spent with Eric and Erica strengthened our marriage immensely...
❝
"Eric and Erica make a superb team! To my surprise both Eric and Erica were very understanding and both brought unique insights on various issues that came up. Knowing that we had both a male and female prospective on each issue was invaluable. Our time spent with Eric and Erica strengthened our marriage immensely and we are extremely happy together."
Confused? Full of Questions?
© Copyright 2024. Discovering Destinies, Inc. All rights reserved. Designed by infinitech
