Discernment Counseling In-Person in Easton & Online Across Maryland
Find greater clarity & confidence about the future of your relationship.
Your marriage or long-term relationship isn’t going how you’d hoped.
Things between you and your partner have probably been less-than-great for a while now, but it finally feels like they are reaching a breaking point. Or, maybe, the revelation that your partner wants to leave you has come as a surprise. Either way, you’re not totally sure that separating is the right move. Whether it’s you or your partner who’s ready to end the relationship, you want to know you’ve exhausted all of your options and fully understand how you’ve reached this point before officially calling it quits.
Maybe you’ve been…
Wondering if there’s hope for your relationship or if you should walk away.
Feeling isolated because friends and family are biased.
Feeling isolated because friends and family are biased.
Trying to save the relationship, but your partner is leaning towards separation or divorce.
Wishing you felt more confident about deciding how to move forward.
If you or your spouse are considering ending your relationship, but are feeling uncertain, Discernment Counseling can help.
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Discernment Counseling is a focused, short-term approach designed for couples on the brink of divorce or separation. It helps you gain clarity and confidence in your decision-making process by exploring all your options and understanding the underlying issues in your relationship. This can give you answers to help determine if reconciliation is possible or if separation is the best path forward.
This process is most helpful when couples attend together and are open to learning how they’ve each contributed to the struggles in the relationship.
However, if only one partner is willing to participate, Discernment Counseling can help that hopeful partner to better understand their contributions to the problems in the relationship, learn how they might be able to better communicate with their partner, and potentially change their behavior in an effort to restore the relationship.
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Discernment counseling typically occurs in a maximum of 5 weekly or biweekly sessions. The initial commitment is simply the first 2-hour session. At the end of this session, you will decide if you would like another session—with a maximum of 5 sessions. Every subsequent session will be 90 minutes. You’ll both attend each session, and I’ll spend time working with each of you together and individually (i.e. one partner will wait in the waiting room until it’s their turn).
The first 2-hour session will focus on collecting information about your relationship. We’ll go from what initially attracted you to one another all the way through to the issues you’re facing now and what factors—kids, finances, etc.—are playing into your decision-making. This will provide context for the conversations we’ll have, should you both choose to continue on with the next session.
During the time I’ll spend with each of you individually, we’ll focus on exploring your contributions to the relationship. You’ll own the things you’ve contributed that have led to where you are now, and I’ll empower you to use this new insight to develop your own action plan for change moving forward. Regardless of the outcome of your current relationship, you’ll be able to use what you’ve learned about yourself and how you relate to others to have better relationships—romantic and otherwise—in the future.
When the three of us come back together, we’ll go over short summaries of what each partner gained from our one-on-ones.
Through these 5 sessions—or sooner, if you feel we don’t need all 5—I will help you get a clearer and more confident understanding of what has happened to the relationship and how you might like to move forward. If you choose to continue trying to work things out, you’ll have the option to commit to 6 months of couples therapy, where you’ll have a clear agenda for personal change and learn tools to communicate and connect more effectively.
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This method is specifically for married couples or couples in committed, long-term relationships. It can be daunting to consider uprooting a life you’ve built with your partner, especially with so many moving parts and logistics to consider. Discernment counseling can help you get a clearer view of your options, and focus on working to understand where the cracks in your relationship originated.
This type of counseling is different from couples therapy, as the aim is not to solve the problems you’re having together, learn to communicate better, or get closer—but rather to gain clarity and decide whether or not you believe these problems are solvable and whether to stay committed to one another.
however you’re feeling about the state of things…
Sessions with me can provide a safe, nonjudgmental space & unbiased support to make the right decisions for both of you.
IS DISCERNMENT COUNSELING RIGHT FOR YOU?
Discernment Counseling is ideal if you are…
Not on the same page as your partner about wanting a separation or divorce
Feeling insecure about the decisions being made & want to feel more certainty
Afraid or anxious about potentially ending your relationship
Wanting to know you’ve explored every option before making a final decision
WHAT YOU’LL GAIN
Discernment Counseling can help you…
Have a deeper understanding of your contributions to the problems in the relationship
Learn how your behaviors impact your partner and relationship
Decide whether to work on the relationship or separate
Create a personal action plan for positive change moving forward
Find a way forward
Let’s work through this difficult time & find a way forward—whatever that may look like.
Questions?
FAQs
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Discernment Counseling is all about offering support to couples in which one or both partners are grappling with the possibility of divorce or separation. It's a short-term model—maximum of 5 sessions—meant to bring clarity and confidence to your decision-making process. We dig into your relationship dynamics and the issues at play to figure out if reconciliation could work or if it's better to part ways. If you're unsure if this is what you need, let's chat! We can set up a free consultation to talk about your situation and explore your options together.
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No, but Discernment Counseling is meant for couples who are in committed, long-term relationships—i.e. live together, share bills and possessions, have children, etc.
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Yes. Discernment Counseling can provide clarity and direction for couples unsure about their relationship. Success depends on both partners being open and honest.
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The main difference is the focus and goals of each approach. Discernment Counseling is specifically geared toward helping couples decide whether to work on the relationship or pursue separation, while marriage or couples counseling is aimed at improving communication, resolving conflicts, and strengthening the relationship. If you’re unsure which is right for you, reach out for a free consultation and we can discuss your specific needs.
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This type of therapy is most effective when both partners are open to showing up and participating. However, individual therapy, which I also offer, can help you understand yourself and your relationship better and can give you some tools to navigate the challenges you’re facing. I would be happy to discuss your options and see if we’d be a good fit. Reach out for a free consultation and I can answer any questions you may have.