Trauma healing in the presence of your partner provides a profound opportunity for intimacy…
Couples WORK
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Schedule an exploratory call together.
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Embark on a six to nine-month journey.
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Transform your relationship forever.
It’s Time to Shift from Irritated to INTIMACY.
→ Intimacy is the essential skill for fulfilling & loving relationships. Without it, sexual connection falls flat, fights lead nowhere, & we suffer & starve in silence.
→ We long to be deeply seen & known by our partners, but weren’t taught the skills to cultivate & sustain pleasurable intimate relationships.
→ Intimacy is a practice that we can learn. And when we do, our partnerships become a safe haven for our hearts & a springboard for our dreams.
Relationships Deserve SUPPORT.
→ Sexual and relational trauma from the past impacts our ability to show up for ourselves and our partners.
→ Until we heal, we’re often trapped in a repeating loop of the same fight, over & over again, no matter how hard we try.
→ Relational healing is the best investment we can make to create a legacy of health & happiness.
I’m Elie. I help couples with trauma create better relationships.
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I’d like to invite you on a transformative couples journey designed to heal the past, so you can be free to enjoy the future.
TRAUMA HEALING IS BETTER TOGETHER.
Most of us do our trauma healing out of view of our relationship, but this is a missed opportunity for connection and repair. Healing in the presence of our partner builds intimacy and trust.
We return to our daily lives emboldened by what we can navigate and heal together. And with a deep reverence and respect for the other that impacts all parts of our lives.
Relational Dynamics
With care and compassion, we get clear on what keeps you stuck in cycles of conflict and collapse.
Trauma Healing
Gently heal trauma, in the presence of your partner, to create a safe haven of connection that supports you both.
Learn New Skills
Learn skills that strengthen intimacy, playfulness, & the confidence to navigate life's challenges together.
Exploring the Body
Explore somatic embodiment practices that heal your nervous systems, together.
Reclaim Sexuality
Create new pathways to help you to deepen your ability to give and receive pleasure from each other.
Confidence Together
Explore how to express your fullest, most joyful selves through how you show up for life in partnership.
Follow Your Desire to Make It Happen
I work with couples who yearn to reconnect after months and sometimes years (or even decades) of painful anger, isolation, and frustration. Together, we chart the path for you to come home to yourselves and each other. To go from conflict to connected, from isolated to intimate again. This work takes commitment, but the results are well worth it.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
Hi, I’m Elie.
I’m a trauma specialist who helps couples have better relationships.
I offer this work inspired by my own experience of healing complex trauma and how it impacted my marriage of 16 years. I bring almost two decades of trauma healing work to my couples journeys, and continue to train and be led by evidence-backed research from emerging fields.
Milestones on the Journey
NO. 1
Stay Connected Admist the Chaos
Experience more closeness and connection to each other, even when life is demanding and fast-paced.
NO. 2
Speak Up for Your Desires & Needs
Easily identify and voice your needs to your partner — and feel heard and responded to.
NO. 3
Hold Your Boundaries with Loving Firmness
Navigate your boundaries in a firm but loving way, without steamrolling or shutting down.
NO. 4
Transform Challenges into Opportunities
During conflict, stay centered and connected while taking the space and time you need.
NO. 5
Reignite Playfulness & Passion
Enjoy each other's authentic self-expression in a way that leads to more playfulness, shared joy, and intimacy.
NO. 6
Celebrate Your Partner for Life
Feel like you and your partner are on the same team and each other's biggest advocates, aligned around your goals.
What Couples Say About My Work…
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"I can’t imagine doing this deep of work with anyone else. You have been so good for us and I can see how much you’ve helped us be better to each other."
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"You came along at the perfect time. We tell ourselves we don’t know what we would’ve done without you. We’re so grateful."
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"What you bring to our space together — the safety, the kind and gentle heart, the way you see us. Just thank you. This was meant to be."
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"You are such a fit for all the work we’ve done. We’ve done therapy for most of our lives, but it hasn’t been useful like this."
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"We didn't expect results so soon. The way you make things practical and give us practices to explore, and help keep us focused..."
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"The work has been fulfilling and efficient. It was more beautiful than I expected. It’s felt true."
What’s at Stake
Most of us feel like we’re missing the potential of our intimate relationships to be everything we want them to be. We tell ourselves we’re being unrealistic and we should “settle,” but deep down we’re not content. It’s not our choice of partners. It’s how we do relationships. Intimacy is a practice that must be learned.
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Pioneered by couple's therapy expert Terry Real, Relational Life Therapy teaches couples how to reconnect, heal past wounds, and practice new skills of intimacy and connection to deepen long-term relationships. It's been transformational in my own marriage and I'm honored to offer this work to other couples navigating life's challenges.
Modality No. 01
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This approach sees our psyche as being made up of different parts, that have their own beliefs and values, which sometimes conflict with each other. IFS recognizes that we all have access to a compassionate presence within us that can help to resolve trauma and create supportive internal relationships between our parts.
Modality No. 02
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Traumatic events are intense and overwhelm our nervous systems. Traumatic memories don’t finish encoding in the body and brain. The more we learn about the neurobiology of trauma, the more pathways we discover to support the nervous system to safely, reliably, and effectively heal.
Modality No. 03
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Trauma is a frozen stress response. Healing happens by gently moving through a process of renegotiating and completing these unfinished responses. When you safely access traumatic memories and sensations, in the presence of your partner, the nervous system can finally discharge pent-up energy, reestablish equilibrium, and restore well-being.
Modality No. 04
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Our early emotional bonds with caregivers shaped patterns that influence our development. As adults, secure attachment patterns with others create healthy relationships. Traumatic experiences disrupt our sense of safety and security, and influence our ability to feel safe. Learning to heal attachment wounding helps to create more fulfilling, connected, and creative relationships.
Modality No. 05
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Somatic practices connect us to our bodies and our authentic sexual expression. We deepen our relationship with sensations, emotions, and desires. In couples work, these practices offer pathways to reconnect with our bodies, reclaim our agency, and foster healing and connection.
Modality No. 06
Your Journey is Unique — Your Support Should be Too
Your relationship is unique & your journey is unlike any other. I support you wherever you want to heal, transform, & grow together. I work with helping couples heal sexual intimacy, betrayal, sexual & relational trauma, & anything from the past that is keeping you from living your best lives together. You decide what's important. It's my job to get you there.
Frequently Asked Questions
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I work with couples for six to nine months, at which point our work is usually complete. Unlike psychotherapy, there's a clear beginning, middle, and end to our process.
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We’ll meet on my HIPAA-compliant Zoom account, which has the highest level of encryption and security available. Sessions can be done from the privacy and comfort of your home, from anywhere in the world.
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My professional fees range from US$3,000 to US$4,500 for the arc of our work, over six to nine months.
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The best way to discern if my individual or couple's work is a fit is to schedule a one-hour exploratory call to discuss your unique goals, desires, and needs. You're welcome to bring your partner so you can discern together, or come on your own for a one-to-one chat. Together, we'll chart the best way forward for your journey.
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Most couples come to me having invested time and money in years of therapy, without getting the results they hoped for. The best way to discern if this work is a fit for you is to schedule a free one-hour call, where we’ll explore your needs together. You’ll have a chance to experience the work and see if it's a fit with what you're looking for.
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I'm trained to support couples with issues around sexual intimacy including sexual reclamation after trauma healing or infidelity, recovery from pornography addiction, and rekindling sexual desire in long-term relationships.
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It's usually one partner who can no longer sustain the status quo and catalyzes relationship transformation. If your partner is reluctant to participate in this work, I invite you to bring them to our exploratory call, where I will help them to understand how crucial change is for your shared happiness and wellbeing.
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I have had the privilege of being trained by leaders in the field of couples work, including Terry Real, Sue Johnson, Dick Schwartz, and Tony Herbine-Blank. My trauma healing credentials include training in somatic psychology, Internal Family Systems, interpersonal neurobiology, Brainspotting, and other state-of-the-art trauma resolution modalities.
More Client Feedback...
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"Elie is a genuinely gifted therapist who has helped me more in these few short months than i accomplished in my previous 34 years of therapy with other counselors."
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"This work has been life-changing in the best of ways. I’ve experienced such a big shift."
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"I’m looking after myself in a different way, learning not to push and listening to my sensitivity. I slow down and honor myself now. My numbness has melted down. My heart is open to my partner. I feel in love. My body is open to touch and I enjoy it. I’m so grateful for everything we’ve done."
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"I don't have the words to adequately express how deeply grateful I am for you and your amazing insight. Thank you!"
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"I feel so good about all I’m doing for myself. I feel so much gratitude for the life that I’m creating for myself and the things I’m stepping into and allowing to unfold. Thank you again for all of your support and encouragement in everything."
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"I’m celebrating all the good things that I’m learning to invite into my life. But also practicing boundaries and learning to take care of myself."
Are You Curious about What this Work Could Create for Your Relationship?
If You’ve Read This Far…
The health and wellbeing of our relationships impact all aspects of our lives. Yet most of us don’t know where to go or how to learn the skills we need to enrich and thrive together.
We don’t learn how to have healthy, happy relationships in school. And most of us didn’t learn this at home, either.
We need customized guidance and support to heal old wounds, reconnect to each other, and skillfully navigate the world in partnership.
If you’re curious to explore what working together could look like, I invite you to reach out to connect.