According to the American Psychological Association (APA), U.S. divorce rates hover between 40 to 50 percent. Most marital problems are manageable with family counseling but often escalate due to a lack of communication and actively seeking help. The effects of a dissolving marriage can have negative consequences for both partners involved and can threaten the emotional stability of children. Family counseling can resolve these issues before they reach a point of no return.

Dr. Raymond Jones, Ph.D., LMFT, CSAT-S provides family counseling that focuses on rebuilding the basic groundwork of relationships by:

  • Establishing healthy communication between family members.
  • Resolving issues with addiction and substance abuse.
  • Addressing personal issues that prevent you and your partner from having a healthy relationship.

By offering Covina, CA patients a safe space to discuss their problems, Dr. Jones heals underlying issues that damage otherwise healthy relationships.

Reasons to Seek Family Counseling

No one is perfect, and even healthy relationships can benefit from family counseling in the early stages of disharmony. While Dr. Jones encourages all Covina, CA patients who perceive problems with their marriage and family life to arrange a counseling session, families experiencing problems with healthy communication, addiction, substance abuse, and issues with physical and emotional intimacy are at greater risk for escalating issues.

  • Healthy Communication. Communication issues are among the top problems for families. When you are in constant proximity to people, it is inevitable that conflict will arise. The key is to establish healthy communication and a safe way to discuss feelings without causing other family members emotional pain. Dr. Jones will pinpoint and address communication issues that hinder your family’s ability to resolve conflict.
  • Addiction and Substance Abuse. Sex, drug, and alcohol addiction are common causes for family discord. In addition to straining the relationship between parents, children with an addictive parent are predisposed to addiction themselves. By helping the patient overcome their addiction, Dr. Jones provides patients with the tools to make healthier choices and regain control of their lives.
  • Personal Problems With Trust and Intimacy. Your past plays a vital role in how you perceive the world around you. People whose trust has been broken by those close to them frequently develop trust and intimacy issues that can linger long after the emotional trauma has ended. This can cause the entire dynamic of your relationship to change, leading to estrangement and feeling trapped. Through family counseling, Dr. Jones will create a safe and blameless environment for expression for couples to talk about their issues without fear of judgment. As your family counseling continues, you will be able to rediscover the intimacy and beauty of your relationship.

Dr. Jones’ Approach to Family Counseling

Dr. Raymond Jones is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT-S). His unique approach to counseling blends psychotherapy with hypnotherapy to access underlying issues that color your perception and inhibit you from achieving happiness. He respects all faiths and world views, and Dr. Jones grounds his work in Christian values to help bring his patients closer to a form of spirituality that is meaningful to them.

When Covina couples enter family counseling, one of the most important areas in which Dr. Jones focuses is helping each person in the relationship understand the barriers they create to happiness. His goal is for couples to practice “undefended love.”

It works like this: When people feel threatened or shamed, they react automatically with behaviors that can be harmful to the relationship. They become closed off emotionally, or they actively try to undermine the relationship.

Dr. Jones’ counseling exercises help Covina couples learn to recognize these automatic reactions and to keep them in check. He shows families ways to demonstrate love with courage, trusting their spouses that they will be protected. Women learn to be strong without losing their femininity. Men find a balance between vulnerability and masculinity. As couples become stronger in their commitment to one another, they grow excited about the risks they are taking.

In the process of family counseling, Covina families learn to be authentic. They express to one another who they really are, what they value, and what they want the other person to feel. Sometimes, one or both people in the relationship benefit from individual counseling as well. This helps them to address the issues that are causing unwanted reactions.

Rediscovering Intimacy

In addition to emotional traps, too many couples settle for “hyposexuality”: a bland, neutral, or deficient approach to the sexual relationship. For some couples, shame, anger, or fear can prevent physical expressions of love or emotional intimacy. Also, rejecting intimacy or overcompensating for a lack of emotional intimacy can be harmful to the relationship.

Dr. Jones recognizes that intimacy is important to a happy marriage. In family counseling, Covina couples explore the internal motivations that are stopping them from having an open, intimate relationship. Through his counseling, many couples have rediscovered the romance that they shared at the beginning of their relationship, and this rediscovery strengthens every other part of their lives.

Connecting

If you and your spouse could benefit from relationship therapy, get in touch with Dr. Jones, and discuss his work in individual and family counseling. Covina residents should call (626) 827-8997 to schedule an initial consultation.