Dialogue Therapy : a Time Limited Couples Therapy :

with Dr. Raven NK Bruce

After the initial romance is over, all couples enter into power struggles and disillusionment. They play out painful emotional patterns unconsciously generated from their original family dynamics and their defenses that formed against them. Re-wounding the old wounds leads to confusion about whether we can trust a partner to hear and feel us accurately and to the sense that we are with “an enemy” who means us harm.

“How can I trust you again?’ This question can open the door to a renewal of intimacy and a new self-understanding, as well as to the possibility of developing the skills of mindfulness to be used in emotionally activated cycles of conflict.

Dialogue Therapy is a time-limited couples therapy that facilitates insight and skills in the partners themselves so they don’t come to depend on the therapist to negotiate their difficulties. Couples therapy is notorious for failing because partners depend too much on the therapist and do not develop and use new skills and insights on their own. Dialogue Therapy was designed especially for couples to become experts on their own relationships and to take that expertise home with them.

Created originally by Polly Young-Eisendrath and Ed Epstein in the mid 1980’s Dialogue Therapy entered mainstream culture with publication of Polly’s book Love Between Equals (2019) to help therapists and couples discover and benefit from the simple and effective method of Dialogue Therapy.

Dialogue Therapy consists of 14 (90 minute) sessions which may be done by Zoom, Facetime or in person at Dr. Bruce’s office in Middlesex, Vermont. The process starts with with an evaluation and then continues with weekly or biweekly meetings until the Dialogue Therapy process is complete. There is a six month follow- up to solidify the gains of the therapy process. The fee per session is $250. Insurance is not accepted. No prior therapy experience is required.

Sessions consist of the following:

  • Evaluation of the Couple - first 4-5 meetings

  • Working on a conflict 2-3 meetings

  • Practicing and Refining Skills: 2 meetings

  • Testing Your Empathy for your partner 2 meetings

  • Using Dialogue Skills in Every Day Practice: 2 meetings

  • Follow-up session : 1 Meeting

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Video : Dr. Polly Young- Eisendrath Introducing Dialogue Therapy