Gina Young, LPC

Lonely. Frustrated. Disconnected. If you are seeking couples counseling, you have probably experienced this type of distress and pain in your relationship. Maybe you are starting to lose hope that your relationship can obtain the type of connection and change you desire. Don't give up. Therapies such as Emotionally Focused Therapy and Gottman Couple Therapy provide understanding of how to break negative relational patterns, grow emotional connection, resolve conflict, and heal relational wounds. By investing time and attention into your relationship, changes are possible. At Link Relationship Counseling, Gina Young offers full-day intensive sessions to give couples time to slow down their interactions and get to the heart of what keeps them from moving forward. Gina addresses several common questions below regarding services. WHY FULL-DAY INTENSIVE SESSIONS? Many couples find the traditional counseling format of 50-minute sessions every week to be slow and inefficient. To give couples the best opportunity to meet their goals, I schedule full-day appointments. This format provides time to unpack the problems, practice interacting differently, and EXPERIENCE a change. WHY DO YOU USE EMOTIONALLY FOCUSED THERAPY AND GOTTMAN COUPLE THERAPY PRIMARILY? Using a collaborative model that combines these two therapies allows me to personalize a program for each couple based on their goals. The EFT model generally reports a 70-73% rate of change from distress to closeness. EFT participants also report 80-90% rate of overall improvement (www.ICEEFT.com). The Gottman method is based on 40 years of research and is very effective in assessment and providing an intellectual understanding of couple’s problems and solutions (www.gottman.com). Along with these two empirically validated therapies, other resources are incorporated to address specific concerns of infidelity, betrayal, spiritual issues and conflicting goals. WHAT DOES A FULL-DAY INTENSIVE COUPLE'S SESSION LOOK LIKE? The sessions start at 9:00 in the morning. Couples work together or individually with me for two to three hours before taking an hour lunch break. Clients return in the afternoon for another two to three hours and end by 3:00pm. Clients may schedule just one or multiple full-day sessions. Before scheduling, a brief phone conversation is encouraged to ensure an intensive experience is appropriate. HOW MANY SESSIONS WILL BE NEEDED? Depending on your goals and level of distress, you may choose one to six full-day sessions. Some couples schedule two or three intensive sessions within a month and then follow up with a one-day session several months later to solidify changes or address new issues. WHAT IF MY SPOUSE OR PARTNER IS NOT READY TO COMMIT TO AN INTENSIVE SESSION? Intensives may be done individually if your spouse or partner refuses to attend. However, if your spouse or partner knows that the experience is about understanding both perspectives rather than finding blame, punish or pressure, he/she is more likely to attend. The main goal of the intensive is to get to the heart of your pain and foster connection. We will work to discover what it will take to heal and rebuild your relationship. You do not need to figure everything out beforehand. You can attend the intensive even if your commitment to stay in the marriage or relationship is uncertain. WHAT ARE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS? I obtained my master’s degree in counseling from George Fox University (Newberg, OR) in 2004. Since that time, I have worked in private practice and clinic settings. I have been licensed in Wisconsin as a professional counselor since 2013. As part of my commitment to helping couples, I have completed an Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship and Level 1 and Level 2 Gottman Couple Therapy Training. I am also a Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor through IBCC. ARE THERE SITUATIONS WHERE AN INTENSIVE PROGRAM IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR COUPLES COUNSELING? There are about three situations that reduce the likelihood of an intensive program being an effective option for couples. The first is if one or both partners are actively engaged in an affair. The second is if there is an ongoing untreated addiction. The third is if either partner does not feel safe within the relationship due to patterns of violence or abuse. For couples experiencing one or more of these situations, I encourage starting with individual counseling. WILL MY INSURANCE PAY FOR THIS SERVICE? Probably not. Insurance companies require a medical or mental health diagnosis with corresponding treatment plan to cover services. The focus of this program is on the health of the relationship rather than either person's specific diagnosis. While many clients find their symptoms (such as anxiety or depression) improve when their relationship issues resolve, most insurance companies do not cover the cost of relationship specific counseling. IS THIS A RELIGIOUS OR FAITH BASED PROGRAM? The full-day sessions focus on reaching the goals articulated by clients. Some couples desire for their faith to be incorporated into the sessions while others do not. As a Christian, I view God as the designer of life and marriage and have resources that I can bring into sessions if requested. However, I do not expect others to share my belief system and respect my client's wishes on if and how faith might be incorporated into their healing process. I WANT TO SCHEDULE A FULL-DAY SESSION, NOW WHAT? If you hit the "Request Appointment" button on this page it will lead you through a few options. Select the six hour service and then select the location. At this point a calendar will appear that will show you which days are open within the next three months. Once you find a date that might work, please give me a call at 715-446-0007. Most likely you will need to leave a message and I will call you back as soon as I am able. Once we connect, I will ask a few questions to make sure an intensive session is appropriate and give you a chance to ask questions as well. If we are both comfortable moving forward, I will book your appointment and send you a link via e-mail to access the client portal and fill out paperwork. I look forward to hearing from you.