Relationship Solutions – Fayetteville
Fayetteville Counseling Professionals
Relationship Solutions is proud to introduce our Fayetteville, Arkansas location. Established in 2019, Relationship Solutions is owned by licensed counselors Ben and Tonya Storie. The mission of Relationship Solutions is to help people repair, strengthen, and build their relationships with one another, with God, and with themselves. Relationship Solutions aims to offer Fayetteville counseling services with the same level of excellence and expertise as their original location in Fort Smith Arkansas.
While utilizing several models of therapy, the primary therapeutic modality is Emotionally, Focused Therapy (EFT). Created by Dr. Sue Johnson in the 1980s, Emotionally Focused Therapy is deeply rooted in attachment theory – the idea that people are hardwired for safe and strong emotional connection with a few key people. Initially created for application with couples, Emotionally Focus therapy has been adapted for application with individuals and families as well. If you are searching for Fayetteville counseling services to treat your marriage, other significant relationships, or for individual counseling, it would be our pleasure to help.
About This Location
One of the differences with Emotionally Focused Therapy compared to other counseling models is that it does not address coping skills or communication skills, but rather the strength and security of the bond between people in relationship with one another. EFT looks below the surface and argues that repetitive conflicts are actually frantic attempts to answer one primary underlying question: “Are you there for me? Do I matter to you? If I call, will you come?” When a partner feels that the answer to this question is “no” or “maybe” they experience panic and they often respond in one of two ways: they pursue, or they withdraw. The pursuer becomes angry, critical or demanding in an attempt to elicit a response from the other person. The withdrawer shuts down and becomes silent or walks away to protect themselves and avoid making the fight worse. This frequently creates a self reinforcing negative cycle where the pursuer’s criticism drives the withdrawer further away, and the withdrawer’s silence makes the pursuer angrier. For those looking for Fayetteville Counseling to assist in repairing this negative cycle our counselors guide clients through the process of the escalation, followed by a restructuring of the bond and then finally consolidating the process to reinforce the new “positive cycle“ that supports connection and security in the relationship. EFT has a high success rate with research showing roughly 70 to 75% of couples treated by EFT move from distress to recovery and about 90% showing significant improvement following treatment. EFT also demonstrates lasting results with couples enjoying long-term improvements after therapy has ended.
Maybe your goal in therapy is not to repair a relationship with a romantic partner or a family member. If you have individual treatment goals, consider the value of Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT). EFIT is an evidence based approach that is developed from the same attachment science of emotionally focused therapy. Rather than focusing primarily on changing thoughts or behaviors, EFIT helps people understand process and transform the emotional patterns that shape how they relate to themselves and others some benefits of EFIT include greater emotional awareness, reduced anxiety and emotional distress, healing, attachment, wounds, increase self compassion, improved relationships, recovery from trauma and loss, and a stronger sense of security. If it helps clients identify and understand their primary emotions and their unmet relational needs that are often hidden beneath more reactive emotions, it helps individuals safely engage with difficult emotions that may have previously been ignored, suppressed or feared. The goal of AI is not to eliminate emotions, but to help them become useful sources of information.
EFIT can help individuals explore why they fear abandonment, why it is difficult to trust people, why they shut down when others get too close, and why they constantly seek reassurance. EFIT can help soften the inner critic and increase self compassion, resulting in less self-judgment and self-shame. It can also help improve relationships and promote a stronger sense of security with others. Lastly, EFIT is beneficial for individuals working through a relationship, trauma, childhood, emotional wounds, grief, and loss, divorce, or separation, and betrayal, and trust injuries. What makes EFIT different is it helps people forge a new relationship with their emotions. Rather than viewing emotions as obstacles to overcome EFIT treats emotions as essential guides that point toward valuable needs, longings, strengths, and fears. The result is often more than symptom relief. Frequently people describe feeling more connected to themselves, more authentic in their relationships with others, and more resilient in facing the challenges of life. EFIT with Relationship Solutions is a wonderful option for Fayetteville counseling.
Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) is an effective Fayetteville counseling modality for families that are seeking to repair, strengthen, and/or restore their relationships with one another as the focus of Emotionally Focused Family Therapy is on strengthening bonds between family members. EFFT explores the patterns within the family relationships that keep members feeling disconnection, misunderstood, and stuck. Identifying the negative interaction cycles that create conflict and distance can help in the dismantling of these negative cycles and rebuilding healthier ones. The availability of EFFT is one more example of how Relationships Solutions is bringing premier Fayetteville counseling services to Northwest Arkansas
In your first session, our goal is to welcome you to a warm and comfortable environment. We want to discuss the reason why you are coming to therapy as well as orient you to our process. The first meeting is often the time when our clients tell their story and speak about the challenges and issues that are causing them distress. This is also a good time to ask questions about the process of therapy and to establish goals for your treatment. Collaboration with your therapist is an essential part of therapy so please make your needs, goals, and interests in counseling be known.
If you are interested in exploring how this approach to therapy applies to your specific issues, contact our Fayetteville Counseling office to schedule an appointment. You can call our office at (479)242-3200 or send us a message through our “contact” page here on our website.