FAQs
We provide services to couples in Connecticut and Vermont.
Please note that information is subject to change. For the most recent information on processes and policies, please contact us at 860-909-0731.
Is therapy right for me?
Couple therapy can be a powerful took in helping couples recognize challenges and develop new ways of connecting and relating. Due to the nature of counseling at Wellstone Center for Love & Relationships, individuals struggling with active addiction, domestic violence, active infidelity, and other critical issues may need primary mental health support before starting couple therapy. Additional services and resources can be found at psychologytoday.com. If you have questions or want to discuss your unique circumstances, please book a telephone consultation on our service page or call us at 860-909-0731.
Do you work with teens or children?
Wellstone Center for Love & Relationships specializes in helping adults navigate the challenging landscape of intimacy and relationships. For this reason, we do not see children at this time. For information on services for families and children, please use psychologytoday.com or contact your local pediatric center.
How does Telehealth work?
Join your scheduled session by going to our HIPAA secure tele-health platform at https://doxy.me/wellstonecounseling. The platform is free to use and can be accessed via smartphone, tablet, or computer. The use of both video and audio are key to ensure a safe and effective therapy experience; please make sure you have a stable internet connection and a secure/private location to complete your session; therapy sessions cannot be completed from a public areas (i.e. a coffee shops, libraries, etc). If you are participating in couples counseling, you and your partner may join together from the same room, or join from separate rooms using different devices. The counselor will generally wait until both partners are present before beginning the session.
How long does therapy usually last?
Couple therapy is usually comprised of weekly 50-minute sessions. The length of treatment varies depending on your unique needs, goals, and rate of progress. Some couples see improvement in as little as 2-4 sessions, but most couples require ongoing therapy for 12-16 weeks to meet their goals. You will discuss your goals and purposed length of treatment during your initial intake evaluation. If you have questions, please reach out to your therapist at loveyourrelationship.org.
Do you accept health insurance?
Couple therapy and relationship services are often not covered by health insurance plans, and diagnostic codes are generally not generated through couple therapy, so Wellstone Center for Love & Relationships does not accept health insurance or provide super bills. Avoiding use of health insurance helps us to treat clients as individuals, protect sensitive health information, have flexibility in meeting clients needs, and ultimately, provide an excellent client experience and quality care. If you are interested in finding an in-network provider with your health plan, please contact your insurance carrier to get a complete list of providers.
What types of therapy do you offer?
Wellstone Center for Love & Relationships predominately serves couples and adults in addressing relationship and intimacy needs. Services include couple therapy, individual therapy, discernment counseling, sex therapy, and dating/courtship support. Couples sessions are largely based off of the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy, both of which are empirically supported interventions for couples. We also offer therapy to address a range of sexual and intimacy issues. For more information, check out our services page.
How do I
book an appointment?
You can book an intake or ongoing appointment through our "book now" page. Spaces fill up fast, so we recommend booking a few weeks in advance when possible. Please note that Brittney Stanley is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Connecticut. Due to license portability constraints, clients participating in psychotherapy services with Brittney must reside and receive services within the state of Connecticut, even when participating in telehealth services.
Where can I find the intake paperwork & Gottman Relationship Checkup?
After booking your initial intake appointment for couple therapy, your therapist will email you a link to the patient portal, where you will complete intake paperwork and consent forms. Once this is complete, your therapist will email you the link for your Gottman Relationship Checkup. This comprehensive, research-based, HIPAA compliant questionnaire will provide you with invaluable insights into core relationship factors such as friendship, trust, goals, and shared meaning. Your therapist will review the results with you during the intensive 90-minute exploration and feedback session; at the conclusion of the session, you will walk away with a complimentary written analysis of your assessment results. To learn more about the Gottman Relationship Checkup, click here.
Do you work with LGBTQIA+ and non traditional
couples?
All couples and relational systems are welcome at Wellstone Center for Love & Relationships! We are experienced in working with LGBTQIA+ couples, individuals in polyamorous relationship structures, non-traditional partners, and all others. Our client-centered, relationship positive approach will offer you an open and supportive environment to explore your unique needs and desires.
How do you handle secrets in couple therapy?
Trust and open communication are key to resolving issues, identifying underlying needs, and successfully helping couples reach their goals. For this reason, your therapist at Wellstone Center for Love & Relationships will not keep secrets related to infidelity, drug use, compulsive gambling, children outside the marriage, or other issues. If you privately disclose a matter that impacts core components of the relationship, you will be offered support in disclosing this to your partner in session. If a partner is unwilling or unable to share a secret that has come up through the course of therapy, and the secret impacts the relational system in a significant way, then couple therapy will no longer be beneficial and therapy will be discontinued. The therapist will offer to refer partners to individual therapy or an alternative couple therapist; partners are welcome to resume couple therapy once the secret is shared in the relational system.
Can I meet with you without my partner?
In order to maintain objectivity and connection with both partners in the relational system, the therapist predominately meets with partners conjointly in most cases. The therapist will also meet with partners for individual sessions, including individual interviews with both partners during the intake process. The number and duration of ongoing individual partner sessions will depend on the unique needs and preferences of the couple. Individual sessions can help the therapist and client gain deeper insight into issues and process feelings and needs related to the relationship, but clients must note that unless otherwise specified, the therapist remains a relational therapist and cannot maintain secrets from any relational partner. All individual and conjoint sessions in the process of couple therapy are there to support the partnership and each partner in finding the best path. Either partner can request a change in the frequency or duration of individual partner meetings at anytime if they feel it is impacting the balance and objectivity of the therapeutic relationship.
What are the risks of couple therapy?
The goal of couple therapy is to deepen understanding, improve communication, and help clients create a relationship they love. At times however, as couples dig deeper into relationship issues and needs, they may find that the partner's need are too different or relationship issues are too engrained for successful repair. In these cases, partners may actually opt for separation rather than continuing traditional couple therapy. In these cases, a couple may decide to work to successfully navigate a separation through therapy or to discontinue therapy all together. Couples coming in unsure if they want to continue with their relationship may benefit from discernment counseling, where they can explore their issues and the viability of their relationship in the safety and comfort of the therapeutic environment. Relationship decisions are personal and complicated, and Wellstone Center for Love & Relationships will not try to force couples to remain together if partners have determined that separating is in their best interest.