Relationship Vitality Center

In the Imago Dialogue both parties agree to a basic ground rule: to talk one person at-a-time. This gives you a person who is speaking, or “Sending”, and another who is listening, or “Receiving”. It is the Receiver that will be doing the three main steps of the Dialogue: Mirroring, Validation, & Empathy. In Mirroring, when your partner pauses, you will repeat back everything you heard them say. You may paraphrase, but you will mirror without analyzing, critiquing, modifying or responding, then ask “Is there more?” Once the Sender says there is “no more”, the Receiver will Validate what the Sender has said by letting the Sender know that what they said makes logical sense to the Receiver. To Empathize, the Receiver takes a guess as to what they imagine the Sender might be feeling with regard to what they have been saying. If the Receiver can think of an additional way their partner might be feeling, this is where they can add that.

Sessions will not involve bickering and fighting between couples. That doesn’t mean that we won’t address the difficult topics. However, I practice Imago therapy and use a dialogue structure that does not allow for either partner to be interrupted when they’re expressing themselves. Each partner has the opportunity to feel heard equally, as I actively coach throughout sessions to enable each partner to express themselves in a way that reduces criticism defensiveness, contempt blaming, and shaming. I don't take sides. Through our work together, I will be helping each partner learn to look past who’s right and who’s wrong but to find common ground and new ways of hearing and understanding each other and yourself. All Views are equally respected and heard, and while partners may not always agree, I will help you work past those moments to be mindful and remember that you care about each other, even when you disagree.