Relationship Coaching
Do you feel like your partner doesn’t listen to you?
Are you feeling disconnected and distant from each other?
Are you and your partner arguing too much? Or, are you avoidant of conflict, so it comes out sideways?
Are you both stuck in communication patterns of blame, hurt, misunderstanding, and resentment?
Is past trauma of one or both of you interfering with your communication and connection?
Do you have the same arguments over and over again?
Are you feeling unappreciated?
Do you need help clarifying healthy relationship boundaries?
Are you having trouble co-parenting or making mutual decisions together?
Do you want to do your work in a socially conscious, inclusive setting that affirms your sexual and gender identities or relationship composition?
*Are you trying to decide whether to stay together or transition apart? (I do offer Conscious Uncoupling Coaching.)
Relationship coaching is about action and change: learning how to really connect with and appreciate each other, identifying and shifting unhelpful communication patterns, implementing concrete communication skills, increasing mutual understanding, identifying your triggers, addressing stressful issues, problem-solving, and goal-setting.
When both (or all) parties are committed to changing their part of the unhealthy and painful relationship dynamics, a wonderful, fresh, and exciting movement forward can happen.
A healthy relationship will foster your individuality while also honoring and nurturing your connection!
Seeking relationship help is a brave and often scary step in a partnership. When partners agree to face their issues together, it can feel challenging, overwhelming, and relieving.
Relationship coaching can help build long-lasting emotional intimacy, increase communication, and strengthen your relationship bond. It is dynamic, fluid, growth-oriented, and strengths-based.
Some benefits of relationship coaching:
Learn new skills to talk and listen (really listen) to each other
Increase mutual understanding
Address and clear out past hurts and unresolved clients
Understand how your family of origin dynamics may be impacting your dynamics
Learn strategies to respectfully and successfully address differences and problem-solve
Balance individual and relationship needs
Increase affection and sexual connection
Work through situations that have caused pain and distrust
Build trust so that you both know you have each other’s backs. Strengthen trust, mutuality, and security
Learn how to genuinely support each other when one or both of you is dealing with past trauma or family-of-origin issues
Work together as a team
Together, you can build the relationship you want.
How I can help
I have over two decades of experience helping adults develop stronger, more honest relationships. I incorporate my training in relationship coaching and positive psychology coaching, my master’s degree in counseling, my certification as a PREPARE/ENRICH facilitator, my certification as a family mediator – and my own personal relationship work.
Coaching humans to build and sustain healthy and happy relationships is one of my work’s most enjoyable, challenging, and humbling parts. The relationship coaching I offer is interactive, fluid, collaborative, challenging, balanced, and sustaining.
As your relationship coach, I am committed to helping you improve your communication skills so you can learn to improve your skills to understand, talk, argue, and listen to each other with loving kindness, respect, unity, and openness—even when you disagree.
- You will learn healthier ways to communicate.
- Together, we will review the relationship communication packet I have developed, which includes handouts, templates, worksheets, resources, and tools to increase healthier communication and rekindle your emotional, affectional, and sexual connections.
In our work together, I will:
- help you identify problematic communication patterns and teach you concrete communication skills and strategies
- listen carefully to each of your perspectives about your relationship’s problems and needs
- collaborate with you and your partner(s) to help create a dynamic, safe, balanced, and comfortable setting for you both to address your concerns
- guide, inform, observe, and teach
- encourage you and your partner to envision together the kind of relationship you want
- help you to more respectfully resolve the issues that are interfering with your shared vision
- help you (re)build trust and honesty by learning how to say and hear the hard stuff that otherwise, left unsaid and unheard, erodes connection and builds resentment
- offer observations, specific strategies, homework, worksheets, information, resources, and new ways to look at yourselves and your relationship dynamics
The Concept of Differentiation as a Relationship Goal
Differentiation in this context is the concept of honoring and balancing each partner’s individual identity and needs with “the needs of the relationship.” It is a dedication to each partner developing a strong enough sense of themself as a separate whole person from the other. Then, each partner can more generously support the other to be the best version of themselves. This, in turn, strengthens the emotional safety, buoyancy, and vitality of the relationship (i.e., boundaries, emotional intelligence, caregiving vs. care-taking, interdependency vs. codependency). -Irene Greene
All are welcome here
I offer relationship coaching to adults who are in open, polyamorous, or monogamous relationships and to folks who are LGBTQIPA+, cisgender, and heterosexual. I have professional (and personal) experience working with couples where one or both partners is BIPOC. I am affirming and knowledgeable about kink and BDSM sexual activities and interests. I welcome discussion of any of these topics.
I offer partner allyship coaching to white people who are in interracial relationships.
The Process
I offer a free 30-minute Zoom consultation to all relationship partners. The purpose of these appointments is for each of you to share your reasons for seeking relationship help and ask me any questions you have about my experience and approach. If we all agree we are a good match to work together, then we will move forward with scheduling the first session.
Over the years, I have developed forms to help identify the varied issues and populations I serve, i.e., LGBTQPIA+, BIPOC, trauma-informed, harm-reduction, sex-positive, varied relationship compositions, trauma, oppression fatigue, etc. Before this appointment, I will email you each a Relationship Reflection and Assessment Form and a Relationship Values Form I have developed.
Sessions are typically 90 minutes long and occur weekly or bi-weekly. Together, we will determine the total number of meetings. I request a minimum of three appointments. The first appointment is dedicated to communication skill-building strategies, identifying the issues, and planning to address them. Depending on the issues and goals, we will likely meet for four to eight appointments.
The next LGBTQ+ relationship workshop will be offered again in early 2025
For resources that help inform my work, check out the Relationships section of my Recommended Readings list.
Irene’s Relationship-Related Coaching Certifications & Trainings
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Clinical Foundations in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Levels I and II, The Gottman Institute, 2021
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Emotion Coaching: The Heart of Parenting, The Gottman Institute, 2021
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PREPARE/ENRICH Facilitator Certification, 2021
- Post-Graduate Certificate in Positive Psychology Well-Being Coaching (PPWBC) National Board Certification Training Program, College of Executive Coaching, 2016 – 2018
- Relationship Coach Certification (RCC), International Association of Professional Relationship Coaches, 2016 – 2017
- Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional (CCFP), 2016 – 2017, International Association of Trauma Professionals, Sarasota FLA
- The Power of Mindfulness as Practice Certification, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., 2016 – 2017
- Family Mediation Certification, Argosy University
To learn about the individual and relationship, group, and training services offered by Irene or to schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation, contact form for Irene Greene
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