Brandon Gimbel (00:00)

In individual therapy, I approach my patients with the message of curiosity. I imagine it has to play into couples work.

Jason Price (00:08)

Yeah, especially in terms of helping couples understand why their partner is the way that they are, why they're communicating things in a certain way. I really do believe that most people have positive intentions, especially ones coming into my therapy room. Most of the people I see really want the relationship to be closer, more connected, more intimate. And so if there's a natural curiosity and exploration of why is it that you're communicating your needs that way, usually based on attachment issues growing up. We can explore then why a person is acting the way they are. And usually having the other person be witness of that in couples therapy, I think is really helpful.

Brandon Gimbel (00:43)

And they get to witness it along with their partner.

Jason Price (00:45)

That's right. That's right. So the one person is experiencing it, talking about how a parent was overly enmeshed and it was very difficult because they had no space to individuate. And so now with their partner, it's "how come you only want space and you always are pulling away from me?" "Well, it's because every time you're critical of me or asking for something, it's reminding me of that enmeshment and it feels smothering and so I pull away." That's a very different experience than "I hate you, leave me alone, stop criticizing me," and then the other person will feel rejected.