Meet Brita, therapist at the Center for Couples and Families!     Brita was raised in California but has lived in Utah since 2007. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist in both California and Utah. Brita completed her Bachelors Degree in Marriage, Family and Human Development from BYU. She received her Master’s Degree…

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If you have asked yourself, ‘Is counseling right for me?”, you are not alone. Many people struggle with mental illness and need help. Did you know that depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And don’t forget about anxiety. It…

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Poor communication in marriage is the number one problem I see as a therapist. Most couples that call for an appointment tell me they have ‘communication problems’. There are many ways to describe communication problems in marriage. Let’s talk about a few of them that I have noticed as a couples therapist. These are taken…

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As a therapist over the years, I have noticed a few common marriage problems. I see these going hand-in-hand with marriage problems such as the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse, based on my practice-based research. I am going to outline several common themes based on what I’ve seen as a PhD, marriage and family therapist…

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In a previous article, I wrote about 4 signs you have marriage problems. In this article, I will outline how to fix marriage problems. These concepts are taken from one of the world’s leading researchers on marriages, John Gottman. He has followed couples in his research studies and has found out what it takes for…

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If you are reading this article, you likely have marriage problems. Also, you could be thinking there isn’t hope because you have tried everything. Your own emotional health could be suffering.  Without hope, continuing in a marriage riddled with problems can be daunting. This article is meant to give you hope through recognizing specific issues…

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Many partners entering couples therapy look for one thing: better communication. It would stand to reason, then, that the most common complaint I hear from couples is that they have ‘communication problems’ (Related Article: Relationship Problems and Communication Problems). But, what does this mean? It means the way you communicate with your spouse is painful.…

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As a marriage and family therapist who also does individual therapy, clients ask me what they should do to cope with emotions. There is a difference between coping with an uncomfortable emotion and avoiding that uncomfortable emotion. They are usually looking for a list of coping strategies. I hesitate to offer such a list without…

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Whether you are in counseling or not, here is how to deal with emotions right. If you have emotions that are difficult to handle, consider the following ideas. As you follow these principles, you will start to become more emotionally – and relationally – healthy. These steps are a good companion to couples and individual…

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Offering depression counseling over the years, I have noted that depression comes in many forms. You might naturally feel down or depressed because you lost a relationship or you might experience a diagnosable major depressive episode. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2017) about 7% of all adults experienced the latter in a…

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