Ashley Marie Eckstein, LMFT & Certified EFCT Therapist

12/13/2025

Sue put it brilliantly, as usual! I see this in my work with couples all the time. People that grow strong emotional bonds with a safe other become more resilient in other areas of life. They are able to grieve loss, handle setbacks, and even get through physical illness more readily when they feel worthy and supported by their partner. 💗

12/12/2025

Just a little Friday funny!

12/11/2025

Attuned connection is everything in relationships! When a negative cycle takes over, people stop attuning to the needs of their partner. But when you can build connection grows and sexual desire often increases as a result! When couples come to for I use to help them grow their emotional intimacy along with sexual intimacy!

12/09/2025

I wrote a blog about this very thing last month! We can’t connect and protect at the same time. This is why when couples enter a relationship with major trauma in their history, they tend to have their protections on hyperdrive, making it more difficult to connect. But the good news is this can be changed! Couples CAN learn to lower their protections and create stronger connection in their relationships. has empirically validated research to back up this assertion! is the way to develop in relationships and working with a significantly increases your chance of success in

12/06/2025

You MATTER. And because you matter, you also deserve to have thriving healthy relationships with yourself and others. 💖

12/04/2025

is deserved by all, including couples. I regularly train to keep my clinical skills sharp and provide my couples with the very best care!

11/26/2025

Attuned Hearts Counseling is closed today, tomorrow, and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. I look forward to serving clients again when I’m back on Monday!

11/21/2025

Huge thank you to the Success in Vulnerability team! I wouldn’t the be the therapist and EFT Supervisor that I am today without them! I’ve been loving the EFIT module and keep going back to it to ensure I stay focused with my individual clients!

11/17/2025

It’s still hot in Dallas, but looking forward to eventually getting sweater weather has me thinking about how cozy connection feels! I help couples experiencing disconnection build secure attachment and the connection is better than a perfect sweater on a cool day!

11/10/2025

There’s a new blog up at Attuned Hearts Counseling!

Why Couples Can’t Connect and Protect at the Same Time By: Ashley Marie Eckstein, LMFT When couples come to therapy, […]

11/09/2025

is something that doesn’t just happen. It is so much work, but the good news is, we don’t have to do it perfectly! Secure attachment is grown when you regularly repair after ruptures. When you tune in and try to get back to that deeper connection after a miss happened between you and your Sweetie. In I help couples see the places where they get stuck and miss each other and then guide them to tune into each other and make repairs. Reps of this over and over again grows a strong bond. 💕

11/08/2025

As humans, we all have longings and protections. The problem is, when our protections are high, it’s hard for our partners to see we long to connect with them. You really can’t connect and protect at the same time. In I track the negative cycle that gets couples stuck and help them clearly see both, the good reasons why they may have used their protections in the past, AND how it’s not serving them now. Only after this negative cycle is clear can couples usually learn to use different strategies. I love this simple reminder that we can’t connect and protect at the same time.