Ebru Halper, LPC, NCC - Westport Couples Counseling, LLC

08/29/2021

“The difference between couples who sustain a strong s*xual connection and the ones who don’t is not that they don’t experience these difficult, hurt feelings,” she says. “It’s that [the connected couples] turned toward those difficult feelings with kindness and compassion so that they can set them free and find their way back to each other.”

Friendship, cuddling, trust, prioritizing — while these may not sound so s*xy, they can help keep the fire burning in a long-term relationship, according to s*x educator Emily Nagoski.

04/17/2021

“Sometimes people think starting marriage counseling is a sign your relationship is headed for divorce,” she said. “It’s great for people to have the opportunity to see that in an emotionally safe space they can understand each other better, heal from past hurts, and connect more deeply.”

The Showtime docu-series lets viewers eavesdrop on real-life counseling sessions. The new season looks at relationships struggling under quarantine.

04/16/2021

"The women I interviewed for a research project and book expected men to ask for, plan, and pay for dates; initiate s*x; confirm the exclusivity of a relationship; and propose marriage," writes Ellen Lamont. "Almost none of my interviewees saw these dating practices as a threat to their feminist credentials or to their desire for egalitarian marriages. But they were wrong."

Why are many dating practices a throwback to an earlier era?

03/08/2021

I am excited to start seeing clients back in person who want to resume to in-office visits. With that said, telehealth has provided great flexibility for all of us and will continue to be available.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released their first recommendations for fully vaccinated individuals on how they can begin to visit with others. Learn more http://nbcct.co/2f2lU1Z

09/20/2020

We all have secrets. They come in all shapes and sizes: there are those that were passed on from our families of origin, those we’ve been told never to utter, those that we keep from ourselves, and those that we keep from our partners. When couples come to see me, often times I become part of their secret. And sometimes, they reach out on the heels of the revelation of a secret — some breach of trust that sends their marriage into crisis. It’s my role, as their couples therapist, to help them navigate these very difficult conversations.

Secrets and how to begin untangling yourself from them Affair RecoveryCouples Therapy Sep 20 Written By Ebru Halper We all have secrets. They come in all shapes and sizes: there are those that were passed on from our families of origin, those we’ve been told never to utter, those that we keep from...

08/31/2020

“The same poll found one in five married or partnered people were fighting more with their significant other during this time, and 30 percent of partnered or married respondents said they’re more annoyed with their partner than usual. But the long-term effects of the pandemic on couples — however big or small — still remain unknown, and mostly anecdotal.”

As domestic pressures mount inside homes, we could see an uptick in more breakups, separations and divorces.

08/20/2020

Excellent read on existential maturity and what emotional intelligence really means – read it here: https://www.brainpickings.org/2019/11/25/the-school-of-life-book/

08/17/2020

“When I’m using the word ‘vulnerable’ in a therapy session with a patient who has put a wall up in terms of connecting with others because of their experience in life, I’m asking them to allow themselves to be in a state of possibility.”

Nothing like a pandemic to show people we don’t have it all together.

08/10/2020

Don’t let “growing apart” end your marriage. There’s so much you can do with the right kind of specialized help.

The modern marriage starts and ends for a wide variety of reasons. As couples therapists who do Discernment Counseling, we have a lot to offer two people when one is strongly leaning towards divorce and the other wants to save the marriage. We help them understand each person’s contributions to the reasons why the marriage is on the brink.

07/28/2020

Divorce is so private that we often don't know what people really think about their own divorce. With new research, we've learned how different people are in their attitudes about the prospect of their marriage ending, when they initiated the divorce or their spouse did.

06/27/2020

Contemplating divorce? Start with Discernment Counseling before you make a decision. Even in the final hours of divorce, over 90,000 couples question their decision. Discernment counseling offers you a pause to feel confident about the future of your marriage. Find out more .ebruhalper.com

https://youtu.be/hsHArwOi_b8

When people talk about divorcing couples, it’s usually said that “they” decided to divorce. However it’s important to realize that two people equally wanting...

06/11/2020

While quite humorous, this is why I will continue to offer couples counseling via online therapy only for the foreseeable future. Online therapy is not only very effective, it also provides great flexibility and freedom for clients.

I invite you to schedule a FREE 20 min consultation to check it out for yourself.