Link
Relationship
Counseling

Many couples find the traditional counseling format of 50-minute sessions every week to be slow and inefficient. To give couples the best opportunity to meet their goals, I schedule full-day appointments to start therapy. Couples often find intensive sessions provide time to unpack the problems, practice interacting differently, make plans, and experience a change. Once clients have experienced a full-day session, they may choose this format for continued work on their goals or switch to extended sessions of two or three hours for follow-up care, accountability and maintenance instead.

The sessions start at 9:00 in the morning. Couples work together or individually with me for two to three hours before taking an hour lunch break. Clients return in the afternoon for another two to three hours and end by 3:00pm. Clients may schedule just one or multiple full-day sessions. Before scheduling, a brief phone conversation is encouraged to ensure an intensive experience is appropriate.

Depending on your goals and level of distress, you may choose one to six full-day sessions or between 5 and 30 therapy hours. Some couples schedule two or three intensive sessions within a month and then follow up with a one-day session several months later to solidify changes or address new issues. Other couples schedule one full-day session and then follow-up with several two hour sessions over the next few months. After your first full-day intensive you are encouraged to discuss with your counselor how you would like to proceed.

There are about three situations that reduce the likelihood of an intensive program being an effective option for couples. The first is if one or both partners are actively engaged in an affair. The second is if there is an ongoing untreated addiction. The third is if either partner does not feel safe within the relationship due to patterns of violence or abuse. For couples experiencing one or more of these situations, I encourage starting with individual counseling.

Intensives may be done individually if your spouse or partner refuses to attend. However, if your spouse or partner knows that the experience is about understanding both perspectives rather than finding blame, punish or pressure, he/she is more likely to attend. The main goal of the intensive is to get to the heart of your pain and foster connection. We will work to discover what it will take to heal and rebuild your relationship. You do not need to figure everything out beforehand. You can attend the intensive even if your commitment to stay in the marriage or relationship is uncertain.

Using a collaborative model that combines these two therapies allows me to personalize a program for each couple based on their goals. Emotionally Focused Therapy and Gottman Couple Therapy and two of the most researched modalities for helping couples.

Therapy sessions focus on reaching the goals articulated by clients. Some couples desire for their faith to be incorporated while others do not. Personally, I view God as the designer of life and marriage and have resources that I can bring into sessions if requested. However, I do not expect others to share my belief system and respect my client's wishes on if and how faith might be incorporated into their healing process.

Once couples have completed at least one full-day intensive, shorter two or three hour sessions may be scheduled. Limited individual one hour sessions may be available as well. Talk to Gina about these options.

Intensives are scheduled on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Occasionally there are alternate days of the week available but not on weekends. Shorter sessions are also during the day and not available on evenings or weekends.

Look at your calendars for possible dates that might work on a Monday, Thursday, or Friday within the next three months. Then call 715-446-0007. Most likely you will need to leave a message and Gina will call you back as soon as possible. Gina will ask a few questions to make sure an intensive session is appropriate and give you a chance to ask questions as well. If everyone is comfortable moving forward, an appointment will be set, and a link will be sent to both of you via e-mail to access the client portal and fill out paperwork. Call today!

Once you have scheduled an appointment, make sure each of you received the login e-mail for the client portal. As soon as possible, login and fill out the forms. This may take 20 to 30 minutes or more, so allow yourself ample time. These forms will ask you questions about your concerns, goals, health, history etc. Filling them out will help you articulate what you hope to achieve through our time together and changes you are hoping to make. I ask that all forms be submitted at least 48 hours in advance to allow me time to prepare for the session. If you have lost the e-mail, simply hit the Client Portal button on the top of my website to receive a new link. If you did not receive the link, please give me a call. I may have entered your e-mail incorrectly. Other action steps you could take include: picking out a place to go for lunch on the day of our meeting; reviewing your wedding vows; praying; jotting yourself notes regarding topics or situations you would like to address; or make a list of reasons you love your spouse/partner.

The office is located at 4714B Commerce Valley Rd, Eau Claire Wisconsin. It is on the lower level of Herbert Dental. Enter the second driveway off of Commerce Valley Rd and follow signs for State Farm. Link Relationship Counseling is next door to State Farm and shares office space with Redeemed Roots. You should see a sign on the door for Link Relationship Counseling.

Please call and leave me a message if you are unable to keep your appointment as soon as possible. This allows me to potentially schedule other clients. If you provide adequate notice, I will simply cancel your appointment and we can look for an alternate date. If you cancel within 24 hours, I reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee.

As a Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor through IBCC, I profess to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I believe that Jesus Christ lived, died, and came back to life. I see the Bible as inspired by God to convey His love for us, His desire to live in relationship with us, and to give instruction on how to flourish. I have experienced the power of prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit. I am not a theologian or profess to understand all of God's truth, but I see God's design for marriage and relationships as a gift to us. That is why I want to help others invest time and attention into creating relationships that reflect the heart of God.

Clients will have an opportunity to indicate if they would like faith to be incorporated into the process on the intake form. This might include prayer, scripture references, faith principles or just a general respect for spiritual practices and beliefs. If clients ask for prayer, I will prayer for them. If they would like scripture, I might pull a Biblical reference such as 1 Corinthians 13 and discuss love, patience, and kindness. For deep spiritual matters I may refer them back to their pastor or faith community. I am most familiar with the faith practices and beliefs of Christianity, but I work with clients no matter their spiritual leanings.

Yes! I have been trained in SYMBIS and Prepare and Enrich. I often use resources from these programs when working with premarital couples. Taking time to invest in your relationship from the start is very wise. You could potentially head off significant issues before they become engrained or destructive to your relationship. You could also make sure that each of you are on the same page regarding expectations moving forward.

Free 15 minute initial phone conversation $550 per Intensive Couple Therapy Session $110 per hour for shorter sessions $50 late cancellation fee Rates for copies, extended phone conversations, legal fees, other fees etc. are outlined in Gina's Professional Disclosure Statement and Informed Consent Document

Probably not. Insurance companies require a medical or mental health diagnosis with corresponding treatment plan to cover services. The focus of this program is on the health of the relationship rather than either person's specific mental diagnosis. While many clients find their symptoms (such as anxiety or depression) improve when their relationship issues resolve, most insurance companies do not cover the cost of relationship specific counseling.

I obtained my master’s degree in counseling from George Fox University (Newberg, OR) in 2004. Since that time, I have worked in private practice and clinic settings. I have been licensed in Wisconsin as a professional counselor since 2013. As part of my commitment to helping couples, I have completed an Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship and Level 1 and Level 2 Gottman Couple Therapy Training. I am also a Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor through IBCC.

Yes. I have been married since 2000. My husband and I have three children and three pets. I often tell my husband that he should be a marriage counselor as well because his insight into our dynamics help me understand my clients even more.