Love and family relationships are always complicated by two sources of anxiety, the fear of losing our autonomy and the fear of losing our relationships. As human beings, we all have these complementary and competing drives which require us to work hard to come to a healthy balance to maintain both our independent sense of self and our connection to important others. This challenge is a common source of conflict in relationships that brings couples and families into therapy. One of my passions is working with people in relationships to help them evolve positively and flourish together. This is most challenging work, but I believe we all have a huge stake in doing relational work. As we see the high divorce rate and our inability to solve basic relational problems with those we love, it is no wonder we see increasing conflict on national and international levels. We must make every effort to change this trend where we can, in our own personal relationships. My focus in working with individuals in relationships is on improving communication and problem-solving skills, understanding relationship patterns, increasing empathy towards one another, and enhancing the sense of understanding and connection. Below are just some of the marriage and family counseling services that Dr. Kroin provides in the Carmel & Indianapolis area.

Marriage and Couples Counseling

When I work with couples, I encourage each person to accept responsibility for their actions, thoughts, feelings and the way they treat their partner. Relationship therapy is an opportunity to learn and implement healthy ways of expressing desires, needs, and feelings, as well as a way to accept and honor what the other is expressing. The obstacles to being our best self in relationships are usually embedded in the underlying, historical roots of how we have learned to relate to others. Once these roots are identified, an individual can consciously choose to develop new patterns of healthy communication and interaction. I enjoy focusing on the positive goals your want to achieve in your relationship rather than focusing on negativity or blame. “You know you are becoming a competent, healthy adult when you can choose what at times will be the exquisite pain and discomfort of fear, hurt, shame, loneliness, and sadness rather than hurt yourself, hurt others, or let others hurt you.”
~ John & Linda Friel in Soul of Adulthood

Premarital Counseling

Though our culture has romanticized falling in love, anyone who has fallen in love and found the relationship did not last realizes that the fairy tale does not always end happily ever after! [Dr. Kroin] has helped couples considering commitment and marriage identify hidden issues, including deal breakers, before they get married. We work together to identify unspoken expectations, fundamental personality differences, and family dynamics that will likely be the source of problems later in the relationship. Dr. Kroin works to help ensure that you have created a solid foundation of communication and problem solving skills that will get you through the difficult challenges all relationships face in this fast-changing culture. She will help you identify behaviors that interfere with trust and intimacy and help you develop the skills needed to build and maintain the closeness you desire so that your relationship can flourish through times of conflict.

Divorce and Dissolution of Relationships

Most couples seek my services because they are seeking hope, healing, and repair of a relationship they wish to continue. However, sometimes couples need help disengaging from a relationship that they know is no longer positive for them and they want to do it in a positive, healthy manner. They want to separate in a way that allows them to be kind and respectful to one another and consciously manage the impact on other family members including children. Unfortunately, not all relationships and marriages can be saved. If you must end a relationship, please seek help to do so in a constructive, humanistic manner. In such an event, Dr. Kroin can provide divorce and relationship counseling services to help families cope with the new and frightening changes that inevitably stem from the dissolution of relationships .

Family Therapy

Dr. Kroin also provides family therapy for most types of family relationships, including adult siblings, adults with their parents, or parents with late adolescent or young adult children. This type of therapy works to heal past hurts, clarify roles and healthy relationship boundaries, and develop new communication patterns that increase feelings of respect, understanding, and a positive sense of connection. We work together to articulate the roles and responsibilities of each family member to clarify how they can interact positively to form a cohesive family union. By identifying each person’s strengths and challenges, the lines of communication can be opened and new opportunities for change and growth will arise.

Infidelity

Unfortunately, infidelity and betrayal are common occurrences in our culture. If you have been cheated on, are tempted to cheat, or have cheated on your partner Dr. Kroincan help you cope with betrayal, prevent a life-altering mistake, and deal with the guilt and ramifications that result from infidelity.