Rabbi Shlomo Slatkin, MS, LCPC, Certified Imago Relationship Therapist
I am probably not much different than most of you. When I got married to my wife, no one gave us a book of instructions of how to be married. While we may have received advice or even warnings, we did not have the tools to deal with the rough patches in our relationship.
All of that changed shortly after the birth of our first child. The added blessings and stresses of a newborn brought more tension to our relationship. I was upset and frustrated and felt lost until a friend recommended Imago. I found a local Imago therapist that was recommended to us by different friends.
After the very first session we practiced, we fell right back in “love”, love with our relationship, love with the work we had just done, in love with how connected we felt.
My wife and I were amazed how after a one hour and a half session, we felt like newlyweds again. Beneath the pain and frustration, still lay the amazing connection that we once had. We also were able to view our relationship and conflict through a completely new paradigm.
More than being told that beneath the conflict lay an opportunity for growth and healing, we were able to experience how that could be a possibility through the practical and profound skills of the dialogue process we learned in our very first session!
I was studying for my Master in Counseling Psychology at the time and our therapist suggested I take special training to become a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist. I was excited to have found therapy that works and was eager to help countless others achieve the same success my wife and I experienced.
Finally, a type of marriage counseling where both partners can feel safe and can learn to be in relationship in a calm and loving way.
I truly believe that the biggest challenge we are facing at this time in history is unhealthy relationships, whether it be husband/wife, parent/child, or friends. In our abundant society we have everything, but without peace in our relationships we truly have nothing. If we could effectively relate with others, many of our societal ills would cease to exist. As we bring peace to our relationships, may we experience the ultimate peace.
