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Some possible areas of focus in couples counseling/Marriage or Family Therapy
Healing from an affair
Endless arguments/communication
Feeling distant/growing apart
Recovery from relational hurts
Sex and intimacy
Differences in parenting style or parenting challenges
Transitions in family dynamics and structure
Couples seek therapy for many reasons
You and your partner joined lives in an expression of optimism and love. Over time, however, your relationship has changed.
Perhaps you've drifted apart, and you miss the emotional connection you once had.
Perhaps you're in a hostile relationship with no room for the intimacy and respect you both need. You feel trapped behind a wall of anger, loneliness, and depression.
As the distance grows between you, normal conflict and stress escalate into negative cycles that chip away at trust and security. Stuck in this hopeless pattern, you suffer tremendously.
Like many couples, you may need help to remove these barriers to a closer connection. Couples therapy may be the help you need.
Gain understanding and learn skills
Couples therapy can help you understand yourself, your partner, and your interaction patterns. It can be hard work, but if you put in the time and effort, you can learn how to communicate, speak your truth and listen with respect and care.
I will teach you skills that will help you discover and express your emotions. The increased empathy and understanding you develop for yourself and each other will help you break the negative patterns holding you apart. Through couples therapy, you can create the change you desire for yourself and have a closer, more intimate relationship.
Clare Hattemer Plattner, IMFT
Independent Marriage & Family Therapist
I earned a master's degree in Counselor Education (with emphasis on Couples, Marriage, and Family Therapy) from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. I am licensed by the State of Ohio Board of Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists.
I grew up in Cincinnati, and, after many years living on the east and west coasts, I am happy to be home again in the Midwest with my family. I am married and the mother of two sons.
Respectful approach
I help couples, families, and individuals resolve issues and develop stronger and more fulfilling relationships. As a marriage and family therapist, I keep in mind that personal issues often exist in a complex web of current and past relationships.
I honor your values, choices, and beliefs. It is not my desire to impose change but to empower you.
I respect your life experiences and intelligence. We focus on what you wish to accomplish in therapy. Working collaboratively, I gently guide you to a place of curiosity and compassion to help you overcome difficult or unmanageable issues. We work to identify the changes you can make to experience growth in your life and relationships. I teach you practical skills to help you face challenges in your everyday life.
Individualized
In my practice, I combine family systems, attachment theory, and humanistic psychology and use both experiential and systemic approaches. I draw from all of these to tailor an individualized approach for you.
Up-to-date
I also incorporate new research findings into my practice. John Gottman, Ph.D., studied the key attributes of healthy relationships; insights from his research on couples and family dynamics greatly inform my work.
Exciting research shows that paying mindful attention to our internal world can change the wiring and architecture of the brain. Neuroplasticity makes it possible to develop new neural pathways; this opens new doors to healing and growth throughout our lives.
Professional Affiliation
I am a Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
FAQ
How do I get started?
You can reach me through my contact form, email clare@clareplattner.com, or call 513-580-4849. I answer calls, and my voicemail is confidential.
How Do I Schedule?
Please call or email me to book an appointment. Once we schedule your first appointment, I will send you (and your partner) a secure link to my online forms.
What Does It Cost?
Fee: $120 per 60-minute session
Do you take insurance?
I am not on insurance panels. This means you pay out-of-pocket at the time of each session. You may be able to use your employer’s “flex spending plan,” applying pre-tax dollars to therapy costs.
So you have "IMFT" behind your name; what does that mean?
An Independent Marriage and Family Therapist (IMFT) has a master’s or doctorate with an emphasis on clinical experience, undergoes a supervised clinical field internship in marriage and family therapy, with at least two years of postgraduate supervised clinical employment (including a minimum of 1,000 accumulated clinical hours specifically with couples and families.) Passing the marriage and family therapist’s licensing examination is the final step to becoming an IMFT.
I am licensed by the Ohio Board of Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists.
CONTACT INFO & FORM
PHONE: call 513-580-4849
OFFICE ADDRESS:
2200 Victory Parkway Suite 602 (street level) Cincinnati OH 45206
EMAIL: clare@clareplattner.com
LOCATION & PARKING:
My office is located in the street-level office suites of THE EDGECLIFF. As you enter the driveway, turn right into the parking lot. You may park in the reserved spots directly in front of office suite #602.
Please be aware this form is not HIPAA compliant.