Sarah Grace Stevenson, MA, LMFT is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Master’s in Counselor Education with a concentrate in Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling. In addition to her degree in counseling Sarah Grace has additional training in Gottman Method for couples and Imago Relationship Therapy.
When we start seeking out romantic partners, we seek out what is familiar- what we learned from our parents or caregivers. Sometimes our parents gave us great examples of what a future relationship should be like; other times, our parents showed us what to avoid in those relationships. As adults we are continually trying to recreate what feels comfortable in our future relationships based on our past experiences, namely, our childhood environments. Things can go wrong when we have unmet emotional needs from childhood and then project them onto our partner. This can lead to many disappointments and failed expectations.
Family has the potential to be the most rewarding part of our lives, but it is often what gives us the most stress. Whether raising kids or navigating a marriage, my heart is for families I work with to find as much joy and love as possible in their most valuable relationships.
