Discernment Counseling
To help you decide if it’s time to call it quits.
with Aleja Parsons, PhD
Are you considering ending your relationship?
Discernment Counseling can help.
If you’re at the end of your rope, and not sure if there’s any hope left for your relationship — you’re not alone. Many people start couples therapy not sure if their relationship will make it. You might be stuck in a constant state of conflict or detachment. You might be utterly exhausted by how much you’re trying to make things work. You may be at a crossroads, where you want different things and aren’t sure if there’s a path forward that honors everyone’s needs.
In our work together, we will use discernment counseling to pause, and help you make a clear decision about if this relationship is for you, or not.
You may be ready to go…or fighting to stay.
Discernment Counseling may be a good fit if:
You’ve given up but are still going through the motions.
You’re still in the relationship because you want it to work but just don’t have anything left to give. .
You’re unsure if you should stay or if you should call it quits.
You know you want this relationship, but your partner(s) unsure.
You want to repair your relationship, and work through the issues that have your partner(s) ready to leave.
You’re ready for a relationship transition, like moving in together, or getting engaged, and you can’t wait much longer.
What Makes Discernment Counseling Different
Discernment Counseling isn’t couples therapy. It’s…
Short term - up to 6 sessions.
Decision focused.
Each partner(s) has one-on-one meetings with me, individually.
A pre-step for couples therapy, if you decide to stay together.
Results from discernment counseling with me:
Clients have shared that, after discernment counseling, they’ve been able to:
Move forward together, on the same team again.
Start couples therapy with confidence.
End their relationship with clarity and compassion.
Decide to get married.
Discernment counseling can help you move through whatever decision has you paralyzed. Knowing what to do next is hard and can be even more complicated with multiple people involved. I can help you sift through all the moving parts to make a choice that’s right for you.
About Aleja Parsons, PhD
For over a decade, I’ve devoted my professional life to love. I started my career as faculty member at New York University, where I built a program of research to help relationship experts understand why race matters.
Since then, I’ve worked with hundreds of relationships, and helped people from all walks of life navigate love.
I now teach Master’s students in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Northwestern University, supervise pre-licensed clinicians, and own a small private practice where I have the privilege of helping people find their way back to each other, or on to the next chapter of love in their lives.
Education, Credentials,
& Trainings
Training:
PhD Clinical Psychology, University of Denver
EFT Externship, Ackerman Institute
Psychology Predoctoral Internship Training Program, Washington DC VA Medical Center
Family Program Psychology Practicum, Department of Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System Denver Medical Center
Professional Appointments:
Adjunct Instructor, The Family Institute at Northwestern University
Assistant Professor, New York University
Clinical Supervisor, Golden Psychology