Photo of Ami Bhalodkar-Haque, Marriage & Family Therapist in 11530, NY
Ami Bhalodkar-Haque
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, MPH, LMFT
Not Verified Not Verified
Garden City, NY 11530
As someone born in America as part of a tight-knit Indian family who is in an interfaith marriage, I am particularly sensitive to the impact clients' families, cultures, and/or religions have on shaping their beliefs and informing their choices.
Thanks for taking a moment to find out more about my services! I enjoy working with individuals (including adolescents) and couples and specialize in Premarital, Interfaith, Multicultural, and Infertility work. I strive to create a safe space for my clients to share, be heard and witnessed, explore, heal, and grow. My style of working with clients is relational, holistic, collaborative, and creative. I deeply believe in a client-centered and strengths-based approach. My counseling technique is a combination of depth oriented, family systems, and experiential therapies (i.e., art/play therapy, mindfulness) with the goals of insight, healing, and behavior change.
As someone born in America as part of a tight-knit Indian family who is in an interfaith marriage, I am particularly sensitive to the impact clients' families, cultures, and/or religions have on shaping their beliefs and informing their choices.
Thanks for taking a moment to find out more about my services! I enjoy working with individuals (including adolescents) and couples and specialize in Premarital, Interfaith, Multicultural, and Infertility work. I strive to create a safe space for my clients to share, be heard and witnessed, explore, heal, and grow. My style of working with clients is relational, holistic, collaborative, and creative. I deeply believe in a client-centered and strengths-based approach. My counseling technique is a combination of depth oriented, family systems, and experiential therapies (i.e., art/play therapy, mindfulness) with the goals of insight, healing, and behavior change.
(646) 699-3974 View (646) 699-3974

Marriage Counseling Therapists

How does marriage counseling work?

Marriage counseling works by teaching couples concrete skills to communicate with one another and solve disagreements in healthy ways. A trained mental health professional works with both members of a couple to explore difficulties the couple may be having and helps them develop skills to address these matters. Couples who don’t have any difficulties but want to prepare for marriage may develop skills for the future.

How long does marriage counseling typically last?

Marriage counseling is a short-term form of therapy; the process may last between four and eight sessions. Other forms of relationship guidance from mental health professionals, such as couples therapy, are longer lasting, may focus on the past rather than just the present, and are tailored to the individual couple and their emotions, history, and patterns in the relationship. Couples therapy often lasts for 12 weeks or longer.

Is marriage counseling effective?

Marriage counseling helps many couples develop relationship skills that may not have been acquired or tested in a relationship; partners may be better able to communicate and address conflict following counseling. However, there are many different forms of marriage counseling, and this form of counseling does not have as strong an evidence base as other modalities such as couples therapy.

Is marriage counseling effective if only one partner wants to go?

Yes, marriage counseling can still be effective if one partner convinces the other to engage in the process. Of course, whether counseling is effective depends on the couple’s commitment to work on their relationship; however, the short-term, skills-based nature of marriage counseling makes it a relatively easy “ask” of a partner, and the hesitant individual may see its value once counseling begins.