Our past relationships bear upon our present ones, and we often unconsciously bring our unresolved issues arising out or our earlier experiences with others into our current relationships, which often produce difficulties around feeling closeness, sharing our lives, and feeling and giving love.  For many couples, relationship therapy is oriented towards improved communications, attaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other, and removing barriers to intimacy which keep partners from showing love and feeling loved.  While each partner's historical patterns of intimacy are relevant to the work of therapy, much of what is needed is the here-and-now practice of dialogue and openness to the other's experience.  For other couples, partners bring deep emotional wounds - such as the experiences of shame, rage, and the fear of abandonment - into their current relationships.  For these couples, dialogue in the present may be deepened through an understanding of the past and a working through of these old wounds on an individual basis, as well as in developing a mutual understanding of each partner's historical struggles in couples therapy.  My intention is to preserve relationships where possible and desired by both partners, but also to explore the consequences of remaining in a relationship for both partners.  My approach to couples therapy is informed by psychoanalytic and existential understandings of relationship, by my training in Gestalt therapy, and interest in Imago relationship therapy.