Ted Wynfield, MA, LPC, NCC
Boulder, CO
Wynfield Counseling | Therapy for Relationships and Individuals
With the impacts of Covid-19, I have moved my practice to be predominately online for the time being. I am now offering availability throughout the day, Monday through Thursday. If you have need for in-person appointments please contact me directly as I maintain only a small amount of in-person availability currently.
You can book a free 20-minute consultation on my home page to be done by video call. Our conversation will help you get a sense of who I am as a therapist and see if we are a good fit. If we're a good match, I'll have you fill out a few intake forms and we'll look for a time to get your first appointment scheduled.
During the first session I’ll have you sign my practice disclosure which is our working contract while in treatment. I’ll cover some important aspects of therapy, including your rights in therapy, your right to confidentiality, my qualifications, and logistics such as scheduling and payment. The majority of our time, however, will be spent addressing your concerns and what brings you into therapy. We’ll establish some short-term and long-term goals for therapy so we can make sure we stay on track throughout treatment. I know therapy can be a daunting process to start, but after the first session, my clients often leave feeling optimistic with clear expectations for therapy.
My extensive training and experience in Emotionally Focused Therapy has provided me with the techniques and know-how to help with any relationship problem. Therapy can help with:
Arguments and conflicts
Jealousy
Fear of rejection, abandonment, and judgment
Lying, deception, and secrecy
Lack of trust
Co-dependency
Poor communication
Difficulty connecting like you used to
Cheating, betrayal, and infidelity (emotional or physical)
Lack of emotional or physical intimacy
You may be afraid that your situation is "too much" for therapy to handle, but I have worked with many people who felt that way, so don't let fear stop you from reaching out!
I am trained to make a mental health diagnosis and may do so in some cases. However, as a relationship therapist, it is typically not my place to make a diagnosis. As a practitioner, rather than making a diagnosis, which can focus narrowly on symptoms, I find that looking more holistically at all the different influences in your life can be most beneficial to helping you achieve your goals. If I believe you could benefit from receiving a mental health diagnosis, I will be sure to discuss your options with you.
Yes. I have worked with many clients who have experienced abuse and trauma in their life. I am trained to work with abuse and trauma in a gentle and compassionate way so as not to cause any additional harm. Often, abuse and trauma will impact my clients in relationship therapy. It can be important to look at the ways trauma and abuse might have taught a partner certain lessons about connection and vulnerability, and to see if those takeaways have impacted how they connect in relationship.
Good question. It depends on what aspects of therapy are most important to you. Some people will feel strongly that their therapist have a certain level of training or that they practice a specific modality like Emotionally Focused Therapy. Some folks will look more for what therapy feels like in session and whether progress is being made. Other folks may have financial or time constraints that affect when they can be seen. Whatever your criteria might be, if it feels safe to be honest with your therapist and if they challenge you to meet your goals, you’re probably on the right track.
Appointments will last either 50 minutes or 80 minutes. If you would like to schedule sessions for longer than 80 minutes, please let me know. When you start therapy, I like to give clients an opportunity to experience both session lengths so they can decide which format feels best. I am also in the process of creating an EFT intensive format that would provide intensive therapy over one or two days. Please feel free to contact me if this intensive format interests you.
This is a conversation I have with every client at the beginning of therapy. I find that therapy is most effective when it occurs in at least a once a week. Sometimes work schedules or other life obligations won’t permit for weekly therapy, and biweekly therapy is more fitting. I will also recommend different session frequency depending on the level of intensity to your presenting problems. Therapy is a commitment, and results do depend on how much you can be seen, so please consider this when you’re evaluating whether now is a good time to start treatment.
I do not accept insurance right now. I can issue a superbill for reimbursement of out-of-network benefits if you have them; however, issuing such a document often requires a diagnosis which we will have to discuss. Insurance companies can deny reimbursement for a variety of other reasons as well. Please let me know if this is something you’re interested in.
The answer to this question is unique to each person and relationship, and it depends on your goals for therapy.
Generally, for couples and partners, being “done” with therapy looks like this: In Emotionally Focused Therapy, we’re aiming for two main stages of change: de-escalating your conflict cycle and restructuring your relationship bond. Many people think that once their conflict cycle has been alleviated, therapy can be concluded. However, research shows that partners are much more likely to relapse into conflict cycles if they skip the important step of restructuring their bond. In other words, we can calm your conflict cycle, but if we don’t address the underlying reasons why you were fighting in the first place, then long term change is much harder to achieve.
If you came to therapy individually to resolve specific issues that are impacting your life, then you may be done once those issues are resolved. For example, perhaps you are struggling with developing meaningful romantic relationships or having a hard time getting over a break-up. Once the issue has been addressed, you may be done with therapy.
That said, even when the immediate issue is resolved, you may decide to continue therapy. Many couples and partners will continue relationship therapy even after they’ve experienced significant change as a challenge to deepen their connection even further. Therapy can improve other aspects of yourself and your life, even if you're not dealing with current problems. Many people use therapy to keep improving themselves, even when they seem happy and successful. Everyone can benefit from therapy, and nothing needs to be "wrong" with you to see a therapist.