Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT) was created by Dr. Harville Hendrix and his wife Helen LaKelly- Hunt. Harville is the author known for the best seller: “Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples (1988).”

“Imago” is the Latin word for image and refers to the composite image in our unconscious of our primary caretakers (mom, dad, relatives or adults who influenced us the most). This composite image includes the positive and negative character traits of our caretakers, our experiences with them, our best memories and our most painful ones, and most importantly, our unmet childhood needs. Imago relationship therapy provides powerful tools and effective strategies towards healing and wholeness.

Imago Relationship Therapy is appropriate for anyone who is: 

  • Frustrated at recycling the same conflict and power struggles in your relationship
  • Wanting to prevent loss of a long-term relationship and the investment in it
  • Hoping to save your marriage or prevent divorce
  • Recovering from an affair or other betrayal in the relationship
  • Feeling stuck, confused, and hopeless
  • Wanting to enrich your relationship
  • Already separated but want to be sure
  • Desire learning new ways of interacting to increase relationship satisfaction

*Imago Relationship Counseling teaches you how to: 

  • Use the key communication skill called “the Dialogue” 
  • Be more aware of your blocks to getting and receiving the love you want because of how you learned to protect yourself emotionally growing up or in other relationships
  • Re-romanticize the relationship to bring back love, connection and passion
  • See Conflict as a positive event, which is helping you to stretch and grow  
  • Learn how to productively get your needs met through the dialogue
  • Learn to bring out the best in each other, so you experience healing and growth instead of frustration and contention

Imago therapy is a process of seeing our partners, our own self, and our relationship in a new way. You will acquire tools to improve communication, resolve conflict, transform frustrations and re-romanticize your relationship, with Karen’s compassionate guidance and coaching
 

 

Here is an example of a couple using “the Imago Dialogue”:

and here is an overview of Imago couples prior to counseling and after: