Separation or Divorce
Betrayal or Infidelity
Shattered Connection
Constant Arguments
Financial Conflicts
Parenting Disagreements
Helping You Tackle the Storm & Find a Way
Create Immediate Stability
Find a safe space to de-escalate conflict and give your relationship breathing room.
Address the Core Injury
Gently work through the intense pain of betrayal or crisis to create a true repair.
Make Conscious Choices
Gain the clarity needed to decide on the future of your relationship.
Heal and Rebuild Trust
Whether you stay together or separate, find a way to heal the wounds with respect.
When a relationship is in crisis, it can feel like the ground has fallen out from under you. A betrayal, a major life event, or years of unresolved pain can push you to a breaking point. In these moments, our most extreme protective parts take over, leading to intense anger, complete withdrawal, or deep despair. Using IFS Therapy, I provide a calm, steady presence to help you tackle the storm. My first goal is to create safety, de-escalate the conflict, and slow things down. We don’t focus on blame. Instead, we listen to the intensely activated parts of you, so we can address the deep pain and find a clear way out.
Frequently Asked Questions
My approach to therapy is grounded in a compassionate and respectful perspective called Internal Family Systems (IFS). I don’t believe that you are sick or broken. Instead, I see the extreme reactions in a crisis as the work of protective parts of you trying their best to keep you safe from overwhelming pain.
Got questions about how I can help you through this difficult time? Find all the answers here.
We need help now. Can you help us de-escalate things quickly?
Yes. When a relationship is in crisis, my immediate goal is to create a safe container for both of you to pause and breathe. We will work to stop the cycle of painful conflict so you can begin to have a different, more constructive conversation.
After what’s happened, is it even possible to save our relationship?
Many couples I see feel this way. While there are no guarantees, therapy provides the best possible chance to heal. It offers a structured space to process the deep hurt, understand what happened, and see if a new, more honest foundation can be built.
We can't be in the same room without fighting. How will this work?
That’s precisely why you need a third party. My role is to act as a calm guide and mediator. I will help you slow down the conversation and intervene when protective parts take over, ensuring you both feel heard and respected, rather than attacked.
Is your goal to keep us together no matter what?
My goal is the health and healing of both individuals involved. I am not here to force reconciliation. I am here to help you gain the clarity to make the best decision for your future, whether that’s together or apart, and to help you navigate that path with compassion and integrity.
Should we come in together or separately at first?
For relationship crises, it is most effective to begin our work together in the same room. This allows me to understand the dynamic between you and start creating a safe process for both of you immediately.
An Approach for Calm in the
Midst of Crisis
De-escalate the Conflict
I provide a calm, structured space to help your highly activated protective parts stand down, ending the painful cycle.
Access Your Core Selves
Using IFS, I help each of you connect with your calm, compassionate center, which is needed for clarity & healing in a crisis.
Address the Deepest Wounds
We move beyond the surface-level fight to gently and safely address the core pain that triggered the crisis.
Meet Your Compassionate Therapist
Dr Arlene Brewster
Licensed Certified ISF Therapist
Stories of Finding a Way Through
Here are some heartfelt words from people who have walked this path. I hope their stories of reconnection and growth bring you comfort and inspiration for your own journey ahead.
When I discovered the affair, I thought it was the end. Dr. Brewster held a space for both my rage and my husband’s shame without judgment. It wasn’t about forgiveness right away; it was about understanding. That process allowed us to slowly, honestly rebuild.
Anonymous
Client
We were on the verge of divorce, barely speaking. The resentment was so thick. Dr. Brewster helped us see the protective parts that were keeping us in a stalemate. It was the first time in years we saw each other’s vulnerability instead of just the anger.
Thomas P
Client
A sudden illness in our family threw our relationship into chaos. We were grieving and taking it out on each other. Therapy was our lifeline. It gave us a place to put our fear and frustration so we could stop blaming each other and start supporting each other again.
Geena & Sam
Client
We were fighting constantly about our teenager, and it was tearing us apart. Dr. Brewster helped us realize we were both just terrified. Seeing that our anger was coming from the same place of fear allowed us to stop fighting each other and parent as a team.
Anonymous
Client
Ready to Find Your Way Back to Each Other?
You don’t have to handle this crisis alone. It’s possible to heal, grow, and rekindle the love that
connects you. Let’s find a way to calm the storm and bring clarity to your future.