*Where Science Meets Compassion*
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Every relationship carries the imprint of our past—both its wounds and its wisdom. My life’s work has been dedicated to helping couples transform these imprints into pathways for profound connection.
I don’t just practice couples therapy. I’ve pioneered approaches that integrate cultural responsiveness, spiritual alignment, and evidence-based methodologies to create transformations where traditional approaches fall short.
MY JOURNEY TO YOU
My path to becoming a relationship specialist was neither direct nor conventional. It was forged through:
**Academic rigor:** Ph.D. in Couple and Family Therapy from Antioch University New England, with groundbreaking research on culturally-relevant interventions for couples of color
**Academic rigor:** M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Antioch University New England. Systems trained mental health professional trained to diagnose and treat mental disorders within the context of couples, individuals, families and relationships.
**Theological / Spiritual foundations:** Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, enabling me to honor the sacred dimensions of human connection.
**Clinical excellence:** Training at world-class medical institutions including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Boston, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
**Personal resilience:** Navigating my own journey through obstacles, loss, and the discovery of deep, sustainable love in my 17-year marriage
This unique convergence of expertise allows me to see relationship dynamics through multiple lenses—psychological, cultural, spiritual, ethical, and systemic—revealing solutions invisible to conventional approaches.
SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE
Over 16 years of exclusive focus on couples therapy has allowed me to develop particular mastery in four critical areas:
**Healing After Betrayal:** Guiding couples through the aftermath of infidelity toward renewed trust and deeper authenticity
**Navigating Racial Dynamics:** Addressing the unique stressors and patterns that emerge in relationships affected by racial trauma and cultural difference
**Transforming Conflict Patterns:** Converting destructive communication cycles into opportunities for profound understanding
**Revitalizing Intimate Connection:** Restoring sexual and emotional intimacy through neurobiologically-informed approaches
BEYOND CREDENTIALS
While my credentials matter—Certified Imago Relationship Therapist, Workshop Presenter, Faculty Candidate, and clinical member of multiple professional organizations—what truly distinguishes my work is my fundamental belief in relationship as a vehicle for healing and growth.
The thousands of couples I’ve worked with worldwide through Imago Relationships-Providence (co-founded with my spouse in 2009) have taught me that relationship transformation requires more than technique. It demands presence, cultural humility, and a commitment to justice that extends beyond the therapy room.
MY COMMITMENT TO YOU
I bring to our work not just 22 years of clinical experience, but a personal commitment to practicing what I teach: emotional intelligence, cultural responsiveness, and mature love that embraces both vulnerability and strength.
Each relationship contains its own wisdom and potential. My role is to help you discover and actualize that potential—brick by brick, creating a foundation strong enough to support the extraordinary relationship you deserve.
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*”The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.” – Dr. Paula*
Two people decide to heal, and have the power to, “bridge” the gulf of pain, trauma and loneliness unearthed by an affair.
Weekly sessions may not be the answer. A Couples’ Intensive can be a definitive, life altering experience.
Imago Therapy can help couples grow together by using conflict as a tool to heal and grow.
We regularly offer group workshops that teach couples the skill and tools to create better connections with each other.
A couples intensive offers a way to jump in and really get a sense of what can be done to change the course of a relationship that seems to be in trouble.
Sample schedule one day plus
Sample schedule for the two-day-plus intensive:
What would we hope to accomplish in this accelerated time frame?
The first 120 min session is your opportunity to talk about your relationship, both the ways you feel stuck now in the present as well each of your views about what brought you together. As you tell your story and share the pain of what has gone wrong, we will be tracking the relational dance between you and referencing what we now know as the science of love relationships to help you make sense of your experience.
We follow this initial meeting with two 75min individual sessions so that we can learn a little about each of your histories and get a sense of your individual concerns about the relationship.
The remainder of day one, we come together to really dig into the first phase of treatment, reducing reactivity conflict cycle. What this means is that we try to understand the relationship pattern that continues to undermine your connection, specifically by exploring what emotions are driving the behaviors that pull you apart.
If we have the next day to continue our work, we will take steps towards finding new ways to strengthen the bond between you by expressing the fears that get in the way, and voicing each of your needs with a newly emerging vulnerability.
A couples intensive offers a way to jump in and really get a sense of what can be done to change the course of a relationship that seems to be in trouble.
It is often advisable to follow up your intensive experience with ongoing couples therapy, as there is a need to integrate the learning and skills over time. If you are coming from a distance and cannot find a skilled therapist in your home location, we will discuss options as we wrap up our time together.
How do we know if a couple intensive is right for us?
A pre-screening interview by phone with both members of the couple on the line is conducted prior to making the commitment or paying a deposit. If we decide to move forward, an extensive initial meeting is scheduled where we go in-depth about your relationship.
What are the fees and how is the payment made?
The cost for a 7.5 hr one-day-plus intensive is $2,200, while the cost for the two-day-plus intensive is $4,000. Payments can be made by check or credit card. A deposit of 50% is required to hold the date with the balance due the day prior to meeting. Fees will be discussed on a case-by-case basis.
Contact us for availability:
Phone: 401-782-7899 Email:imagopaula@gmail.com
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