Black marriage (couple-ships) are much larger than the two individuals in them and represent the values, longing and experiences of the collective—We. Extraordinary Black Love fearlessly reimagines Black love, relationships, health and marriage though Imago (e-mah-go) Relationship Therapy (IRT), an integrative, holistic, relational couple model grounded in the Relational Paradigm.
Imago Relationship Therapy moves way beyond pathology and helps Black couples not only re-imagine, reconcile and negotiate the physical forms textures and shades of Blackness and Black identity, but also, simultaneously/safely explore their impulses, instincts, fears, needs, desires, suspicions, invisible scars within the context of their marriage/committed relationship. IRT offers Black couples a way to heal and move forward toward a deeply respectful, peaceful, mutual partnership that expresses real connection and intimacy.
As a Black Imago therapist specializing in couples, I see the Black marriage/committed relationships as “a crisis of intimacy.” This crisis remains because couples are using tools that reinforce pain, hurt and disappointment.
In Imago we see “crisis” as the opportunity uncover pain and frustration so you can heal and move beyond the hurt and disappointment. IRT helps couples identity stressors including, internalizing racist stereotypes, financial, differing reactions to incidents of hatred, microaggressions, constant negative messaging, generational trauma. These external/internal issues can put a lot of pressure on Black couples forcing them to displace that stress onto each other. When Black couples are predominantly see their partner through the eyes of stress, frustration and pain they are never really seeing them, only a fraction of them.
Relationships are different today and therefore Black men and women have to work at respecting, caring, trusting and emotional intimacy in ways that often contradict what they believe or have been taught (or see on TV) about love, relationships and marriage growing up or from their friends and relatives.
Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT) is not rooted in pathology and instead allows Black couples re-imagine, reconcile and negotiate their relationship in a productive, safe and empathetic way. IRT is a strength-based couple therapy that offers Black couples the autonomy and freedom to create the relationship of their dreams and provides a map forward to exist in a safe, healthy, peaceful partnership where partners can express their true selves, experience intimacy, vulnerability, connection and liberation from past stress, trauma and pain.