Today we’d like to introduce you to Theresa Benoit.
Hi Theresa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We – that is, Jeb Sawyer and Theresa Benoit, co-founders and co-owners of the Relationship Therapy Center – met during our couples therapy internship. There was an instant connection between us, the once-in-a-lifetime type that seemed almost too good to be true. Of course, as newly minted couples therapists, we both knew enough about relationships to know that infatuation wouldn’t be enough to sustain us in the long term. And we were right. Despite our education and training, we got caught in so many of the same traps that we were helping our clients with – painful loops of conflict, lack of trust in each other, and an inability to get on the same page – and it became clear to us that even though we had something special, we were going to destroy it if we didn’t call in a professional. So, even though we had only been together for three months, we decided to find our own couples therapist.
The search for a good therapist was much more daunting than we expected. Everyone that came highly recommended by our network was already full, and it felt like we were just taking our chances with others that claimed to work with couples. We saw a number of therapists during this time, some better than others, but none that seemed uniquely competent working with us. We thought, “Why is it so hard to find someone good to work with us?” and “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a place you could go that you knew you’d be able to get quality couples therapy? Like a Relationship Therapy Center, where all they did was couples therapy and they did it well?” But nothing like that existed… yet.
One of the things that brought us together was our passion for learning. We wanted to learn everything there was to know about relationships and how to be effective in our couples therapy. But even deeper down, we were motivated to learn these techniques in order to save our precious relationship that we both so desperately wanted to work. We put every resource we had into this mission to become the couples therapists (and the couple!) we knew we could be. We flew to Australia to study for a few months with Michael White. We headed up to Canada to learn from Susan Johnson, then over to Seattle to get Gottman certified. Brent Atkinson became our new best friend and mentor, as we visited him in Chicago many times to start synthesizing our understanding of how to make relationships work. We also trained with Stan Tatkin, Terry Real, Janis Spring, and Scott Miller. And we read and read some more, studying anyone that had any kind of philosophy for working with couples or the dynamics of relationships, until we had compiled what we considered to be the best way to support couples who were looking for help. In the process of learning and applying what we had learned to our own relationship, we had saved ourselves from the brink and transformed our relationship into a refuge.
In 2006, all of our efforts culminated in the founding of the Relationship Therapy Center. We were determined to create the place that we would have wanted to go to during our relationship crisis – a clinic where all of our therapists would be thoroughly trained in all the relationship theory and techniques that took us years to learn. To ensure that all of our couples were getting ethical therapy related to achieving their goals, we implemented Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) and use it in every session. We now have over 50 couples therapists in multiple locations, all dedicated to the same shared values of Effectiveness, Connection & Growth.
And now, 20 years later, we continue to reap the benefits of a healthy relationship. It’s led to so much love and laughter during the good times, and comfort and support during the hard times. For us, learning to love better was the best investment we’ve ever made in our lives. We hope that you, too, will learn to love better. And be better loved.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Relationship Therapy Center provides relationship counseling and therapy services in and around the Twin Cities for those seeking couples counseling. Specialties include Couples Therapy & Relationship Problems, Marriage Counseling, Infidelity, Affairs, Betrayals, EMDR, Anxiety Disorders, Depression Help, Co-Parenting, and related services.
IN THE LAST 9 YEARS 75% OF THE RELATIONSHIP THERAPY CENTER’S CLIENTS HAVE REACHED OR EXCEEDED THEIR SET GOALS.* HOW DO WE KNOW THIS? WE USE FEEDBACK INFORMED TREATMENT!
According to numerous studies – therapists using Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) have the following benefits over those not using FIT:
Increases client improvement rates by as much as 50%
Decreases client dropout rates by as much as 50%
Decreases clent deterioration by up to 33%
Significantly reduces the cost of care
This is because therapists using FIT are able to track their clients’ progress in real time, course-correct if their current approach isn’t helpful, sustain client growth, and be all-around more effective therapists so that clients are not wasting their money on unproductive treatment sessions.
What were you like growing up?
I was always interested in people, and found myself being a therapist for friends and family even before it became a career.
Pricing:
- We take most insurances
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mncouplescounseling.com
