Atlanta Marriage Counseling
Marriage Counseling, Individual Therapy & Family Therapy
Marriage Counseling: Marital or Couples therapy helps partners by
creating a context
where emotionally charged issues in the relationship can be explored and where each partner develops
awareness of how their behavior contributes to the problem situation. Couples
come to therapy seeking
to revive love, sex, intimacy, and communication in their relationship. Typical problems include threats of
divorce, infidelity or cheating, fighting, anxiety, substance abuse, emotional withdrawal and conflict over spending and money.
Individual Therapy: From a Relational or Family Systems model, I focus on
counseling the person
to become aware of how his behavior effects others and prevents him from developing closeness and stability in
relationships. The therapy also helps the person examine and change destructive premises and beliefs that lead
to behaviors that are self defeating.
Family Therapy: I often
counsel families with children and adolescents.
My focus is on helping parents understand the interactional patterns and how their children's behavior often triggers responses
in parents that may make problems worse. I adhere to the classic premise of the Mental Research Institute.
It says if you try to solve a problem in others by repeating the same solution more forcefully,
it often makes it worse and at times even creates a chronic problem.
About Gerry Lane, LCSW, LMFT, Therapist
American Association of
Marriage and Family Therapists, Clinical Member
Gerry Lane, LCSW, LMFT is a Psychotherapist and Marriage
Counselor in private practice in Atlanta with his office
located in Buckhead. He is a licensed Marriage and Family
Therapist and licensed Clinical Social Counselor with over 27
years of experience counseling couples, individuals, and
families. He is recognized internationally for advancing
Family Systems and Relational Therapy in collaborative work
with Gianfranco Cecchin M.D. and Wendel Ray Ph.D. He has
co-authored two books on solving relationship problems that
have been translated into five languages. He has also
authored book chapters and numerous articles published in
journals such as The American Journal of Marriage and Family
Therapy, The Psychotherapy Networker, The German Journal Of
Family Therapy, and The Journal of Brief Therapy. He has
conducted workshops for therapists throughout the U.S. and
Europe. He served as a consultant and guest teacher at The
Milan Center For The Study Of The Family in Milan Italy and
has been the Director of Training at Families First.
Gerry's counseling practice is based on Family Systems Theory which is
focused on changing relationship patterns and belief
systems, this applies whether counseling individuals,
couples or families. His emphasis is on helping clients
change destructive behavior and thinking that prevent them
from building and maintaining positive and lasting
relationships with people that are important to them. He
believes that most emotional problems from depression to
anxiety disorder or caused by an inability to maintain
positive relationships. This is based on understanding that
humans have a powerful need for love and belonging. He
believes the core of any good therapy is based on the
Counselor building a relationship of trust, empathy, and
respect with the client.
Gerry is a Clinical Member of the American
Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
Addiction Therapy, Substance Abuse, Alcoholism
The problem of addiction and substance abuse has become a
serious problem in our culture and has a profound effect on
couples and families. Research indicates that successful
therapy for addiction involves counseling of the couple and
family. It is important to help the family break the
repetitive destructive behavior patterns and beliefs that
support and maintain addiction. Alcoholics Anonymous and
AL-ANON are important
components in the success in breaking addictions and
maintaining sobriety.