Patrick saved my marriage! My husband and I began to see Patrick when we realized our marriage was falling apart despite only being married three years. We knew we wanted to make things work but I was harboring so much resentment and at the time my husband was dealing with his own issues on top of an alcohol problem. I've seen therapists since I was 16 years old and have always been an advocate for mental health so I knew I would be extremely open to the idea of marriage counseling. My husband on the other-hand, I wasn't too sure. Though, we are both from similar traditional Mexican backgrounds, my husband definitely grew up more with this machismo mentality and just that typical mentality of "suck it up". Being from a Mexican family it sometimes feels like taboo to go to therapy for help. So, I wasn't sure if he was going to really commit. Oh man, was I wrong! First session in, Patrick was able to connect with my husband. He definitely has this way of really reading his audience well. He has this sense of "cool" and a great way of talking and amazing way to explain things that my husband was able to just really connect with him and open up. In one of our sessions I was even like "dang, can I talk?" This is shocking since my husband says maybe 10 words at most a day. He is SO reserved!
Having been in counseling since I was a teen, I felt like I had a gold medal in therapy. And maybe I do as an individual but when I began to see Patrick for couple's therapy it made me realize how much work I also needed to put in to make this marriage succeed. With a lot of hard work, my husband and I were able to reconnect and it felt like we fell in love with each-other all over again. I was also seeing my husband transform right before my eyes. Not that he needed to change but he just had a lot of issues to resolve that had led him to keep all this frustration within which resulted to drinking. There was even a point in our journey through all of this that I just sat there one day in our session with Patrick and got watery eyes seeing how he was able to express himself and see how much improvement he's made. It's a beautiful thing to witness. Going to therapy wasn't just important for us as a couple, it was crucial for him as an individual.
Since we began our sessions with Patrick, my husband has become this confident man that can express himself in a healthy way and THAT in itself has been an amazing accomplishment. Not only did it help my husband but I was able to also become the partner I've always wished to be. Growing up with "tough love", you take that with you. Now that we have a child, I knew I didn't want to set that example for my family. Vulnerability has been my biggest obstacle to overcome and working with Patrick made me really see things in a different light.
Like I mentioned before... I've seen therapists since I was 16 years old and I've seen every type of therapist you can think of so believe me when I say, HE IS AMAZING! Hands down, one of THE best therapist I've had the pleasure to work with. He is kind, patient, an incredible listener, compassionate and above all nonjudgmental. He creates a safe environment which is so important for someone opening up with raw emotion.
I know if it wasn't for Patrick, my husband and I would most definitely be going down the path of separation. Even though it felt like there was nothing else we can do, he saved us from the disaster up ahead. Even in those hopeless moments, just know there's always time and there's always a way. It's never too late. My husband and I are beyond grateful for Patrick. Can never thank him enough for all that he has done for me and for my family. - Yadi