Jason Duenas

LMHC, LPC-S, LCMHC, LPC

I’m direct, but I don’t rush people. If a conversation keeps turning into the same fight, we’ll slow it down enough to see what each person is doing and hearing. I won’t sit quietly while the hour disappears, and I won’t hand you a script that ignores who you are. I want us to understand the pattern, decide what actually needs to change, and make the work useful outside the session.

With couples, we don’t try to solve the whole relationship in the first meeting. I want to hear what brings you in, how the pattern shows up, and what each of you believes is happening. The first several appointments include a joint meeting, individual meetings, and the Gottman Relationship Checkup. With individual clients, we start with the part of the story you can name and sort out what feels most urgent. Either way, you don’t need to arrive with a polished explanation.

Progress is usually quieter than people expect. The fight starts and you catch the pattern sooner. One person can say what they need without attacking; the other can stay in the room without shutting down. After betrayal, the story stops changing and accountability becomes consistent. Individually, you may notice that anxiety or old relationship reactions still show up, but they no longer run the whole decision. We’ll talk about what is changing and what is still stuck instead of assuming that more sessions automatically means progress.