Trish Sanders | Source | Imago Relationship Therapist & Coach at Wholefamily Therapy & Wellness
Trish Sanders
Bringing a refreshing perspective to her work and the media, Trish Sanders, LCSW is a Certified Imago Advanced Relationship Therapist with over 20 years of personal and professional experience growing through depression and relational challenges. Trish specializes in supporting the people she works with to repair and strengthen the relationships they have with their partners, their children and their Self. She offers a dynamic, eclectic approach—blending traditional talk therapy with somatic work and creative methods, like play and sand therapy, to provide effective wellness strategies that are grounded in a holistic mind-body approach. Trish's practice is informed by Polyvagal Theory, which takes into account how our nervous system is the basis for our lived experience and therefore vital in our wellness journey. Trish’s commitment to growth extends to her work with couples through her educational and transformative Getting the Love You Want Retreats, Satisfying Sex for Committed Couples Workshops and How to Communicate & Connect with Your Partner monthly webinars, all designed to promote conscious, connected relationships and improved communication.
Trish also shares her expertise with a compassionate and destigmatizing approach on her mental health and relationships podcast, When Depression is in Your Bed. Her private practice is located in Paramus, NJ and she sees individuals and couples in-person and virtually. Her couples workshops are offered in-person in Bergen County, New Jersey, New York City and special inclusive couples retreats are hosted in the Catskills.
Trish embodies the messages she shares through her work, living a conscious and connected, perfectly imperfect life in northern New Jersey, with her committed husband and two amazing children, all for whom she is immensely grateful.
Featured in several news outlets, Trish is recognized as a trusted expert on how to create more conscious, connected, joyfully alive relationships and lives. Her features include Bergen Magazine, Bored Panda, Mass Appeal Magazine and several podcast guest appearances.
Trish is also excited to announce the upcoming launch of her YouTube Channel, CoCo Kiddos, that offers parent support for conscious, connected parents who want to better communicate with their children.
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Wholefamily Therapy & Wellness
Imago Relationship Therapist & Coach
started Mar 2012
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Should I Stay or Should I Go? 7 Questions for Making a Conscious Decision About Break-Up, Separation or Divorce
Podcast Episode · When Depression is in your bed · 03/19/2025 · 39m
Podcast -
Struggle is So Last Year
Podcast Episode · When Depression is in your bed · 01/29/2025 · 24m
Podcast -
Healing Through Dialogue: A Therapist's Journey to Whole Family Wellness
What does healthy connection look like in today's fragmented world? Therapist Trisha Sanders reveals powerful insights from her 20-year journey helping families, couples, and teens rebuild meaningful relationships through a holistic lens.
Podcast
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Managing Guilt Trips: Expert Advice for Those Battling Depression
Trish explains that guilt-tripping often stems from misunderstanding. It can worsen depression by reinforcing negative self-perceptions. She advises, "Saying something like, 'I know it may look like I’m not doing enough, but I’m trying my best,'" and suggests disengaging if necessary. Building supportive connections is crucial for recovery. Setting boundaries is essential when loved ones' approaches are harmful. -
Navigating Hostility: Expert Advice on Relationship Dynamics
Trish advises addressing hostility directly, especially with a partner's parent. She suggests discussing the incident with the boyfriend, as his inaction may stem from "unconscious childhood contracts." Expressing feelings and setting boundaries with the mother can help break cycles and align the relationship with current values. -
FAFO Parenting: A New Approach to Building Confident Kids
Trisha highlights FAFO parenting, a trend encouraging children to learn from natural consequences. Rooted in the "gentle parenting" movement, FAFO supports exploration, identity, and competence. While it fosters independence, Trisha warns of the need for a supportive home base. Suitable for toddlers to teens, FAFO requires clear communication and parental self-regulation. Pairing with "BAAFO" ensures balanced guidance.
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Our nervous system is communicating to us and if we can listen to what it's communicating instead of shaming ourselves or feeling like there's something wrong with us, then we actually can begin to heal through our depressive experiences and we can certainly improve them.
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It is not in any way selfish to take care of yourself. In order to move beyond just making it through the day, just getting by, it is necessary. To move from a place of surviving to a place of thriving, it is absolutely required. Starting with deep love and self care will cause a ripple effect in your life. And you may find a way to grow through your partnership and you may find clarity on knowing that it's time to end it. But either way, you will have paid attention to the most important relationship you have in your life, which is the one you have with yourself.
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The things that we most long for in our relationship are often the things that are hardest for our partner to give us, and that's because it's actually connected to our childhood unmet needs, and it's also connected to what we call lost parts, which means that there are characteristics that our partner lost access to and what we need from them is usually a direct link to the parts they kind of gave up or lost.
