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Imago Relationship Therapy in Miami

What Our Clients Are Saying

  • During our first session Hannah was proactive in creating a plan of action to properly diagnose me and address my concerns. Detailed. Office is beautiful. Love the decor, relaxing ambiance and free tea.

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  • She was very kind and thorough during intake and the entire office looks like something out of a lifestyle magazine.

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  • The office is lovely and welcoming, the in-take paperwork helped me prepare for what I wanted to talk about and gave me a starting point.

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  • Dr. Yang is warm and empathic, and made me feel comfortable from the very beginning.

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  • Emma has been very supportive through major life changes for me. Her sweet and gentle nature made it easy for me to feel safe to open up to her. I am very grateful for her support and kindness.

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  • It was my first visit and she made me feel so safe. I opened up right away!

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Meet Our Imago Relationship Therapists

What is Imago Relationship Therapy?

Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT) is a type of couples therapy that offers a strong framework for safety and empowerment of the couple. It was created in the late 1980s by Dr. Harville Hendrix & Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt - and was very popular in the late 80s and early 90s. The development of Imago came about as a way for turning conflict that naturally occurs in romantic relationships into opportunities for healing and growth. And it remains a powerful vessel for growth and healing today! Our Balanced Awakening founder, Dr. Hannah Yang, believes that offering couples therapy from an Imago framework makes the work easier, safer, and more effective for the couple.

Imago Relationship Therapy has several core components:

Imago Dialogue – A structured conversation technique involving:

  1. Mirroring – One partner repeats back what the other says to ensure understanding.

  2. Validation – Acknowledging the partner’s perspective as valid, even if different.

  3. Empathy – Expressing understanding of the partner’s emotions.

The Unconscious Relationship Blueprint – The idea that people unconsciously seek partners who reflect childhood caregivers, often leading to repeated relationship patterns that need healing.

Healing Childhood Wounds – Recognizing how past wounds influence current relationship dynamics and working to rewire negative patterns.

The Shift from Unconscious to Conscious Love – Moving from reactive, emotional triggers to intentional, mindful love through communication and mutual understanding.

Re-romanticizing the Relationship – Using structured exercises to rebuild connection, appreciation, and emotional intimacy.

Commitment to Growth – Encouraging partners to view the relationship as a pathway to healing and personal growth rather than a source of conflict.

Hands holding a heart-shaped arrangement of pink, yellow, and white flowers against a pink background, with small red and pink beads scattered nearby.

What is an Imago Relationship Therapy Session Like?

Most of the session, when experiencing Imago Relationship Therapy as a couple, happens between you and your partner in the Imago Dialogue. You therapist will set you and your partner up in a way so that you are facing each other and most of the structured conversation is happening between you and your partner, with the therapist guiding the way. This may sound intimidating at first, but your Imago therapist will do a lot of teaching and coaching of the Imago Dialogue, and will be there to facilitate every step of the way.

We believe that one of the most important components of couples therapy is teaching you how to safely talk to each other. Outside of the couples therapy session, you’re faced with each other anyway! So we take it slow, and have a lot of tools to guide you and help you feel comfortable and confident.

Imago Relationship Therapy Can Help With…

  • A smiling man and woman standing arm in arm outdoors in a backyard with laundry hanging on a clothesline behind them.

    Building Intimacy and Connection

  • Resolving or Overcoming Conflict

  • Four people walking on a narrow dirt path through a golden field toward an old wooden barn in the distance, with a clear sky overhead.

    Parenting - Together or Apart

  • Two people sitting on a wooden dock at the beach during dusk, facing the ocean and cloudy sky.

    Conscious Uncoupling

  • A wedding ceremony taking place outdoors by a pool with a large gathering of guests, as the bride and groom hold hands and release white and red balloons into the sky.

    Premarital Planning

  • Three friends laughing and enjoying each other's company outdoors with trees and mountains in the background.

    Exploring Open vs Closed Relationship

  • Two women, one with red hair and the other with light brown hair, are hugging and smiling outdoors with trees and a fence in the background.

    Resolving Family Conflict between Family Members

  • Two women sit at a kitchen table decorated with Christmas items, exchanging gifts and smiling. One woman holds a laptop, and the table is filled with wrapped presents, ribbons, and holiday decorations.

    Friend or Peer Conflict Resolution

Benefits of Imago Relationship Therapy

Imago can be utilized for any relationship! This includes romantic, family (like parent-child), and friend. You can seek out IRT for any relationship that is important to you that could benefit from conflict resolution, building empathy, deepening the connection, and/or a way to safely communicate about differences. Below are some common benefits of using Imago, depending on the type of relationship.

In Romantic Relationships:

You might be newly in love, or together for many years, and wanting to work on different elements to improve your relationship. Or, you might be at the end of a romantic relationship, and interested in support for unconscious coupling or coparenting together - apart. Imago works for relationships at any stage or phase, as long as both parties are interested in (one usually more than the other) getting some help.

Improved Communication

  • Teaches the Imago Dialogue, which helps partners listen actively, mirror each other’s words, and validate emotions.

  • Reduces misunderstandings and defensive reactions.

Deeper Emotional Connection

  • Helps couples identify and heal childhood wounds that affect their relationship.

  • Encourages emotional vulnerability and empathy.

Conflict Resolution & Healing

  • Shifts conflict from being a problem to an opportunity for personal and relational growth.

  • Helps partners recognize unconscious patterns that lead to recurring arguments.

Greater Intimacy & Romance

  • Encourages intentional actions to re-romanticize the relationship.

  • Strengthens emotional and physical intimacy by fostering mutual appreciation.

Conscious & Intentional Love

  • Moves couples from reactive relationships (driven by old wounds) to conscious love (based on awareness and choice).

  • Helps partners become each other’s healers rather than triggers.

Long-Term Relationship Growth

  • Provides lifelong tools for healthy communication, emotional safety, and continuous connection.

  • Encourages mutual commitment to self-growth and relationship evolution.

In Parent-Child Relationships:

We have successfully helped parent and adult child dyads improve their relationship with Imago! The model can be broken down successfully for school age children and a parent as well. We see Imago as particularly of benefit for a parent and teenage child, even when there are significant communication challenges.

Strengthened Emotional Connection

  • Encourages empathic listening so the child feels truly heard and understood.

  • Helps parents become more attuned to their child’s emotional needs.

Healing Generational Patterns

  • Helps parents recognize how their own childhood experiences shape their parenting.

  • Breaks cycles of emotional neglect, criticism, or reactive parenting.

Improved Communication

  • Uses the Imago Dialogue to help children express their feelings without fear of judgment.

  • Reduces misunderstandings and reactive responses between parent and child.

Increased Emotional Safety

  • Helps parents create a secure, nurturing space where their child feels safe to share emotions.

  • Encourages parents to respond with validation and empathy rather than dismissal or punishment.

Reducing Power Struggles & Conflict

  • Shifts parent-child interactions from control-based to connection-based approaches.

  • Teaches parents how to meet their child’s emotional needs while maintaining healthy boundaries.

Building Self-Esteem & Confidence in the Child

  • When a child feels seen, heard, and valued, they develop greater self-worth.

  • Fosters emotional intelligence and resilience for lifelong relationship success.

Two women having a picnic on a white blanket in a lush green outdoor setting, with bowls of grapes, one woman holding a book, and both smiling and laughing.

In Friend or Peer Relationships:

Friendships and peer relationships often provide significant support - and joy - throughout life. They can also be a source of pain, when conflict arises, and the relationship gets stuck. We can help friends move through this and strengthen their friendship.

Improved Communication

  • Teaches active listening through the Imago Dialogue, ensuring each person feels heard and understood.

  • Reduces misunderstandings and reactive responses in friendships.

Conflict Resolution & Healing

  • Helps friends recognize unconscious triggers that may lead to tension.

  • Transforms conflict into an opportunity for growth and deeper connection.

Increased Empathy & Understanding

  • Encourages friends to validate each other’s feelings, even when they disagree.

  • Fosters deeper emotional attunement and support.

Strengthening Emotional Bonds

  • Moves relationships from surface-level interactions to deeper emotional connections.

  • Helps friends express appreciation and gratitude more intentionally.

Breaking Unhealthy Patterns

  • Helps individuals recognize relational patterns from their past that may impact their friendships.

  • Encourages conscious and healthy ways of relating to others.

Creating More Fulfilling Friendships

  • Shifts relationships from passive or transactional to intentional and meaningful connections.

  • Supports mutual growth, authenticity, and emotional safety.

Imago Relationship Therapists at Balanced Awakening

Imago Relationship Therapy can be booked as couples therapy that takes place either in-person or virtually. We are here to help you feel more connected to your partner or anyone who is important to you in your life! Contact us if you have questions or book online with an Imago therapist of your choice.

Contact Us

Dr. Yang in the Media on Imago Relationship Therapy & Couples

Imago Relationship Therapy FAQs

  • Pretty much any problem that can arise as part of a relationship! Imago is great at helping couples, friends, or family members navigate and overcome conflict - and use it as a tool for growth, healing, and an improved relationship.

  • This is a great question, as Imago sessions look at little different from other types of couples therapy. Your therapist will gradually teach you the Imago Dialogue, and you’ll start to have more and more of your sessions talking to each other in an Imago Dialogue. This may sound a little intimidating, but your therapist is there to guide the process and ensure both individuals in the couple feel comfortable and heard. Ultimately this model ensures that the people in the relationship have the skills to talk with each other when the therapist isn’t around!

  • Yes! But with some exceptions. There are 3 situations where, legally and ethically (whether we want to or not) we would have to break your confidentiality. These include if we learn of any potential child or elder abuse from you, we determine that you are at risk of harming yourself or someone else, or we receive a court order for your medical records. Also, some of our providers are under supervision and regularly consult with their supervisor about their client sessions. Supervisors have the same obligation to client confidentiality.

  • Our therapy rates for most of our therapists are $250 for the first two (2) 55 minute intake sessions and $225 for ongoing 55 minute sessions after that. If you’d like to work with Dr. Yang, inquire about her current rate. We are exclusively self-pay, meaning that we do not accept any insurance.

    Prioritize Your Well-Being—with Support for Out-of-Network Reimbursement

    At Balanced Awakening Miami, we are a self-pay boutique practice that serves high-achieving women who are ready to invest in meaningful, lasting change. While we are not in-network with any insurance plans, many of our clients receive significant reimbursement through their out-of-network benefits with providers like UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, and others.

    To make the process smoother, we’ve partnered with Thrizer—a modern payment platform that submits claims on your behalf and helps you access your benefits with ease. Thrizer takes care of the paperwork, coordinates directly with your insurance company, and helps you receive reimbursement faster. We can even provide a personalized estimate of your out-of-network benefits before you begin.

    Therapy with us is an empowering investment—and Thrizer helps make it more accessible.

    *Please note that appointments that are not canceled or rescheduled with a minimum of 24 hours’ notice will be subject to the full 55 minute session fee (either self pay rate or full contracted insurance rate). 

  • Yes! We offer virtual Imago sessions as well as in-person. Sometimes it’s easier for clients to engage in therapy virtually- and in most cases it’s just as effective! It can be especially challenging for couples to coordinate schedules for in person sessions, so may prefer the virtual option.

  • Imago can transform any relationship where the people in the relationship are wanting to make the relationship better! In Imago therapy, you’ll learn how to safely and effectively communicate with each other. You’ll also develop a greater understanding of yourself and your partner, what. might be driving intense emotions to come up - and what to do to lessen the intensity of all of that. You’ll learn how to utilize your challenges to create growth and ultimately strengthen your connection. Imago can also be used for separated co-parents, or to help with conscious uncoupling.