“Relationships Require a Lot of Work”
WHAT IF
You could lighten up some of that burden and transform it into a curious exploration?
WHAT IF
You could “lube” (pun intended) some of the areas of your relationship that have been increasingly squeaky over time by learning to be less serious and more playful about them?
WHAT IF
Play could transform an OK couple experience to a great one, filled with joy, curiosity and aliveness?
We Are Not
Therapists
We are NOT therapists – We encourage you to continue therapy in parallel to our coaching sessions.
Marriage Counselors
We are NOT marriage counselors – We will gladly work with yours, either directly or indirectly.
Sex or Intimacy Coaches
We are NOT sex or intimacy coaches – Sex is only one of the many elements we explore.
Fixers
We are NOT fixers – Not all couples are savable or worth saving. Our goal is not to fix, but to enliven relationships.
We are…
COUPLES HAPPINESS COACHES!
We are present- and future-oriented! We don’t shy away from problems, history or trauma. We simply do not try to solve them in the past, as most therapists do. We focus on creating alternate solutions towards a more alive present and happier times to come.
We are appreciative! By creating new and more playful ways of relating, we increase our ability to meet each other in ways that support both, we trigger each other less and less, we loosen old patterns that tend to build up resentment, and we are able to see more and more the constructive intent of our partner.
We firmly believe happiness is the purpose of our human lives. And that a key element of happiness is freedom from suffering. Freedom doesn’t mean eradication of suffering — it means freedom from it! Your partner may still behave the same way, but that will affect you less. Not because you don’t care, but because focusing on a more positive future brings freedom to you and healing to your relationship.
Not long ago… marital dissatisfaction was not a topic for open conversation. We are here to inspire and empower relationship satisfaction, whatever your chosen form of relationship, and whatever your history.
Our Ideal Clients
Though it may sound strange (as we are selling relationship happiness!): our ideal clients are couples who are not seeking happiness as a direct result of coaching sessions — but awareness. Life is infinitely simpler being single… but not as full… and it is that richness of interaction-friction-joyful moments-conflicts-regrets-lovemaking-apologies-repairs that give rise to the possibility to be more aware and alive.
They are functional adults who have invested significant time, resources, and creativity in personal development and in their relationship. And they know that it is the growing and healing together that brings the utmost happiness (we do sell relationship happiness after all!)
Quiz
Curious about where you are at in our unscientific unvalidated (but juicy!) spectrum?
HOW WE WORK
Get to Know Your Landscape
At first, we take the time to get to know your landscape with what is working and what is not working in your relationship. We acknowledge it, analyze it and set it aside.
Invite You in Playful Activities
We then invite you in short playful activities (both in real time during coaching sessions and in-between coaching sessions), typically fully dressed (for sure during coaching sessions!). We afterwards guide you to reflect on what happened during the activity, and what you learned from it, and what you intend to do (pay attention to, show up…) differently with your partner.
Learning to Play & Be Together
Learning to play as a couple opens the heart to new ways of being together, diminishes the impact of daily struggles, lessens the need to blame others for one’s suffering, and strengthens relationship confidence.
What We Offer
We are creating a new way of helping relationships thrive.
We are seeking couples that are:
Daring enough to engage in a novel approach
Adventurous enough to engage in something other than just talking about problems
Connected enough with each other to seek a positive way of creating deeper intimate harmony and a more fulfilling relationship
COACHING SESSIONS
We are located in Seattle, WA and do 100% of our work online.
Sessions last 90 minutes starting on even hours Pacific Time (8AM, 10AM, noon, 2PM, 4PM, and 6PM). We understand some of our clients are in other time zones and will be glad to find a time that works for our clients based in Europe and Asia. As many of our clients work full time, we also offer some Saturday coaching sessions.
We recommend sessions every other week so clients have time to integrate learnings and practice in between sessions.
Cost per session: US$240 per session. All sessions are paid in advance. We offer financial assistance to our motivated clients who are temporarily experiencing financial difficulty.
We offer three options to begin working together:
3 sessions: Only for couples that have done a lot of work on their relationship and have a shared view on their relationship strengths and struggles. This means both partners would independently express their couple foibles similarly.
5 sessions: The first session is split in two 45 minutes individual intakes. The following 4 coaching sessions include both partners.
8 sessions: The first two sessions are 90 minutes individual intakes (critical if there is a discrepancy between how both partners view their relationship struggles). The following 6 coaching sessions include both partners. Sometimes, we meet for additional session(s) with only one partner when one has specific question(s) on how to deal with their partner.
Beyond these three options, we do not have a pre-determined recommended number of sessions. Some of our clients just need a nudge to let go of a grudge… and some need a little more!
We are selective with the couples we work with and require our potential clients to fill out the attached Application to determine compatibility.
This site is currently under construction. We expect the private scheduling function to go live Monday, September 14, 2020.
Game Nights
Our master plan calls for Game Nights to start in March 2021. Please check back for updates!
And please HONK if you love Game Nights! Your enthusiasm might influence our master plan…
RESOURCES/Books
We recommend the following books.
RESOURCES/Practitioners & Events
We also recommend the following practitioners and events:
Non-Violent Communication
Men’s work
Women’s work
Healing
We believe that more awake and benevolent people make a happier world.
We consequently do not receive any referral fee or discounts from these providers.
Valdo Lallemand
Valdo grew up in Paris, France and received his degree from one of France's premier engineering schools, l'Ecole Centrale. He moved to Seattle at 28 and has led multiple business passions in parallel:
Corporate training and consulting in Leadership, Team development, Creativity and Innovation. Clients include Boeing, Children's Hospital, Cinnabon, Microsoft, the Pacific Science Center, REI, the University of Washington, and the YMCA.
Designing and building ziplines, aerial adventure parks, tree houses and other play structures all over North America.
Developing games for increased individual and team growth in highly complex matters such as innovation, organizational change and leadership maturity.
In parallel, Valdo has pursued personal development in multiple areas from relationships, to men’s work, to trauma healing, to leadership maturity, to presence and awareness, to intuition to Nonviolent Communication.
His enthusiastic passion, visionary approach, collaborative spirit and irrepressible humor have infused his work in the field of adventure learning and transformation. It is with mature depth and relaxed presence that he is creating Happy Couples Play Together.