Couples Counselling

“Successful long-term relationships are created through small words, small gestures, and small acts”

John Gottman

Specializations:

  • Neurodiverse couples.

  • Helping couples improve communication with each other.

  • Repairing attachment and relationship injuries, such as affairs.

  • Pre-marital counselling.

  • Life transitions.

FAQs about couples counselling

What modalities do you use?

I utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Gottman Couples Therapy.

What do these modalities mean?

Gottman couples counselling is back up by a lot of research. It helps helps couples identify the issues that need to be worked and the methodologies in which they will be worked on. Gottman couples counselling is often thought of as very concrete as it has scripts and specific strategies that can help couples.

EFT helps couples identify unhealthy cycles in their relationships and helps break these cycles through digging deeper into what’s behind the emotions for each person.

What is assessment process like?

I utilize Gottman’s assessment process and it includes:

  1. A 90 minute meet with both partners where the couple shared the reason they are coming for therapy, share information about the history of their relationship and talk briefly about their own histories.

  2. Each partner completes an online questionnaire that was designed by Gottman. This questionnaire helps identify all the strengths and challenges the couple experiences.

  3. I meet with each couple individually to talk more about each of their individual histories.

  4. A meeting with both partners to share my findings from the meetings and and results from the questionnaires so we can set goals for therapy together.

What if my partner does not want to be in couples counselling?

Your partner is welcome to contact me to talk about their hesitancy with therapy. In couples counselling both partners need to agree to the counselling. If your partner is not in agreement, it may be a good idea for you to try individual counselling to obtain supports for yourself.

How can couples counselling help?

Couples counselling can help with improving communication, talking about difficult past events, repairing any ruptures in relationships, improving the friendship in the relationship, and improving the sex life.

How long are sessions?

Usually sessions are 60 minutes long, with the exception of the first assessment meeting. Oftentimes, in the beginning of the process, we find that 60 minutes is not enough. If we see that this is the case, we would have a conversation to extend the sessions to 90 minutes for a short period of time until things stabilize in the relationship.

Are the services covered by insurance?

If your benefits cover social work services, you can claim the session under either of your names.