Relationship Couselling
Specialized help from a relationship expert
Are you missing that special bond you once had with your partner?
Relationships are easy while in the beginning. You stay up all night talking. You have fun together no matter the circumstances. Even the most ordinary tasks seem exciting in each other’s company. It’s as if you and your partner have finally found your rhythm.
Unfortunately, those feelings of comfort and closeness don’t always last forever. Over time, the special bond between you and your partner can fade.
Poor communication. Pointless arguments. Broken trust. Disconnection.
Unfortunately, few of us received training in the skills necessary to sustain a healthy and loving relationship. Think about the models you have seen in your own family and friends. Many people feel discouraged, hopeless, and confused with relationship problems. Sometimes, it can seem like the only way to end the pain is to end the relationship altogether.
In some cases, going your separate ways is the best option for everyone involved. But sometimes, your pain might be signaling something important.
You are moving to a deeper level in your relationship.
So how do you know what kind of pain you are experiencing? Should you call it quits or keep pushing through the pain in hopes of a happier future?
Couples therapy can guide you towards the path that is right for you.
Most couples wait far too long before they seek help. Unfortunately, the longer issues drag on, the more entrenched the problem and the more difficult they are to solve.
Please don’t wait until it is too late. Make your first move towards a healthier and happier relationship today.
Couple counselling can help you learn how to break the negative patterns keeping you stuck, and you learn to communicate in ways to build and strengthen your bond.
Please don’t wait until it is too late. Make your first move towards a healthier and happier relationship today.
Take the necessary steps to transform your relationship by starting couple counselling. Not only will you learn how to break the negative patterns keeping you stuck, but you will also rebuild that loving bond you once shared.
Couple counselling for one
What if you want to start couple counselling, but your partner doesn’t? Even if you both agree your relationship has problems, one person often resists going to counselling. Maybe he or she doesn’t “believe” in counselling or worries they will get blamed for what’s going wrong.
Couple counselling can still be helpful even if you attend alone.
Counselling is a neutral place for you to share your concerns and perspectives. A therapist will listen to your concerns and help you clarify your own needs and wants. The point is not to blame your partner, but to allow you to understand your role. Each of you has contributed to your problems, and each of you has the opportunity to change your behaviour.
Even if your spouse has declared the relationship over, you should not lose hope. Individual therapy can offer coaching on how to change your perspective and behaviour, which will influence your relationship. It will help you bring your best self to your relationship crisis, and avoid making mistakes that make things even worse. Although it may or may not be possible to save your relationship, you will have the opportunity to learn about yourself and forge a cooperative relationship with your partner as you move forward.
Don’t face your relationship problems alone. Get guidance from an expert.
What to expect in Couple Counselling
Research on relationships has exploded over the past two decades. We have a clear understanding of how to build and maintain loving, secure relationships. As a specialist in Relationship Therapy, I use this research to guide our work together. Of course, since multiple people are involved, no therapy can guarantee results. Even if your partner refuses to participate, therapy can help individuals learn skills to change their own behaviour to build the relationships they want, or make a clear-headed decision of how to move forward.
Here are some common benefits of couple counselling:
- Improved communication
- Rebuilt trust, even after a physical or emotional affair
- Understanding of how to resolve arguments and ‘fight fair’
- Re-energized sexual connection
- Ability to work as a parenting team and address blended family issues
- Premarital counselling—build skills for a lifetime of connection
- Ability to cope with life challenges such as infertility, empty nest, health problems or transition to retirement
- Clarity on how to make healthy decisions about separation
Learning how to work through your conflicts as a team might seem impossible, but know that it’s not. The hardest step can be getting started.
How Does Couple Counselling Work?
We will meet together for a 90-minute session to discuss your issues and history. The next step is a meeting with each partner to explore individual perspectives and concerns. I may use standard relationship assessments to guide our work. I will share my assessment with you and together we will develop specific goals for therapy and an expected timeline.
There has been a great deal of research on healthy relationships over the past 20+ years. We now know what keeps relationships strong, and even more importantly, how to get them back on track.
I draw from the knowledge created by the “masters” of couple therapy (such as John Gottman, Esther Perel, Susan Johnson, Michele Weiner-Davis, and others) to create a unique plan to help you and your partner to rebuild that close connection you desire.
For couples considering separation or divorce
Unlike traditional marriage counseling that assumes that both people are willing to work on the relationship, Discernment Counselling helps people decide (e.g., “discern”) whether to work on their relationship or move to separation.
Discernment Counselling is very short-term (1 to 5 sessions). There are three possible outcomes:
1. Both partners decide to work on the marriage and move into couple counselling
2. One or both partners realize that the relationship is over and they work on ending their relationship in a healthy way
3. They are not ready to make a decision either way and agree to stay on hold for a period of time.
Even if partners have different views on the future of the relationship, the therapist works to understand both points of view. It is not about taking sides or convincing either party to accept the other’s view. The focus of Discernment Counselling is to allow each person to focus on their own contributions to the problems and possible solutions. This is helpful for this relationship or for future relationships to avoid repeating unhelpful patterns. Counselling is considered a success if the partners have clarity and confidence in their decision.
Discernment Counselling is not suitable when:
– One spouse has made a final decision and wants the counsellor to help the other spouse accept this decision
– Either spouse is being coerced to participate
– If you are interested in counselling but your spouse refuses to participate, individual counselling can be helpful.
What to expect
The session is divided between conversation between the couple and individual conversations for each partner with the therapist. The counsellor respects the issues each person raises and helps to create a realistic plan for the future of the relationship.
The first session is 2 hours for a fee of $350. Subsequent sessions are 1.5 hours with the normal fee for couple sessions ($260).
Please contact me to book your session, or if you have other questions.
Hours: By Appointment Only
9170 County Rd. 93, Suite 303
Midland, ON
L4R 4K4
Confidential Voice Mail:
705-543-0426
Monday through Friday
If you need urgent assistance, please visit our Crisis page for immediate help.
Georgian Bay Relationship Centre:
jennifer@gbrc.ca
Please note that email is not a secure or private form of communication. If the information you are providing is sensitive, you may contact me by phone instead. 705-543-0426