Great Couples Counselling in Streetsville, ON. Therapy to heal relationships.

Dr. Van Blyderveen offers Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples. This approach is evidence based and has a greater success rate than traditional couple's therapy. Therapy will focus on improving communication through creating and strengthening your emotional bond with one another. During therapy sessions Dr. Van Blyderveen will guide you and your partner through emotional conversations with one another with the goal of improving closeness, connection, and acceptance of one another.

For couples therapy, our therapists provide a safe and neutral space for couples to improve communication, attempt to resolve conflicts, and strengthen their relationship. Therapy with us can help couples develop a deeper understanding of each other's needs, improve trust and intimacy, and learn effective problem-solving skills. You can also address issues such as infidelity, financial stress, or parenting challenges. Couples therapy offers a supportive environment where both partners can express their thoughts and feelings openly, with the guidance of a trained professional.

When a couple is in trouble, the act of seeking out a counsellor has to be motivated by the desire to stay together through hard work. Therapy is not for those who need it but for those who want it. This is even more true when it comes to working with couples. The journey is one of finding once more what brought them together in the first place. We work with forgiveness and building trust. We find ways for the couple to once again feel a sense of warmth and compassion as we break down the walls of resentment. We look at what is triggering the couple to fight. We go through the anatomy of a common and repetitive fight. i also teach the couple some body centered techniques.

We are not prepared to be married. Clouded with romantic ideals and unreasonable expectations, our relationships can quickly begin to feel lacking in fulfillment. I believe that most couples don't want divorce. What they do want is to feel connected again and safe again. I use Imago Therapy and Emotion Focused Therapy to help couples re-connect. Building a healthy marriage takes both time and commitment. The skills you will obtain will give you a clear path to reconnection and safety.

When I work with couples I like to use the Gottman Model Couple Therapy; drawing from The seven principles of making relationships work book as well as my training (Level 2). The information is practical and easy to conceptualize and this means you can get to work to stabilize, fortify and protect your relationship quite quickly. It can be enjoyable too, in fact, I've found you're more likely to do the work if it is fun to do it together.

Relationships are not always easy; we are delicately balancing the needs of ourselves as individuals and the needs of the other within one space. When a couple comes in for counselling, we explore this field between you both, and see how to shift some relationship patterns in order for you both to better understand, and hear each other. From here we can make the adjustments necessary for you both to get what you need from the relationship. And, if moving away from each other is what will move one, or both of you to where you want to go, we navigate these physical, mental, and emotional changes and challenges safely and nonjuddmentally, for the wellbeing of everyone involved.

In working with couples, the relationship is my client. My goal is to ensure that both partners feel heard and validated. I support the couple in creating space to have conversations that might otherwise be difficult to have. In working with me, couples will learn improved ways of communicating and being there for one another. They will also learn how to manage conflict in a way that is supportive of relationship growth. Further, the couples' strengths will be highlighted and accessed to continue to grow the relationship bond.

Couples seeking therapy to address the stress, conflicts, and tensions they experience in their relationship can rest assured knowing therapy is an excellent approach to learning ways to rebuild the relationship, improve connection, decrease conflict, learn communication strategies, work through financial conflict and improve intimacy. In therapy we can also address any issues with infidelity and betrayal. I am also a polyamorous and kink friendly therapist and assure my clients that I respect and accept your lifestyle. I provide a safe non judgmental space where you do not have to worry about shame or embarrassment.

Couples come together for a reason–from a point of deep commitment or even for practical reasons–both by choice. Some come together for more fleeting reasons–even by chance. However it begins, couples evolve–either to create a resilient bond or to find themselves in conscious or unconscious division. All are tried by adversity, change, and time. Even accumulating stress of the daily humdrum can blind the vision of ‘us.’ Couples are unique. My role is to challenge communication, to help couples define their bottom-line: to accept what is; define limits of tolerance and compromise; respectfully support a new reality if resilience is not found; or to see the contentment in finding a way back.

You can have an even better relationship! I work with you to identify what your issues are. We learn what your communication issues are, what is working and what is not in your relationship and implement practical action plans to improve this. Further, we identify your negative patterns of relating to each other and how this is a habit that hurts the relationship, and we learn how to get out of that pattern, shift behaviors, and relate in the most respectful, loving, kind manner which ultimately often improves your sex life, your happiness, and your fulfillment.

You feel like you have grown apart although you are still together. You feel lonely, separated, and unable to connect with your significant other. You want the person you fell in love with back! I use attachement-based therapies and the Gottman Method to explore all facets of your relationship. Together, we will "troubleshoot" the issues in the relationship and what we need to work on in our sessions.

The key to any relationship is …… 1. Communication. 2. Listening to the words, nonverbal communication & listening with feelings. 3. The ability to state your needs and desires even if they are not satisfied. 4. Putting your relationship first and everything else next…even your children. 5. Re-evaluating your expectations of the relationship. 6. Showing tangible love on an everyday basis. 7. Graciously saying sorry. Even after doing all you are struggling, then examine the gift you are to your partner. Are you able to receive and accept the, gift that your partner presents in person. If you are still struggling, then you need to seek relationship counselling or marriage counselling.

There are many reasons why couples seek therapy. You may be experiencing communication problems that keep coming, feeling constantly criticized, not feeling heard, feeling emotionally distant from your partner, fighting over the same issues, feelings of anger and jealousy, feeling controlled by your partner, and differences in parenting styles. Couples therapy can help you strengthen your bond by learning healthy ways to communicate your needs, identify stuck patterns and learn new ways to be with each other. Often a few sessions is all that is needed for a “reset”.

Marriage and significant relationships have more pressure on them than ever before. In a technology based, social networking world with financial pressures and other major issues, couples need to put increasingly more time and effort into nourishing their relationship. Many do not take that time. As a result, relationships become “stuck’ or even “toxic” over time. In sessions, couples will learn how to interact and relate to each other on a deeper level. They will learn effective communication skills, strategies and tools. Couples will also participate in learning about their own specific ways of showing love and their own love style.

I aim to help couples and relational partnerships uncover the root causes of their disagreements and conflicts, and collaborative work together to find solutions. I also believe couples can get buried under society’s pressure of a perfect relationship; I hope to help you get closer to the relationship that feels the most authentic and real for you as a partnership. I use Emotion-Focused and Solution Focused Therapy to help couple’s highlight their unique strengths and work toward a better understanding of one another. Book a free consultation to explore if we are a good fit.

We all want to love, be loved, and connect with our significant others. Yet, it can feel daunting at times, due to repetitive relationship patterns (influenced by our childhood wounding), poor communication skills, cultural/gender differences, and inability to negotiate “me” with “we”. So be it past trauma, poor communication skills, inability to handle stress, different upbringing (thereby different ways of doing things), or sexual challenges, among other things, I help couples identify the areas/habits which challenge them, behaviors which destroy relationships, and anything else that stands in the way of them achieving an intimate connection.

Do you long to regain the closeness that you once had? Whether you and your partner are currently dating or have been together for many years, it is important to take the steps to work through the differences and traumas that have been negatively affecting your relationship. Perhaps you are feeling frustrated, unheard or alone. Or are finding it difficult to talk with your spouse without it erupting into a fight. I specialize in working with couples and will help you respond to each other in a way that you each feel heard and seen. I will help you to solidify a secure future together.

Working on the relationship requires an openness to learn, grow and reflect as a couple. The focus in sessions is to shift the oppositional energy, allowing the couple to come together as a team trying to overcome challenges. In sessions you'll learn to regulate emotions, communicate more effectively, understand the underlying parts of you that are getting triggered, and bring intentional joy into the relationship to strengthen your bonds as a couple and breed deeper connection for longer lasting, healthier love. Monogamous and polyamorous couples of all genders, sexual orientations and cultural backgrounds are welcome.

Couples counseling with me focuses on improving communication, increasing intimacy, and building a strong, lasting relationship. I use the Gottman method, which is an evidence-based approach that has been proven to be effective in helping couples work through issues and strengthen their connection. This approach emphasizes the importance of building a strong foundation of friendship, managing conflict effectively, and creating shared meaning in the relationship. Through counseling, couples can learn new skills to help them navigate challenges and deepen their bond. By working together, couples can improve their relationship satisfaction and build a fulfilling life together.

I often see couples when one side is experiencing an addiction. This can cause relatively predictable effects in the other half of the partnership. The person addicted needs their own recovery and the partner needs their own healing. The couple also needs to heal by restoring trust and dealing with underlying issues. At OWA Therapy, I focus on overcoming those underlying issues.

Relationship counselling can comprise of issues related to: communication, conflict/ separation, commitment, blended family, infidelity, parenting, same sex, and more. The goal of couples counseling is to target the main concern for each or one of the individuals involved. Next, the couple will work with a therapist to identify each individual’s accountability for both positive and negative contributions to a relationship. The critical point is acknowledging ways each individual can make improvements alone and how the couple can work to progress together in the relationship. Most couples can benefit from a check-in and restructuring of wants and needs, before an intervention is necessary.

I work to establish trust in both partners by setting boundaries of confidentiality and privacy especially when there is a need to clarify safety of each and to process any "secrets" that may impede successful open communication. Family history does impinge on marital dynamics and can interfere with emotional reactions from past family scripts that can surge into the present affecting communication Personal space boundaries and accountability are the basis of openness and respectful trust the linchpin of building on love that changes from physical chemistry to support for the other. Some common interests and passion for living well is the goal for both. Controlling behavior is called out.

All relationships go through ups and downs but seeing a trained and experienced therapist can make a big difference in how situations get resolved. We have over a decade of experience helping couples improve their communication, find healthy ways to manage conflict, go through life transitions together, get their parenting styles on the same page, address trust issues, deal with lack of intimacy or sexual issues, recover from extra marital affairs, manage the division of labor for household responsibilities and many many other issues. We approach each situation uncovering and building on peoples’ strengths, helping them to reach successful resolutions.

A loving relationship can be a source of profound connecting and security, and as with many aspects of life worth pursuing, it requires nurturing. While I do not offer couple therapy sessions, we have many couple and family therapists at Psychotherapy Collective, my online clinic who are availability to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to ensure they are the proper fit for your journey. Visit our website to book a free couple consultation https://www.psychotherapycollective.ca/services/couple-therapy

We all long for connection. Many of us feel great in the times when a relationship is new and the connection is just developing. The problems come when we have to repair distance/rifts in that connection, or when we need to sustain and deepen our connection to our partners. Maybe we never learned how. Maybe we carry scars and trauma from past relationships. Maybe we have patterns in our histories that we never really dealt with. Maybe all of the above. Our work together will take all of that into account and in a non-judgmental environment, we will hold space for you both to learn how to repair, strengthen and maintain your most important relationships.