Great Couples Counselling in Forest Lawn, AB. Therapy to heal relationships.

Love isn't the problem, disconnection is. Couples don't show up to therapy because everything's falling about. They show up because something importance is missing - safety, laughter, intimacy, trust, friendship, kindness. And they want it back. Let's be honest: couples therapy feels vulnerable as hell. You're sharing personal painful stuff in front of your partner and a person you barely know. Most couples have been locked in the same fight for months or years. (Different topics, same dynamic.) They don’t need to be “fixed.” They need help seeing each other differently. That’s why our first priority is safety and neutrality. We don’t take sides. We don’t play judge and jury. We creat

Relationships are both difficult and rewarding. Like most things of value, however, these intimate connections require intentional work in order to remain healthy and rewarding. Whether you are beginning a relationship or wishing to enhance an existing one, therapy can help you to discover and value each other's "owners manual" , communicate more effectively, and resolve conflict in a more timely and effective fashion.

Relationships evolve over time, so naturally, people encounter moments where they might feel disconnected, stuck in cycles of conflict and misunderstanding, and may feel like ending the relationship is the only option. In couples counselling we will collaboratively work on creating safe and supportive environments where you work towards addressing the problems, rather than being against each other. Couples counselling aims to uncover underlying emotions and needs that exaggerate distress, disagreements, and conflict. My approach emphasizes collaboration, care, and consistency.

I employ the well researched and proven approach from the Gottman Method to help couples learn about and develop new ways to appreciate and develop greater fondness for each other. I help clients realize that truly the core of an intimate relationship is really friendship, and not necessarily the all encompassing passion and always being "in love" that popular media/culture have led us to believe that marriage should always be about. Marriages naturally wax and wane, and aren't always perfect; sometimes people fight and disagree and that doesn't always have to end in separation or divorce. There are no perfect marriages -- just ones that are good enough to make us feel happy and content

Do you or your partner suffer from social anxiety and it's affecting your relationship? Social anxiety is a fear of negative judgment from others and it can lead to reduced levels of intimacy, suppressed emotions, feelings of isolation and loneliness and lack of communication. If one or both of you feels anxious socially, your relationship may be suffering too. Contact me for ways in which you can move past social anxiety to a fuller, intimate, richer, relaxed more authentic relationship.

When couples require counselling, it is often because there has been a breakdown in trust and communication. At times like these, it is important to have a third party involved that can promote progress through evidence-based therapeutic techniques. Here at Virtuous Circle Counselling, we offer in-person and virtual sessions to couples in need so that they can find their way to a healthier future.

Couples and relationship counselling is about: using curiosity to discover each other, deepening your understanding of each other, cultivating empathy and compassion for each other, and communicating to each other that you are there for them. Research shows that friendship is the foundation of of a solid and healthy long-term relationship. During counselling with me you will learn the attitudes and skills needed to curate and participate in exciting, unforgettable and life-long friendships and intimate relationships.

Are you an emotionally-intelligent couple, or do you allow your negative thoughts and feelings about each other to overwhelm the positive ones? Let Dr Mervin (Paraklesis Counselling) make an innovative assessment of your relationship that will give you an in-depth analysis and inform you as to what it will take (effort and change required) to reach your goals. Dr Mervin’s contemporary therapy approach exposes the myths of outdated methods of couples counselling, and explores post-modernity models that work for you.

Couples counseling offers a space to explore the patterns, dynamics, and emotional needs that shape your connection—whether you're dating, cohabitating, building a life together, or navigating a new chapter. I help couples slow down reactive cycles, improve communication, and better understand each other’s perspectives. My approach is grounded in strengthening emotional safety and connection, helping you move from stuck or disconnected places toward more meaningful, respectful, and fulfilling interactions—so your relationship feels like a place of support, not stress.

Are you stuck in the same old patterns of relating? Are you craving for more emotional closeness? Are you struggling with infertility or other childbearing issues, or parenting? Are you dissatisfied with your sexual relationship? Has infidelity broken trust? Is alcohol, drugs, porn/sex, work or gambling causing problems? Are you considering ending your relationship? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, Anu can help. Anu has experience and training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and Emotion Focused Couples Therapy, both of which are highly effective. She is also a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and will treat the couple together and individually.

We create a safe, neutral space where both partners feel heard and validated in their couples counselling journey. Our therapists use evidence-based approaches like Emotionally Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method to help you understand the deeper patterns driving conflict, rebuild emotional connection, and develop secure attachment bonds. We guide you beyond simply managing problems to transforming how you relate to each other -teaching practical communication skills, increasing intimacy, and helping you turn toward each other during challenges rather than away. Whether you're dating, engaged, or in a long-term partnership, we provide compassionate support to help you create the loving, c

Are you and your partner stuck in unsolvable arguments? Does one of you tend to ‘demand’ more while the other shuts down and withdraws? Are you feeling less connected and actually adding stress to each other’s lives instead of reducing it? While frustrating, these are perfectly normal patterns of partnership and there is hope. I would be glad to help you untangle the knots, learning to team up together instead of entering battles over who is right. In doing so, we will unpack past traumas and patterns of behaviour, learning to better communicate and to be safely vulnerable in a way that stands your relationship on solid ground.

Whether you're just wanting to clarify that you're in a healthy relationship or you have specific issues to resolve, I can offer a neutral and non-judgemental space while helping you navigate yourself and each other. Working from an Emotionally Focused Therapy and Systems theory framework, I can help you uncover your true needs in a relationship and work through any barriers or obstacles to living a healthy and fulfilling life.