Great Couples Counselling in Medicine Hat, AB. Therapy to heal relationships.

Couples counselling is for anyone who is a committed relationship, you do not need to be married. I am a Certified Gottman Therapist - a scientific and researched approach to helping couples improve their relationship developed by Dr. John and Julie Gottman. Based on the framework of a Sound Relationship House, specific interventions are used to increase respect, fondness, connection and create a better understanding.

We utilize the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy, taking a “research-based approach to creating stronger relationships” in both couples therapy and marriage counselling. We develop concrete strategies to help couples effectively work through their relationship issues. To assist, in our first session we complete a thorough assessment to pinpoint exactly what issues the couple needs to work on, and together come up with goals and an action plan.

Using the training I have in the Gottman Method, I can help couples learn to improve their communication, increase intimacy, respect and affection, and teach them how to make small, positive changes that will grow their relationship. The goals of the Gottman Method include "increasing closeness and friendship behaviours, addressing conflict productively, and building a life of shared meaning together".

After each completes a pre-counseling questionnaire, a conversation takes place where both can express what they would like to get out of counseling and how each takes responsibility for problems in the relationship. After the 1st session, it is important to meet each person individually to understand their perspective and assess what role family of origin and prior relationships may play in their current relationship. Work would happen on areas like communication, managing conflict, and dealing with unresolved issues, unmet needs, and relationship dynamics that have caused problems. Learning new skills and perspectives gives hope to rebuilding the relationship into something both desire.

Couples counselling is an excellent way to learn and understand each other's needs, desires, thoughts and feelings of each other while validating and empathizing with each other. In my office, couples are also encouraged to find ways to develop an underlying friendship, expression of positive feelings, resolution of old hurts, and strengthening trust.

Keystone Child and Family Therapy offers counseling for couples. Counseling may include healthy communication, premarital counseling, coping with mental or physical illness in relationships, concerns with blended families, affairs, the impact of depression and anxiety in relationships, grief and loss, and facilitating deeper more meaningful relationships.

Creating stronger relationships through the research- based Gottman approach. Couples who wish to develop a deeper awareness and connection in their relationships will benefit in using E- Counselling to enhance communication and bonding. Often when we are in a face to face conversation we are thinking of our next response rather than allowing the other person to be understood. Using a secure and completely confidential web based Gottman trained counsellor will help break down the barriers of communication and improve relationship dynamics. Couples can expect more understanding, respect and intimacy in their relationship. LGBT relationships are welcome.

Being in a relationship can be difficult, particularly in a culture that has become increasingly individualistic. We fall into unhelpful relational patterns that leave us feeling angry, indifferent, or ashamed. We inflict emotional pain on our partners and we don't even understand why we are doing it. But it doesn't have to be this way. Using aspects of relational life therapy, internal family systems and more, we will go through a process of healing, designed to shift the relationship toward greater understanding, love, and connection.

What are the most common couples' issues? If you are thinking "communication, conflict, sex, money, child rearing" you are correct. However, most therapists will go after the symptom on each side of the couple fence thinking that the way to effective change is by getting each party to "work" on their respective "issue". Many times the parties don’t agree but comply. Imagine if you could align the unconscious brains of a couple and stop the "working on your issues" part that has become so popular in therapy settings? Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com to learn how! Or call 877-606-6161. DR. FLEMING'S NEW RELATIONSHIP/COUPLES INTENSIVES. www.kevinflemingphd.com/marriage-couples-retreats.php

Are you in a strained relationship? Couples can slowly become focused on criticizing, sarcasm, attacking, threatening, blaming, commanding and rejecting. Counselling helps each person to self-reflect, and consider how to communicate, forgive, trust, affirm, encourage, take personal responsibility, share, and accept. Then we open ourselves to returning to the love that first drew us to the other, and create future possibilities.