Great Couples Counselling in Redwater, AB. Therapy to heal relationships.

I define a couple as any two people involved in ongoing interaction. When things go wrong the relationship is unfulfilling and may be hurtful to the participants. All too often things go wrong when the individuals focus on what they want from each other and they become enmeshed in a power struggle. In couples therapy there are no “rules of engagement” but there are skills which can be developed to make the relationship mutually rewarding and personally empowering.

In couples counselling, I create a supportive space to help partners communicate more openly and effectively. I use tools and techniques, primarily from the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), to strengthen connection and resolve conflicts. These approaches help couples understand each other’s needs and build trust. I guide partners in exploring their emotions, communication patterns, and shared goals, helping them develop a deeper connection and a stronger, healthier relationship.

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.

Dr. Vandegriend is a Registered Psychologist and Certified Gottman Therapist specializing in working with couples/marriage/relationships and implements a practical, easy-to-talk to, and results oriented approach. Areas of focus are: better communication; working through conflicts and areas where they just feel "stuck"; managing transitions better together (ie. new parents, retirement); healing after infidelity and establishing greater trust, respect and connection between each other; and deepening levels of intimacy. www.stalbertcounselling.com

I employ the 'Prepare/Enrich Online Assessment' tool for couples aiming to enhance their understanding and strengthen their relationships. This tool is highly effective in evaluating and highlighting the strengths and challenges within a couple's relationship. Tailored to couples at any age or stage of their relationship, it offers valuable insights to help them grow and improve together.

The context of a relationship brings much more information to the surface then if we were alone. This can be very challenging and counseling can help sort this out. Couples counseling provides the opportunity to examine things as they play out within the couple. This arrangement can leads us to see first hand the strengths we have to connect with others. I have successfully worked with people from a variety of backgrounds to treat a variety of couples issues and look forward to working with you. Visit my website at www.prairieowlpsychology.ca from more details.

It is within our relationships that we experience the most joy and the most pain. Most relationships begin with a deep connection and people anticipate a future that continues to be passionate and fulfilling. It is inevitable, however, that disappointments and misunderstandings arise. Learning to communicate in an effective way that bridges differences and leads to respect and understanding are essential to a happy relationship.

I am trained in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. I help couples heal from the wounds that prevent us from feeling safe and secure in our relationships. These wounds sometimes happened to us long before we found our current partner, and sometimes there is betrayal in the marriage. I help clients recognize how these wounds affect our emotions and behaviors in a way that prevents us from getting what we are most longing for: connection in love.

Being in a relationship comes with its challenges, and it's common to find yourself caught in unhelpful patterns. However, you don't have to remain stuck. It’s entirely possible to reach a place where you can clearly express your needs and feel genuinely heard by your partner or partners. My therapeutic approach centers around a variety of cognitive therapies that can help empower couples to identify and transform negative thought patterns and behaviours into the relationship you truly desire. It equips couples with the tools to build and maintain healthy dynamics. If you're ready to make a change, I encourage you to book a free 15-minute phone consultation to discover how I can support you.

In a relationship, each member is responsible for an equal share of the dynamic. In a family, that means it splits between the amount of people, and in a couple it’s 50% created by each partner. This 50% is the result of the individual’s needs- both functional and dysfunctional. Functional needs relate to biological drives, culture, relationship goals, values, etc. Dysfunctional needs come from limiting beliefs, which are internalized in our childhood. They create needs like: the need to be in control, or the need to protect oneself. The needs, whether functional or dysfunctional, can balance each other out, creating a “stabilizer” or they can become unmet needs.

I have a significant caseload of relationship therapy clients. I am comfortable with essentially any type of relationship taking place between consenting adults. I accept the orientation(s) of the parties to a relationship, and am as a rule able to come from there. If I have a bias, it is to preserve the being of the relationship, the "we" that emerges when one and another form a bond. My bias notwithstanding, I am able to assist parties to a relationship to achieve a more peaceful separation/termination when that is their choice.

Most people deeply desire a warm and healthy relationship with a spouse or partner. However it requires work and effort, and is not an easy process for either individual in the relationship. On the other hand, the benefits of the effort put in are inevitably well worth it in the long run. If you're looking to work out differences and move towards a more harmonious relationship, I can work with you to find love, acceptance and the tools that work best for you and your relationship.

Many relationships hit a point where help and support are needed. Opening up the pathways of communication and learning how to successfully move through breeches within the relationship and move towards repair, can have couples finding themselves liking one another again and feeling much closer. If this kind of support feel needs, reach out today through email or by phone.