Great Couples Counselling in Chilliwack, BC. Therapy to heal relationships.

I have been in practise for a long time and much of my training and experience is in couples counselling. It is a privilege and opportunity to work with couples and more often than not we see successful outcomes. There is never a more satisfying feeling than seeing couples making important decisions for their future while keeping a priority of each person's own emotional well being!

If you're looking to improve your relationship, we'd work together to create a supportive environment for discussion, allowing each of you to share your perspective and experience. With important conversations and empathetic questions, there's opportunity to truly see each other and to collaborate to resolve the issues rather than engaging in blame. Together, we'd uncover experiences that promote mutual understanding, empathy and appreciation. Through this process you'll gain insights, develop new ways of communicating, strengthen your connection and establish a more fulfilling and harmonious relationship.

I am committed to helping you enact positive changes in your lives. According to Pearson et all, there are 5 basic principles of effective couples therapy. Here are 3 of them 1. Changing the views of the relationship: Throughout the therapeutic process, I work with you to help both of you see the relationship in a more objective manner. 2. Modifying dysfunctional behaviour: Together we attempt to change the way you actually behave with each other. I also make sure that you are not engaging in behaviours that can cause physical, psychological or economic hurts. 3. Decreasing emotional avoidance: I work with you to bring out the emotions and thoughts that you hesitate to express...

Many couples struggle with communication and "feeling heard". Over time a once happy and vibrant relationship can begin to decay through hurt feelings, anger, lack of attention, feeling valued, infidelity, the strain of children, childhood issues, and much more. We focus to heal the wounds of the past and rebuild the love and trust within the relationship. We work to equip both partners with a voice and ability to effectively listen and hear one another. We will work together to establish individual boundaries within the relationship, while creating a stronger and healthier connection. Our goal is to equip each couple with the tools they require for success, independent of counselling

Loving, successful relationships need to be carefully and skillfully nurtured in the following five areas: Emotional, Intellectual, Spiritual, Sexual, Financial. Couples who are ready to do ongoing work on their relationships are richly rewarded with a loving, meaningful and joyful life together. Committed relationships that have the possibility of morphing into long term relationships benefit greatly by being guided by the Gottman research on relationships as well as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Premarital Counselling prepares a couple for a new stage in their relationship by identifying potential areas of conflict and strength and developing tools to create a strong foundation.

Couples counselling focuses on developing strong communication skills, conflict resolution techniques, forgiveness, and effective dialogue. Many couples experience frustration at some point in their relationship where they feel they are not heard, valued or even loved any more. A toxic cycle of blaming, fighting and pulling away begins to form, creating distance and fatigue. For others an affair has shaken the very core of the safety and love they once felt in their relationship. It can be an agonizing and terrifying discovery for the partner who has been betrayed, and strong feelings of guilt, shame and a lack of understanding to how it even happened for the offending partner. Whether you are looking for a tune up to build back the excitement and...(view profile to read more)

In working with couples, I use an emotionally focused therapy approach (EFT). Sometimes the treatment process benefits from drawing on other sources such as Narrative therapy, Gottman, or Experiential therapy however my foundation works from EFT. I have experience in working with EFT in various couple dynamics.

Experience: Throughout my 20 years of professional experience in the human services field I have been driven by a passion for helping others that I now bring to Clinical Counseling. It is rewarding to serve youth, adults, and families, helping them to overcome distressing and traumatic life events while realizing their strengths and resilient qualities. My clinical counselling practice includes supporting individuals who experience anxiety, depression, PTSD, grief and loss, self-harming behaviors, suicide ideation, and those who experienced domestic violence. My lived experiences inform my practice. Being married for 33 years and raising three children, now young adults, has increased my empathy, compassion, and understanding for youth, adults, and...(view profile to read more)

Carey will help you learn to communicate in ways intended to promote change and growth in any of your relationships. You can hope to gain understanding of yourself and your relationships, develop perspective and enhance your interactions. Couples are welcome to attend with their partner or come independently for discussions on how to manage difficulties, gain intimacy and make healthy choices. Approaches include Gottman's research on what helps couples succeed, aspects of emotionally focused work and communication skill building.

When involved in a therapeutic relationship with couples I encourage them to seek individual counseling before or at the same time they are focused on counseling for their relationship. When an individual can understand themselves more clearly and begin to take ownership of their own process their relationship and healing becomes possible. Its always so rewarding helping couples learn the tools necessary to help facilitate a deeper, richer more meaningful relationship connection. The greatest reward is when the couple feels empowered to handle the ebbs and flows of their relationship with more confidence, heart, passion, intimacy and love.

Olivia is deeply passionate about helping couples at every stage of their relationship. Her true heart lies in supporting couples to enhance their connection, foster healing, and restore their bond. Olivia combines her extensive experience in counseling with practical tools to equip couples with effective communication, conflict resolution, and relationship-building strategies. She also has a unique ability to address deeper-rooted issues, guiding partners to uncover and resolve underlying patterns that may be causing strain. Whether helping couples prepare for a lifetime together or overcome hardships, Olivia is committed to nurturing growth, understanding, and lasting restoration.