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

Many relational patterns develop over time and become entrenched resulting in continual gridlock and conflict. Slowing down a couples communication to address the underlying emotion assists in bringing a greater understanding of your partners desires and needs. Adult attachment styles can also impact relationships and exploring attachments needs can bring about clarity and enhance emotional intimacy. Sheila has completed training in Gottman Relational Training and advanced level trainings in Emotion Focused Therapy for couples.

The first step with my approach to couples therapy is for us to establish rapport as you inform me of the problem that has brought you to therapy. I use a Choice Theory approach which includes defining more closely what each of you want for yourselves as individuals and the relationship as a whole. From there, we get to work on rebuilding trust in the relationship by enhancing communication skills so each of you feel listened to, heard, and respected. Then we can build on trust to establish the changes needed to restore the happiness that brought you together in the first place.

Couples counseling with me is a transformative and personalized experience that focuses on the unique dynamics and challenges faced by couples. With a compassionate and unbiased approach, I aim to create a space where partners, in individual separate individual sessions, can openly express their, emotions, and concerns. Through active listening and effective communication techniques, I help identify underlying issues, improve their understanding of each other, and develop strategies for resolving conflicts. Whether couples are seeking to strengthen their bond, navigate major life transitions, or heal from past wounds, my goal is to facilitate growth, enhance their connection, and empower them

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.

Our training includes the Gottman Model for couples therapy, which is well-grounded in research. Couples learn how to rebuild their friendship, communicate in a way that does not make the conflict worse, and build emotional intimacy. Relationships are like plants; if we forget to feed the plant every day, it starts to wilt and will eventually die. Indeed, with the demands of our daily lives, our relationships tend to take a back seat - at first, our relationships seem to endure; however, over time, the lack of priority starts to show. We will give you the tools and skills needed to feel satisfied in how you communicate with your spouse, and increase your commitment to one another.

I understand that navigating relationship issues can be incredibly challenging, affecting both your emotional health and the quality of your partnership. In our couples counselling sessions, we'll establish a safe environment for open dialogue, employing the Gottman Method to identify and address the root causes of your conflicts. This evidence-based approach focuses on improving communication, building empathy, and fostering mutual respect. While the journey to a healthier relationship may take time and commitment from both sides, there's genuine hope for renewal and happiness. Together, we can work towards a more harmonious and fulfilling relationship.

Relationships can be a great source of pleasure, support and companionship. They can also be deeply painful, and being lonely in the context of an intimate relationship is the most profound loneliness we can experience. A relationship can only be as strong as the individuals in it since each brings his or her own needs, strengths and weaknesses to it. Commitment and willingness to work on themselves as well as the relationship is key to making it work. Change may be scary, but not changing may be even more scary. Counselling can help address the impasses, chronic challenges, or long-standing patterns of interaction that create blocks to intimacy, as well as nurture the love beneath.

I work with couples using Gottman Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy and Attachment Therapy. I will help you identify your maladaptive patterns of behaviour and improve your communication skills. There is no shame in getting some coaching in how we connect with each other and how we can better meet each others needs. I use a strengths based approach to help you see the positives and remember why you fell in love.

South Okanagan Counselling has multiple options for Couples Counsellors offering both online and in person sessions at flexible times from daytime, evenings. The trained approaches utilized within their practice include Gottman Theory, Emotion Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Narrative therapy, Person Centered Therapy. Couples find that finding the right fit in both the therapist and the modality can help improve communication within the relationship, find deeper understanding and compassion, overcome the feeling of 'stuckness' in the relationship, move past traumas, heal broken trust, get back onto being on the 'same team', come together on decisions and much more

Couples experience a number of challenges that get in the way of optimal relationship functioning. My role is to help families identify how each partner is supporting each other and what patterns are contributing to the “problem”. As a couples therapist, I provide a neutral third party perspective as to these patterns and we can explore the meaning or context behind them. Once we have identified what patterns are impacting the relationship we will develop strategies for more helpful patterns and responses. I utilize therapeutic interventions from the Gottman model, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Attachment Theory, Response-Based Practice, and Narrative Therapy.