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

Healing and growing in our sexuality & eroticism can help us understand ourselves and our partners in ways we may have never been privileged to before. It opens us to the appreciation of the full depth and breadth of human erotic expression. I work with individuals and couples. My approach is informed by training as an Erotic Blueprint Coach, somatic attachment and conscious kink. All forms of love, relationship structures, and sexual expression welcome. I offer EMDR and other trauma processing approaches to support you in your healing when appropriate.

Relationship counselling is for individuals and couples who need to make some changes in their present situation. Distress can be caused by a breakdown in communication, too much conflict, difficulty acknowledging and expressing feelings, sexual problems, family patterns etc. Often our family of origin issues have been activated and we have raw spots in a relationship. As a counsellor I meet with couples individually for their first session (to explore history and listen to their experience of the problem) and then I bring them together. I help create a safe space to be emotionally honest and explore ways to overcome your patterns and find connection.

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.

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

Couples therapy with me offers a safe, respectful space to untangle conflict, rebuild connection and strengthen your relationship. Whether you're struggling with communication, trust, or feeling distant, we'll work together to understand what's beneath the surface and create new ways of relating. I support both partners with compassion and curiousity, helping you feel heard and valued. Through honest conversation and practical tools, you can move from stuck patterns toward deeper intimacy, understanding and shared growth -- one conversation at a time.

You love each other, but somehow keep having the same arguments? Maybe lyou've recently become parents, or added another little one to the mix, and somehow between the sleepless nights, endless to-do-lists, and daily grind, you stopped feeling like partners and started feeling more like roommates. You love your family, but you miss 'us.' You don't have to choose between being great parents and having a connected loving relationship. The goal isn't to get back to who you were before the baby. It's to create a new version of "us" that works for the family you've become. I help couples reconnect, find their way back to each other and create a relationship that feels exciting and intimate again

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)

I work with communication between couples as well as the individual self talk that is sometimes a factor underlyubg discord. Recognizing Anger and Guilt as valuable emotions that can act as 'warning lights on the dashboard', I help uncover the deeper root feelings that are often more vulnerable but also more grounding and connecting. Using a Debriefing flow sheet based on Nonviolent Communication, a model authored by Marshall Rosenberg, I help couples to identify the things that are really important to them and reconnect with a sense of clarity, understanding and compassion for themselves and each other.

Couples counselling focuses on enhancing communication, understanding, and connection between partners. My approach is tailored to each couple's unique dynamics, addressing intimacy, conflict resolution, communication and emotional support. I provide a safe and non-judgmental space for both partners to express their needs and concerns, facilitating more profound empathy and collaboration. By working together, couples can strengthen their bond, develop healthier patterns of interaction, and create a more fulfilling relationship.

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 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.

Have you begun to wonder if there is even hope for your relationship at all? Have your questioned if it's even worth it? Or long forgotten what you and your partner ever saw in each other? You are not alone! And I can assure you, there IS hope! Relationships are like gardens...they never grow well on their own. If yours is hurting, there IS a reason. And I can not only help you find it, I can help you to heal and restore what you both have lost. You have struggled long enough. Let me help you find each other again.

Emotionally focused therapy is based on the connections of childhood attachment theory(John Bowlby). Inconsistent care in childhood can lead to difficult patterns into adulthood and, more specifically, in intimate partner relationships. These patterns are modifiable through EFT counselling support; understanding them is key to the development of more secure and fulfilling adult relationships.

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.

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.

Every relationship is unique. It also comes along with it's unique difficulties. Allow each party to express their concerns. Help the Clients see how they can find solutions on their own. This will bode well for their future together. Ask each what they see as essential to having a healthy relationship. If Respect, Trust & Good Honest Communication are not brought up, gently help the Clients to come to those realizations. Do not be judgemental in any way. Offer both a safe & supportive environment to express themselves.

The challenges couples face, including difficulty communicating, conflict, trust issues, blended families and work rotations can precipitate significant relationship distress. Support in addressing these issues can have a signifiacant positive impact on overall relationship functioning. The fact that relationships are one of our primary coping mechanisms multiplies the potential distress when these are present as it impacts the very mechanisms we use to cope.

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