Great Couples Counselling in West Point Grey, BC. Therapy to heal relationships.

Individual therapy is complementary with couple therapy. Clients come in to get individual therapy and then feel the need to bring their partner/spouse to overcome obstacles that are causing stress. I work with both people to create unhealthy and equally respected environment in the home. Each household is different thereby each need of each person is different, I help clients address their needs with their partner. The clients work through worksheets, role playing, make lists and do other exercises that encouraging positive change and healthy communication skills.

Couples counselling offers a safe environment in order to begin the process of making decisions for the future of your relationship. Many people often find it easier to say the things that they need to in front of a counsellor. Sometimes it is impossible to step back from the problems in the relationship with a view of moving forward when you are embroiled in turmoil. Having an objective helper in the room can allow each party to release themselves for healing and growth. Whether you have a specific problem or are just feeling disconnected, counselling can help.

Charlene has over 10 years experience working with couples. Couples counselling can help to identify the problem issues that each couple is facing and provide them with effective tools to work through these issues. Couples counselling can improve communication between couples, teach couples how to fight fairly and to work together during difficult times. Call Charlene to discuss how she can help you and your partner find your way back to love.

I have extensive experience in working with parents and their child or youth on a wide variety of issues. For example: dropping grades, school absenteeism, communication breakdown, anger issues, control and power, oppositional communication, self-esteem difficulties, and self-harming behaviours. I specialize in helping parents better understand their child/youth and youth better understand their responsibilities. My goal is to help child/youth and parents have better communication in order to live happier and healthier lives. I look forward to working with you and your child or teen.

Relational conflict can take a hug toll on your mental health, and on your children. Maybe your starting out in a relationship and want to get started on the right foot, or perhaps you're ready to call it quits but want to give it one last try. Wherever you're at I can help you and you're partner identify where you're getting stuck, and teach you the skills to find a path forward. I use Relational Life Therapy to help couples. A ground-breaking new approach to couples therapy that that is wildly effective and much faster than traditional approaches. I'll help you communicate as equals on the same playing field, teaching you the skills of relational empowerment that have transformed my life.

Relationships are essential for living a heathy life. Human brains are hard wired for love and connection, and as such, when relational issues surface life may become a challenge. Conflict, however, is a natural part of life. Relationships typically move from harmony, to disharmony to repair. It is the repair of the rupture in relational issues that is essential. Learning to communicate with respect and transparency is key. Using tools such as Non-Violent Communication, The Feedback Wheel the 5 Losing Strategies are valuable sills to learn for developing healthy ways of communicating with others.

Intimate relationships often challenge us in ways few other relationships or experiences do. Whether you are starting a new relationship or struggling as a couple, I can help you address issues such as trust, intimacy, communication, conflict, and distance that might be preventing you from finding harmony in your relationship. In our work together, you can gain insight into how to improve patterns of relating to one another, learn about the possible origins of these patterns, find ways to de-escalate conflict, and move toward building trust, intimacy, and a sense of greater connection.

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.

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

Is telephone counseling possible with couples? Usually face to face couple counseling is preferable but in reality it is not always possible. Couples that I have worked with either have lived in different locations or like many couples with children, have no free time until the children are put to sleep. 9:00 PM on the east coast is only 6:00 PM on the Pacific coast where I am located. If both partners are motivated and feel comfortable on the phone, then telephone counseling can be very helpful. Couples counseling is often centered on improving communication which can easily be addressed through telephone counseling.

Do you or your partner suffer from social anxiety and it's affecting your relationship? Social anxiety is a fear of negative judgment from others and it can lead to reduced levels of intimacy, suppressed emotions, feelings of isolation and loneliness and lack of communication. If one or both of you feels anxious socially, your relationship may be suffering too. Contact me for ways in which you can move past social anxiety to a fuller, intimate, richer, relaxed more authentic relationship.

I use the Intimacy From the Inside Out framework for couples therapy. This approach focuses on helping individuals and couples explore their internal worlds—their emotional needs, fears, desires, and vulnerabilities—in a way that fosters more authentic and fulfilling connections with one another. "Inside Out" refers to looking inward and understanding how your inner world influences your behavior, actions, and reactions in the relationship. This includes examining your emotional patterns, past experiences, and unmet needs that shape how you engage with your partner.

Relationships are a crucial component of human health and happiness, and my passion involves helping people develop better connections with others as well as with themselves. By offering a setting that is based on trust, empathy, and collaboration, counselling can provide you with a safe and supportive space to explore your thoughts and emotions while creating a deeper, more authentic understanding of who you are, what you need, and the dynamics that you are navigating. Whether you attend alone or with a partner, I believe that there can be great value in processing relationships from the past or present as well as exploring the relationship that you're maintaining with yourself.

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.

In times of conflict we feel attacked and unsafe. We are flooded with emotions and act out of a sense of being overwhelmed: "Attack," "Run!" "Comply!" and "Hide!" are some of the ways we respond to conflict. In counselling, couples learn to see themselves as separate from each other and therefore less threatened. Once the emotional storm is diffused, couples can learn specific skills and perspectives that heal the relationship. But we do not seek simply to return to the status quo. Couples can then learn to hear, value and enjoy each other. Life with your partner can be fun and every day a day of discovering the pleasure of the person you are with.

Every relationship faces challenges, but you don’t have to navigate them alone. Whether you’re struggling with communication, trust, or intimacy, couples counseling can help you reconnect and rebuild. I help couples express their needs, understand each other on a deeper level, and create a stronger, more fulfilling relationship. Let’s strengthen your bond and rediscover the connection that brought you together in the first place.

As a Marriage Therapist, Couples counsellor and Sex Therapist, I specialize in helping couples experience more joy and connection in relationship. After completing a relationship assessment which will give you a concrete and very specific blueprint of your strengths as a couple as well as an outline of your individual experience of what isn't working I will help you develop very practical tools so you can change how you communicate, heal trust issues, create emotional safety and address Addiction, Anger or other issues. Resolving conflict and growing the love you have will allow you to develop a deeper intimate connection and rekindle the passion you once shared.

Sue Johnson teaches in her emotion focussed therapy that there is a specific emotional process - a dance - that occurs between each couple. This cycle of relating (which can start with not getting one’s needs met and be followed by some protective response, for example), is largely informed by each partner’s early attachment wounds. When our relationship does not offer enough safety to be vulnerable, or when the more honest we are with our partner the more our connection is threatened, it’s time to reach out for support. In couples therapy we work to establish safety, vulnerability and connection, as well as learn the practical skills of effective communication and conflict resolution.

We specialize in providing essential support to couples through the effective utilization of evidence-based therapeutic approaches. We employ Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Attachment-Based Therapy, and Gottman Therapy to assist clients in recognizing and understanding the unique dance and patterns within their relationship dynamics. By fostering awareness, we enable clients to break free from ineffective communication patterns, promoting healthier and more fulfilling connections between partners.

In an environment of safety and respect, it is my hope that each person will develop a greater self-awareness and a sincere willingness to change. Couples will learn to listen to and understand the feelings and needs of their partner, as well as to communicate their own more effectively. Couples will identify the repetitive negative patterns in their relationship that create distress and alienate one from the other. Each person also will explore negative thought and behaviour patterns within themselves, and relevant past issues that may be contributing to their difficulties. It is my hope that couples will discover that they do have the capability to build a healthy relationship.

I utilize Gottman Therapy, having completed Levels 1 and 2 training. Our sessions begin with an assessment to identify the specific issues affected the relationship whether it was an affair , lack of communication and connection or other challenges. The assessment allows us to implement the most effective interventions. Through Gottman Therapy, we can enhance the relationship between partners and foster a stronger connection in a relatively short period.

Each relationship faces unique hurdles and holds unique potential for growth. By skillfully tuning in to each other's inner worlds, learning new ways of being together and strategies for navigating conflict, we'll resolve what is hindering you. We’ll get creative and collaborate on new possibilities. Intimate relationships can bring out the deepest parts of ourselves and ignite personal transformation. Learning about how we relate is key to learning about ourselves and each other.

In the couple therapy , I assist the couples to identify the dysfunctional patterns that they get stuck in and to understand the underlying maladaptive emotions. I guide partners to become more aware of primary anger and sadness, fear and shame, and the attendant needs and to regulate, make sense of, and communicate these in non-demanding ways to promote security, validation, and warmth. In addition, I help partners reveal their most vulnerable feelings to each other to promote bonding and validation and help couples learn to soothe and transform emotions that are maladaptive.

In our busy, fast-paced lives sometimes we find ourselves drifting from our partner and our values of family, connection, or devotion that we hold dearly. I will work with you to re-focus your energy on your relationship so that you can experience more love and joy. First, we will focus on your story and help you heal from past hurts or identify your goals for your relationship. Then we will work on developing your skills so that you can experience greater partnership and connection with each other.

Couples therapy. I am trained in solution focused couples therapy to bring the issues at hand right out at the first appointment. I ask clients to prepare for their first appointment by bringing in a wish list, what each partner wants the other to get better at, to stop, to do more of, and to do less of. These take us right to the couples' goals and then we begin to work on the most important issues on their list. A successful, peaceful relationship can bring great joy to our lives.