Great Couples Counselling in Athens, ON. Therapy to heal relationships.

Couples often come for counselling when one person is seriously contemplating leaving the relationship. The person who wishes to hold the relationship together is often the one who initiates and it can be a challenge convincing your partner to try one more time to resolve seemingly impossible issues. I employ the Gottman method of couples counseling. By examining the positive aspects of your relationship and its strengths - which may seem to have faded and become undetectable - we can find ways to overcome the challenges. If there are underlying individual issues that need examination, we can do that so that both persons feel strong and resilient and able to move forward together.

There are many benefits to couple counselling including improved communication, enhanced ability to resolve conflict effectively, increased emotional and sexual intimacy, improved ability to problem solve and increased confidence in co-parenting. Sarah can assist you and your partner in these areas and in other challenging areas of your relationship so that you can experience a reduction in relationship stress and a renewed closeness with your partner. Feel free to call Sarah to discuss how she can assist you in resolving the issues in your relationship.

As a 'poly' positive therapist, I celebrate all the ways couples and people in relationships may live and love. I welcome people of all genders and non-gender identifying experiences, polyamorous and non-monogamous people, 2SLGBTQ+ community members, and families of all identities. Often sessions with both individuals and the family unit are required. Together we will discuss everyone's needs and work out a customized plan to address the unique path of each group/couple.

I love seeing couples move from a place of conflict and disharmony to a place of deep intimacy and respect for one another. With training in emotionally focused therapy, I approach couple therapy from an attachment perspective, exploring the nature of partner conflict (Identifying their negative cycle of communication), identifying the emotions that drive the negative cycle, and working with the couple to help them re-express those emotions needs in healthier ways.

Healthy relationships are extremely important to our happiness, health and well-being. In couples therapy, it is my ultimate goal to help both of you to come to a full and deep understanding of one another. Often times, couples get into disputes because of a lack of understanding of one another which can be due to time constraints, family difficulties, lack of knowledge of one another's beliefs, etc. In therapy, we will explore each person's background, beliefs and perspectives, and we will negotiate both so that they can work together in harmony. We will also look at the particular issue(s) that you have sought therapy and will work on remedying it by reestablishing an emotional connection.

Relationships can be hard but they do not have to be. Our couple's therapists work with the couples to identify problem areas, debunk, assumptions, and learn how to effectively communicate. Your therapist will help you to express your feelings in a respectively way, discuss issues, and resolve conflicts that are occurring. Couple's therapy aims to increase respect, affection, understanding, and intimacy between you and your partner. Our therapists stay neutral and focus on the couple as a unit rather than individually someone being "right" and someone being "wrong".

Communication skills are particularly useful for couples but often need to be learned and practiced. Past hurts need to be mended and cuts need to heal before trust and commitment can build a new foundation on which to move forward. Sometimes the early months of a relationship spark excitement and feelings of euphoria; however, these euphoric feelings give way to familiarity, and we start taking each other for granted. Relationship counseling promotes individual growth and awareness and works towards improved intimacy and deeper connection. Using the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) can help partners bring back the spark and give you new reasons to celebrate.

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.

A satisfying relationship is one of life's greatest pleasures. The good news is we have the research available to know the predictors of relationship success and demise. Let me work with you to gain insight into the strengths in your relationship and provide you with the skills to overcome the challenges to create the relationship experience you each desire.