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

When relationships work, they can be one of the most amazing aspects of our lives. But, when relationships turn sour, they can bring about some of the deepest pain that we can experience. These feelings are amplified when things like betrayal, neglect, abuse, lies, and infidelity are involved. At Whiteboard we work with couples of all types to help them better understand themselves, their partners, and the unique dynamic which exists between them.

When it comes to couples, the total is greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore, in couple therapy, the focus is not on the two sides of the equation. Rather, the object of inquiry and therapy is the relationship between those two sides. The therapy examines the interpersonal relationship and treats it as a third space. Therefore, the goal is not to change the individuals but to change the way they communicate, understand, and accept each other. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit.

Couples come together for a reason–from a point of deep commitment or even for practical reasons–both by choice. Some come together for more fleeting reasons–even by chance. However it begins, couples evolve–either to create a resilient bond or to find themselves in conscious or unconscious division. All are tried by adversity, change, and time. Even accumulating stress of the daily humdrum can blind the vision of ‘us.’ Couples are unique. My role is to challenge communication, to help couples define their bottom-line: to accept what is; define limits of tolerance and compromise; respectfully support a new reality if resilience is not found; or to see the contentment in finding a way back.

Relationships can be some of the most meaningful and yet challenging parts of our lives We so often forget that we only get out what we put in to a relationship. Often individuals have expectations that a relationship should be good without a significant investment of time and energy Increasing communication skills, reducing judgement, listening and empathizing, are some basic steps towards the growth of a relationship .

We all long for connection. Many of us feel great in the times when a relationship is new and the connection is just developing. The problems come when we have to repair distance/rifts in that connection, or when we need to sustain and deepen our connection to our partners. Maybe we never learned how. Maybe we carry scars and trauma from past relationships. Maybe we have patterns in our histories that we never really dealt with. Maybe all of the above. Our work together will take all of that into account and in a non-judgmental environment, we will hold space for you both to learn how to repair, strengthen and maintain your most important relationships.

I work to establish trust in both partners by setting boundaries of confidentiality and privacy especially when there is a need to clarify safety of each and to process any "secrets" that may impede successful open communication. Family history does impinge on marital dynamics and can interfere with emotional reactions from past family scripts that can surge into the present affecting communication Personal space boundaries and accountability are the basis of openness and respectful trust the linchpin of building on love that changes from physical chemistry to support for the other. Some common interests and passion for living well is the goal for both. Controlling behavior is called out.

Using a client-centered approach for couples focuses on communication between individuals. Our sessions will involve an open conversation where each member can feel safe to share their emotions and feelings. We will discuss patterns of communication and behavior between the members and, using exercises, work on improving communication and emotional honesty. Using exercises, we will work together to identify negative behavior cycles and work towards building positive and reinforcing interactions.

Our couples counselling approach include increasing closeness and friendship behaviours, addressing conflict productively, and building a life of shared meaning together. Therapy is more structured and involves customizing principles from research to each couple’s particular patterns and challenges. It focuses on developing understanding and skills so that partners can get their needs met (especially when they are hurting), manage conflict, and learn how to repair their relationship when necessary, even in cases of infidelity. Overall, the goals of Meristem's approach is to assist couples in achieving a greater sense of understanding, respect, awareness and empathy toward each other.