Great Couples Counselling in East York, ON. Therapy to heal relationships.

Relationship with "other" (meaning really anything outside of ourselves) is probably the most important aspect of living. The better this relationship is, the more fulfilling a life can become. More specifically, the relationship with a human partner is probably the most important of all relationships. Is it true to you that your heartfelt relationship with your partner is truly an integral "need" in your life? Some say that we all need connection, acceptance, and love in order to be whole human beings. Are those three essentials present in your relationship? Do you want to find ways to bring them more fully into your life?

In working with couples, the relationship is my client. My goal is to ensure that both partners feel heard and validated. I support the couple in creating space to have conversations that might otherwise be difficult to have. In working with me, couples will learn improved ways of communicating and being there for one another. They will also learn how to manage conflict in a way that is supportive of relationship growth. Further, the couples' strengths will be highlighted and accessed to continue to grow the relationship bond.

Healthy relationships should include communication, respect, safety, compromise and intimacy. The goal of couples counselling is to guide the couple to improve how to interact in their relationship. Couples counselling will provide a safe environment for the couple to identify problems in their relationship and work together to change things. The couple will learn that the opposition is not each other but rather the negative cycle and perceptions that couples have of each other which heighten the problems. The couple will work together to identify this cycle and make appropriate changes in the relationship; concurrently each partner will be working on themselves.

Intimate relationships are like a dance – they can be quite joyful and energizing but when facing obstacles, partners need to find the steps and rhythm to move more freely. Couple therapy can provide a safe space in which you and your partner can gain a deeper understanding of one another and what contributes to difficulties within the dance of your relationship. Should you decide to attend sessions, I will work with you to facilitate honest conversations, help you to better understand what you may need from one another, and support you in finding a way to step toward more acceptance, intimacy, and connection. Contact me or book a free consultation if you wish to learn more.

Couple counselling is quality time for your relationship. Whether you are in a new relationship, or a long-term one, you will experience an unbiased space to explore your unique strengths as well as potential growth areas within your relationship. Through a nonjudgmental lens, I will facilitate a therapeutic journey that result in greater awareness of self and other, which is a catalyst for change, and optimal growth. I am also a Prepare-Enrich facilitator. Whether your future will move towards marriage, cohabitation, or any other unique structure, we will explore what is right for you, your partner, and your relationship.

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.

I often hear 'Why would I go to a couples counselor? I know the problem and will figure out how to solve it.' This is logical but does not work. Why? A lot of the information you need is in the unconscious and unavailable to you. As an example, you do not realize that when your parents did not respond to your emotional needs you decided, at a young age, not to let anyone know those needs as you would only be disappointed and hurt. This negatively effects your relationships. Since I offer a free consultation I suggest we meet to help you see areas, that you ae unaware of, that need to be worked on for the kind of relationship you deserve.

Whether you have been together for three months, three years or three decades, our conversations can help disrupt cycles of painful and negative interactions, heal past and present hurts, and create new ways of talking together. I can help you have conversations that are different from the ones you have at home and that allow you to speak to and hear one another in meaningful ways.

I use both Gottman method and Emotional Focused Therapy in supporting couples in the sessions. We will learn to spot and recognize the blind spots and patterns in their communications. We will work on sorting out and express feelings and needs between couples. We will address trauma and hardship in the relationships and heal as a couple before building on mutual goals for you.

In working with couples, the relationship is my client. My goal is to ensure that both partners feel heard and validated. I support the couple in creating space to have conversations that might otherwise be difficult to have. In working with me, couples will learn improved ways of communicating and being there for one another. They will also learn how to manage conflict in a way that is supportive of relationship growth. Further, the couples' strengths will be highlighted and accessed to continue to grow the relationship bond.

Shyamala has a Masters in Counselling and a Doctorate specifically in Marriage and Family Therapy. As a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist, her expertise is in working with couple relationships. She practices Emotionally Focussed Therapy for couples; one of the most researched and effective ways to treat couple distress. Her goal is to help couples create secure and meaningful connections so that they no longer need the assistance of a couples therapist and are able to work through life's challenges on their own.

Couples benefit from working on communication, on practicing healthy skills, on unpacking the ways in which personal issues and triggers are interfering with active listening and healthy partnership. Clients benefit from being able to express their needs and feelings, from learning how to be assertive, and from witnessing that they are being heard, both by the therapist and their partner. Finding compromise without losing oneself, setting personal goals as well as relationship goals, learning to nurture oneself, as well as the relationship, are all benefits of therapy. Examining co-dependent patterns can lead to opportunities for growth. The therapist models respectful relating.

Couples counseling with me focuses on improving communication, increasing intimacy, and building a strong, lasting relationship. I use the Gottman method, which is an evidence-based approach that has been proven to be effective in helping couples work through issues and strengthen their connection. This approach emphasizes the importance of building a strong foundation of friendship, managing conflict effectively, and creating shared meaning in the relationship. Through counseling, couples can learn new skills to help them navigate challenges and deepen their bond. By working together, couples can improve their relationship satisfaction and build a fulfilling life together.

If you are finding yourselves stuck in the same 'merry-go-round' (although not so merry!) of poor communication and accusation/defensiveness, winners and losers, your marriage probably feels like you're going nowhere fast! You think you've married the wrong person and feel that you've tried everything in your 'tool-bag' to do. If you don't have 'win-win', what you essentially have is 'lose-lose'.. I will advocate for your marriage...I will be your cheerleader and your coach combined, showing you how to get out of this destructive cycle and move forward to something much more satisfying. I will help you rebuild when hurts have been deep. Don't delay on this...sooner is better!

Over the course of your relationship, you are going to face its ups and downs. Learning how to meet all that life may throw at you, together as a couple and grow stronger in each experience are just some of the many benefits of couples counselling I provide. I help you develop the tools you need for when your relationship goes through a tough time. You'll learn how trust and open to your partner and feel safe, how to respond to your partner's needs during the good and the bad times, keep moving forward and blooming as the time goes by.

The relationship you have with your significant other can bring you love, joy, and a sense of fulfillment. But when things aren't going well, your relationship can often be exhausting and painful. Couples therapy provides a safe and fair space for both of you to be heard, and can help you discover and process the root of the issue. Couples therapy is hard work, but when both partners are willing to fight for the relationship, great things can happen.

For couples therapy, our therapists provide a safe and neutral space for couples to improve communication, attempt to resolve conflicts, and strengthen their relationship. Therapy with us can help couples develop a deeper understanding of each other's needs, improve trust and intimacy, and learn effective problem-solving skills. You can also address issues such as infidelity, financial stress, or parenting challenges. Couples therapy offers a supportive environment where both partners can express their thoughts and feelings openly, with the guidance of a trained professional.

Our couples therapy sessions are flexible and tailored to the needs of the relational unit. Whether you need longer sessions, evenings, or weekends, we're here to help you work through the difficulties in your relationship. Grounded in principles of Emotion Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, our couples therapist will work with both of you in a neutral, compassionate, and balanced way to try to bridge the divide that exists between you two.

Relationships are very complex. They have the potential to enrich our lives if we let them. They require flexibility and compromise, good communication skills, and an awareness of ourselves as individuals. A couple is made up of two unique individuals who come from very different family backgrounds and who bring diverse beliefs and perspectives into the relationship. It's no wonder that difficulties arise. It is common for partners to get caught up in negative, destructive cycles that unless stopped, can propel the relationship into greater disharmony. Couples therapy can lead to a deeper and more meaningful relationship.

Everyone wants to feel heard and understood, that's why arguments are hardly ever about chores or childcare. Sessions will help you and your partner cut through the resentment and find a shared language that will help you see each other for your true selves. Communication will focus on expressing your needs in a safe environment and learning how to be able to meet your partner's needs with gentleness and validation.

You feel like you have grown apart although you are still together. You feel lonely, separated, and unable to connect with your significant other. You want the person you fell in love with back! I use attachement-based therapies and the Gottman Method to explore all facets of your relationship. Together, we will "troubleshoot" the issues in the relationship and what we need to work on in our sessions.

With the fast pace and challenges of life, you do not have to face them alone. Sometimes you need a helping hand and a friendly ear to talk to. It's my passion to help people. I offer counselling and psychotherapy for individuals, couples and families. I work with clients to improve their resiliency, and uncover their strengths using a client centered approach and different modalities to meet needs .

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.

In 2015, I began studying the PACT (Psychobiological) Model for Couples Therapy. Using this model, I am passionate about working with couples. Based on "secure-functioning", you discover exactly, what you wanted but didn't know how to get there. Increasing your awareness on many levels gives you many more options. Discover how you and your partner can feel the way you long to feel and experience a warm safe loving relationship. Rediscover the promise held within the love and attraction that brought you together.

Couple counselling can help you enhance your relationship. I can help you improve communication skills, conflict resolution skills, emotional and sexual intimacy and negotiate your needs in your relationship. I can assist you to reduce arguments in a safe environment and learn to better understand yourself and your partner. I can help you to understand how unresolved issues from the past get displaced into the present and how to resolve this. The need to feel loved by one's partner is at the heart of marital desires. Learn to know how your partner needs to be shown love. In this way, the more you do this, the more he/she will reciprocate. It is a win/win situation.