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

I provide couples counselling, because I believe in couples. Whether you are dating, common law, or married - problems can arise even when two people care and love each other. We work together seeing the couple and the individuals to work with the whole package, strengthening and adapting so you can form the foundation, skills and relationship you desire. Let's work together on the problematic areas so we can become better together.

Family Systems theory is primarily focused on three areas. These are individuals, couples, and families (including children). Couples therapy focuses exclusively on the couple's dyad. This connection is affected by many factors: Past childhood experiences of family life, current parenting and grandparenting, blended families after a divorce, intimacy, sexuality, employment stress, financial obligations, and supporting your parents even when you are an adult. This list, though not exhaustive, points to the complexity of couplehood. My training is an evidence-based model utilizing tested interventions to support couples through times of transition or recognition. Book a free consultation

If you are in a relationship that is marked by conflict, chronic arguing, anger, frustration or feeling stuck in some way, counselling can give you some tools to help you move forward. If you are feeling emotionally disconnected or distant from your parter there are ways to reconnect with your loved one that can be quickly learned. If you have been impacted by addiction, particularly compulsive sexual behaviours, I can help you understand how to move forward in to new healthy patterns.

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.

Couples are supported to communicate more clearly with each other, as well as learn more positive communication skills, see the strengths in each other, and in the relationship. They will be encouraged to work on breaking down old, unhealthy habits and beliefs, and build healthy, positive relationship habits, that bring them together for deeper connection and bonding.

I specialize in working with couples in crisis because of a betrayal, trauma, PTSD, addictions, and ADHD. I am a registered gestalt therapist with somatic experiencing training out of California. If you or your partner's trauma is impacting your relationship I am here to support you both. Healing can happen. If you are unable to leave your home because of the lack of childcare available we can arrange sessions for you and your partner once the kids are all tucked in or during the weekends! Couples therapy can be done very effectively via tele-therapy. Give me a chance to help you rescue your shitty relationship! -The tile of my soon to be published book- The Shitty Relationship

Are you and your partner struggling to connect or facing ongoing conflict? I’m Simona Ilieva, a Registered Psychotherapist specializing in couple therapy. Together, we’ll work to improve communication, rebuild trust, and strengthen your relationship. Whether you're dealing with intimacy issues, frequent arguments, or feeling disconnected, I’m here to help you both navigate these challenges and find a path forward. Every relationship can benefit from support, and with the right tools, you can create a healthier, more fulfilling partnership. No matter how stuck you feel, change is possible. Let’s take that step toward a stronger connection together. Book a free consultation today.

In providing couples therapy I follow the approach of Stan Tatkin. Stan Tatkin work focuses on helping a couple notice their reactions to their partner and learn how to support each other in their attachment needs. In part this approach is focuses on arousal regulation, current and past attachments, how our brain fires in relationships. The focus in this approach is on the couple and the “couple’s bubble”. Some of this work can include reflecting and managing the “thirds” in a relationship, i.e. others that impede or impact on the couple’s bond. I welcome you in contacting me for a free consultation session before setting up your couple’s therapy appointment.

I have experience working within non-monogamous/open/poly(amorous, affective, fidelity) contexts. When considering couple/family counselling, it is important that everyone is open to the idea because it can be difficult work. Counselling with an intimate partner/s can be slow going but, usually, the goal is the development of a ‘communications toolkit’ that can be used in the longterm without further mediation. Couples/family counselling can also be valuable in the shorter term to resolve one or more specific conflicts or to break out of existing unhealthy dynamics thereby renewing respectful communication.

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.