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

Using highly specific, research based treatment interventions, I help couples deepen their knowledge of one another, understand and work with solvable and difficult problems, build friendship and trust, and maintain their relationship. Couples are supported and encouraged to be open to influence one another, recognize and respond to invitations for emotional connection and how to effectively go through conflicts.

Working with couples is my passion. The first question most want to know is: can we be helped and how long will it take? The answer is tied to how long you waited to get help and how willing both parties are to work in making it better. I work with people to heal the damage that has been done and educate them on how to avoid hurting each other in the future. We explore effective communication tools; arguing styles and develop an intimate knowledge of needs and wants. When our work is complete you will have created a marriage, which is unique and customized to you. Marriage counseling is an investment; however when it is done correctly it is worth the work.

Relationships can be both satisfying, and frustrating. Although we can get along with some people some of the time, in close relationships we can sometimes get stuck, over-reactive, or even too distant. In couple counselling we can explore what's not working in your relationship, what your individual and 'couple' ideals and dreams are, and then strategize and work together on getting your relationship to a better place.

The couple bond becomes the most important connection in adult life. This couple relationship fulfills and sustains us when it works well and can also be debilitating when it does not. Adult attachment will also be affected by childhood attachment experiences, often making the adult bond an interesting place for triggers and emotions as well as healing and a soft place to land. My work with couples involves re-discovering the reasons for choosing each other, determining what is causing their difficulties and their willingness to restore the relationship. Important tools I use to do this is uncovering emotions, beliefs and assumptions and improving emotional communication and intimacy.

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!

Winnie provides non-judgemental and compassionate couple therapy. In dealing with Couples counselling she primarily draws from her training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). EFT is the most progressive and well researched therapeutic interventions used in Couples Therapy. By using this practical and effective method, the goal is to help couples to identify their cycle, how they are connecting in their distressing patterns, and how they can be helped to reconnect again in a new pattern. Winnie has also attended the Intensive Sex Therapy course at University of Guelph.

Specializing in couple therapy, I can help you and your partner work through difficult times such as affairs, broken relationship, losses, etc. As I am informed by Emotion Focused Therapy (which is effective in couple therapy), I can assist you in reaching out to your partner despite your fear and uncertainty. You will experience a closer and intimate relationship.

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?

Couples do not realize that they are acting exactly as their parents did in their relationships. I shine a light on this, by exploring each person's individual family maps, their parent's communication stances and their family (rigid) rules, both verbal and non-verbal. When this is done with both individuals in a relationship, they can better see how they can change and transform their current relationship into healthier way. I follow many approaches to Couples work, via Imago work, Gottman's 4 horsemen and Satir therapy. I use them all in conjunction to allow the couple to clearly see their personal processes and how they can learn a better way to relate with each other.

Couples counselling focusses on enhancing your relationship with your partner. You may do this type of therapy with, or without, your partner. Benefits to your relationship still can come from attending couples sessions on your own, such as, improving communication skills, developing assertiveness, overcoming resentments, improving intimacy, learning new ways to deal with your partner. When attending with your partner: * Learning how each of you are in relationships (early influences, patterns, self-defeating styles) * Increasing self-expression * Learning constructive ways to argue and fight * Better understanding of the each other (who you are really dealing with)

Many couples encounter difficulties at some point in their relationship. Whether it is communication or some other area of difficulty, therapy can provide a safe environment in which to explore your strengths as couple. Providing a warm and compassionate environment in which to explore reasons behind disharmony, dissention and arguing. Together we can work towards a happier and healthier relationship that will take you into your future.

I believe that marriage/relationship is not about finding the right person, but rather about becoming the right person. When you focus on your own behaviors and the way you treat the person you love, it will not be long before things begin to change. None of us have the power or ability to change another human being. We cannot make someone do what we want them to do. But, we can make ourselves do what we need to do in order to become the kind of person who is worthy of being in a good, healthy relationship. I will help you be a better person, more worthy of being in a healthy relationship. Focus on what you can do to make things better without any agenda toward the other person and watch what ....

Our most intimate relationships are where we are often challenged the most to grow. Much of my work with couples is helping each person feel entitled to their feelings and feel able to advocate for their needs within the relationship. So often we have expectations of how our partner or spouse is supposed to be, how we are supposed to be with them and there are unspoken expectations to navigate between us. These assumptions can easily lead to very destructive patterns that we act out with the person we want to feel the closest to. Our work is to strengthen ourselves from the inside out so that we can meet our partner "full of ourselves" and then find ways to be together that are a win win!