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

In my work with couples I adhere to the philosophy that relationships are at the core of human experience. Research indicates that emotionally fulfilling relationships are integral components of mental and physical health, and that emotionally focused interventions have the power to establish and re-create supportive bonds among individuals. I am therefore dedicated to the understanding and enhancement of couple and family relationships through an emphasis on emotions and their interpersonal impact. I believe that all people can maximize their potential given a nurturing social environment, which I endeavour to foster in my work with clients.

When someone in a relationship has an addiction to drugs or alcohol, their significant other is also affected by the addiction. The frustrated partners of addicts often despair when communication efforts and sincere efforts to help fail. It is critical for addicts to receive the rehabilitation they need, but without counseling for their spouses and partners, the addict will not return home to a healthy environment. At Valiant Recovery, we offer couples counseling and individual counseling for the spouses and partners of clients who need help processing the impact of addiction, and who are ready to embrace change moving forward.

I have had 5 years of training in Emotionally Focused Therapy an Attachment based modal of therapy that has been shown to be highly effective with many couples. Helping couples understand the issues which are underneath most arguments. By learning about the 'Negative Cycle' clients learn to speak to each other about their attachment needs and to become a real 'team' as they go through life together. In some instances a Psycho-dynamic approach allows a couple to move forward more quickly. Each couple is assessed and the most effective model is used in resolving their issues.

The couple relationship is a very close and intimate bond between two partners. When hurdles arise within a couple relationship, it can be very beneficial to seek the professional support of a third party to offer a fresh, unbiased perspective. Counselling support aims to strength the connection between partners while inviting each member to be curious about recurring patterns and behaviours in their lives together.

Providing support for couples' locked in conflict. Learning of their attachment wounds and influences, expectations stemming from childhood allows for greater insight behind the behaviour in their current adult relationship. At the same time improving on their communication style and becoming better active listeners, knowing ways to negotiate and becoming more adept at reaching compromise with your partner. Ensuring a more empathetic and respectful relationship tone can become the new norm.

In couples therapy, I support couples who seek to work on challenges in their relationship, which could be contributing to or increasing the existence of other life stressors such as relationship failures, problems solving difficulties, communication problems, depression, anxiety or burnout in the life of the couples. In therapy with me the couple are supported to learn how to work through their issues, to communicate better, and develop relationship skills to avoid future problems.

Saint Paul University’s Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre welcomes a diverse clientele, for individual or couple’s therapy. Services are provided by counselling interns at the Master of Arts and Doctoral level in Counselling and Spirituality at Saint Paul University. *Services in French available

It is my privilege to have been helping couples of all manner work through relationship difficulties. As an attachment therapist informed by Sue Johnson Phd, and John Gottman Phd., Couples enter into goal directed, evidence based work toward improved attachment and friendship. Couples therapy is non judgement, supportive while also educational. Couples come to counselling looking for "skills", and reduced conflict. This is the focus while also seeking improved friendship and intimacy. It really is a privilege to work with couples and achieve these results.

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!

Whether it is a fight over the dishes or over an affair, it is important for a therapist to be able to identify and understand interaction patterns in a relationship. Our counsellors are trained in identifying and understanding interaction patterns between individuals in a relationship. Once couples are able to identify interaction patterns and understand how unwanted interactions develop, they are more able to make the changes they desire . Proper interaction allows each partner to feel heard and avalidated and facilitate forgiveness and restoration.

The single counsellor option is available as well as the CO-THERAPY MODEL: Two therapists - one man and one woman: a therapeutic square rather than the traditional triangle. This tends to provide a sense of equal representation in the therapeutic team and liberates each member of the couple in bringing his/her issues and positions forward. Each partner receives clinical attention and support as does the couple relationship.

I am pleased to support you in exploring your relationship as you strive to find more joy and fulfillment with each other or consider decisions, whether coming as a couple or on your own. As a Registered Marriage & Family Therapist I am a relationship specialist with experience with a variety of couples and will tailor my cooperative, strength-based and emotion focused approach to work efficiently with your situation in ways that can help to make the hard things easier. Experience with engaged, married, separated, second family, and military couples. Serving the greater Ottawa area with easy access to the 416 and 417 highways.

I work with couples in a variety of ways, depending on what the couple identifies as their priorities for work in therapy. As with my therapeutic approach in individual therapy, it's most important that both partners feel comfortable with me and feel safe to share their emotions and experiences. I offer a non-judgemental space in which couples can explore the complex feelings, patterns of behaviour, and strengths they share together as a couple. This process ultimately leads to couples achieving greater understanding, mutual compassion, deeper intimacy and informed choices.