Couples Counselling
Couples counselling is also called marriage counselling or couples therapy. Couples come to therapy to enhance their relationship in some way. It may be that they need to explore intimacy and closeness. Or they need to find ways to bring romance back into their life or realign their goals and values. Usually a couple will find themselves in therapy when they have been unable to resolve an issue on their own. Or when they find themselves having conflict that escalates rather than finding resolve.
Couples counselling may address some of the following concerns:
- Intimacy and sexuality
- Communication
- Past hurts and forgiveness
- Family of origin issues that have impact on present relationship
- Anger
- Co-parenting
- Control
- Loneliness
- Issues around same sex marriage
- Relationship addiction or codependency
- Recurring conflict
- Mental, emotional, physical or sexual abuse
- Compulsive sexual behaviours
- Unhealthy patterns and roles
Getting started
In therapy a safe, trusting space is created to help achieve growth for the couple. Together the therapist and couple share their concerns and process their difficulty or issue. Each person is given equal time to express their concerns. Special care is taken to have each partner feel that they are listened to. Together they work to come up with treatment goals to meet their needs.
When you are ready to schedule your first appointment, please complete our Intake Form and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
What to expect from Couples Counselling
The length of therapy varies depending on the complexity of the issue(s). Short term couples counselling would be between 6-8 sessions. Longer term could be up to a year or more. It depends on the issue(s) to be addressed.
Counselling appointments are usually once a week at the beginning of therapy. Much of the skill development will happen then. Sessions will become less frequent as skills are developed and the work is taken outside of the therapy room.
Sometimes during couples sessions issues of a personal nature will be discussed. At this point one of the partners may choose to seek individual counselling. The couple will decide if it is appropriate to seek a different therapist for this work.
Couples work is not all about skills training. Past issues from childhood or past relationships may be having an impact on the present relationship. These need to be explored in the sessions as well. It is helpful to separate out the past issues from the present one.
Completing Therapy
Once the couple is satisfied with their progress, and are able to maintain the goals that were set out at the beginning of therapy, their counselling is complete.
Couples may decide to come back infrequently for ‘tune up’ in the future as life transitions or new issues present themselves. Also one partner may decide to come in on their own to do some individual sessions.