At On Your Mind Counselling, we believe that therapy can be a transformative tool for couples facing challenges in their relationship. It offers a neutral space where partners can freely express their feelings and concerns without fear of judgment or conflict escalation.

We are proud to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all types of relationships, including LGBTQ+ partnerships. Our therapists are trained to respect and support the unique dynamics and needs of each couple, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. By embracing diversity, we ensure that every couple feels valued and understood as they work towards strengthening their relationship.

Couples counselling is a form of therapy that strives to help couples work together to become more connected, understanding, and resilient through the hard times.

Couples counselling happens throughout the lifetime of a partnership. From helping to resolve a singular issue like communication difficulties, to fostering understanding and empathy for long-term concerns like preparing for marriage or kids, couples counselling serves as a vital resource for partners navigating challenges and strengthening their relationship over time.

Some common avenues of couples counselling include:

• Premarital counselling: Helps couples prepare for marriage by addressing potential challenges, improving communication skills, and setting expectations for the future
• Marriage counselling: Focuses on resolving conflicts, enhancing communication, rebuilding trust, and strengthening the relationship with a marriage
• Infidelity counselling: Provides couples an avenue to address, work through, and heal from the emotional and psychological impacts of cheating or betrayal within a partnership

No matter what your reasons are for attending, couples counselling serves as the guiding light, helping you navigate the stormy seas of relationship challenges and find your way to a stronger, more resilient partnership.

Let’s be honest, every relationship has its problems, conflicts, or unresolved sore spots. However, there are times when more complicated instances arise in relationships and require extra attention.

These include:

• Expressing difficult emotions and personal needs
• Managing deep-rooted conflict
• Exploring intimacy problems
• Addressing financial concerns
• Navigating trust and commitment
• Difficult conversations (i.e. prenuptial agreements)
• Navigating blended family dynamics

A therapist can help by offering an objective perspective and equipping you and your partner with the essential tools to tackle underlying issues more effectively.

At On Your Mind Counselling, our team of mental health professionals understands the impact of emotional challenges and relationship dynamics.

We are committed to providing compassionate guidance and support to help you and your partner not only arrive on the same page as one another but also to take a step towards co-creating a future together.

Therapeutic Modalities

Our team is trained in a range of modalities, selecting those that are best suited to address complex and personal challenges within a dynamic partnership.

Here are three therapeutic approaches we often use in couples counselling.

Gottman Method

The Gottman Method in couples therapy is an approach developed by Drs. John & Julie Gottman, relationship experts and founders of the Gottman Institute. The focus of the Gottman methodology is to disarm couples during conflict, and find a path to creating empathy, understanding, and respect within the context of a loving partnership.

The Gottman Method helps you:

• Strengthen the friendship within your romantic partnership by fostering admiration and fondness, and create shared meaning within your relationship
• Enhance communication skills, including active listening, expression of feelings, and conflict management to understand one another’s perspectives, de-escalate tension, and find a path to resolution that honours both partner’s needs
• Deepen commitment to one another by improving trust, intimacy, and connection built on appreciation for one another

Learn more about the Gottman Method from our experts.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a common couples counselling modality that aims to improve attachment and emotional responsiveness between partners. In other words, it helps couples feel more secure and emotionally connected with one another.

EFT helps you:

• Gain emotional awareness, helping you and your partner identify and express your emotions more effectively, fostering deeper emotional understanding
• Create a more secure attachment bond, learning to have greater feelings of safety and trust
• Learn techniques to allow you and your partner to respond more empathetic to one another’s needs, reducing conflict and hostility and promoting more supportive dynamics

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a common modality used with pairs of two, as it equips partners with practical skills and strategies to overcome challenges, enhance communication, and build a healthier, more satisfying relationship.

CBT helps you:

• Recognize and understand your and your partners’ thoughts, behaviours, emotions, and intentions to improve communication and problem-solving skills
• Restructure your unhealthy thought patterns (i.e. unrealistic expectations, negative judgments, or criticisms) to minimize emotional distress inside the relationship
• Focus on changing behaviours that are linked to negative moods or emotions, such as anger or sadness, fostering healthier interactions

From the start, a therapist will work with you and your partner, allowing you both to share your perspectives on the relationship, including its strengths and challenges. Your therapist will then help you set goals for counselling and clarify what you hope to achieve in this journey.

Couples counselling provides the tool necessary to help you (and your partner):

• Improve communication: Learning more productive ways to talk and listen to one another
• Resolve conflict: Helping couples address underlying issues and manage conflicts more constructively
• Rebuild trust: Work together through trust issues to rebuild emotional security within your partnership
• Navigate life transitions: From marriage to parenthood, career changes to moving cities, counselling can help couples navigate these changes more effectively
• Attend to emotions: Allowing both individuals to express their feelings and concerns in a safe, non-judgmental space
• Strengthen connection: Enhancing emotional intimacy, deepening understanding, and fostering a stronger and healthier bond with one another

All we ask is that both you and your partner are committed to the process and are willing to participate in sessions. Remember, change takes time, so patience and persistence are essential to the process.

Working through relationship issues can be challenging, but you’re not on this journey alone.

Our counselling services are here to provide you and your partner with the support and guidance needed to move forward and strengthen your bond.