Couples & Relationship Counselling in Vancouver
Every relationship is unique, filled with its own joys, challenges, and complexities. At times, even the strongest of bonds can face hurdles that seem insurmountable. This is where relationship counselling steps in, offering a safe and supportive space to explore, understand, and enhance your connection.
What is relationship counselling?
Relationship counselling, also known as couples therapy or marriage counselling, is a therapeutic process designed to help couples navigate challenges, improve communication, and strengthen their emotional bond. Whether you’re dating, engaged, married, or in any form of partnership, relationship counselling is a valuable resource for fostering healthy dynamics and resolving conflicts.
The Benefits of Relationship Counselling
- Improved Communication: Effective communication is the foundation of a successful relationship. Counselling equips you with tools to express your thoughts and feelings constructively, facilitating understanding between partners.
- Conflict Resolution: Disagreements are inevitable in any relationship. Counselling teaches techniques to manage conflicts in a healthy manner, preventing them from escalating into damaging arguments.
- Emotional Intimacy: Many couples struggle with maintaining emotional closeness over time. Counselling explores ways to nurture emotional intimacy, reigniting the spark in your relationship.
- Problem Solving: From financial concerns to parenting disagreements, relationship counselling provides a structured environment to address and resolve a wide range of issues.
- Rebuilding Trust: Trust is fragile and can be shattered by various circumstances. Counselling offers a pathway to rebuild trust and restore a sense of security.
- Preventing Future Issues: Relationship counselling isn't solely for addressing current problems; it also equips you with skills to navigate challenges that may arise in the future.
What to Expect in Relationship Counselling
Your journey in relationship counselling will be tailored to your unique needs and goals. A trained therapist will guide you through discussions, exercises, and interventions designed to enhance your understanding of each other and your relationship dynamics. Sessions are a collaborative effort, and your active participation is crucial for achieving positive outcomes.
Types of Relationship Counselling
The Gottman Method is a form of couples therapy developed by Dr. John Gottman and his wife, Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman. It’s based on research conducted over 40 years that focuses on the emotional connection between couples, and the behaviours and communication patterns that underlie it. The Gottman Method aims to help couples create and maintain successful relationships and was initially based on Dr. Gottman’s Sound Relationship House Theory, which outlines nine components that make up the foundation of a strong relationship.
This approach was developed in 1980 by two Canadian psychologists, Dr. Susan Johnson and Dr. Les Greenberg. According to Dr. Susan Johnson, the goal of Emotional Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) is “to create a more secure emotional bond.” In other words, this approach looks for hidden and negative emotional patterns affecting the whole relationship. Sometimes, couples express their anger, longing, insecurities, resentment, or fears by arguing over tiny things. EFT affirms that most of the time, those heated fights about who did the dishes or took out the garbage last night have nothing to do with the actual chores but with deeper unmet emotional needs. EFT focuses on that deeper layer. Its goal is to restore the sense of healthy attachment, safety, and love in the couple.The efficacy of EFT is well-researched, and has been beneficial in helping depressed couples, couples enduring trauma or those facing a child’s illness.
Is Relationship Counselling Right for You?
Relationship counselling is suitable for couples at any stage of their journey, including those in happy relationships seeking to strengthen their bond. It’s also immensely valuable for couples facing challenges, such as communication breakdowns, infidelity, trust issues, or major life transitions including parenthood, separation or divorce.