Couples Counselling
Couples Counselling for 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC partners of all genders & orientations.
Partners in 2SLGBTQ+ relationships can engage in couples counselling in a queer-friendly, gender-affirming, sex-positive, & kink-friendly space.
BIPOC clients (including children of immigrant parents) can receive support for navigating cultural differences, exploring their identity, and centering feelings of belonging.
You’ll find zero judgment here, only support for your culture, race, ethnicity, religious background, sexuality, sexual/relational orientation, & gender identity.
Couples Counselling + Trauma
Couples Counselling can be helpful in cases when one or both partners have past experiences of trauma such as sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse (CSA), &/or traumatic childhood environments.
If a partner has a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, BPD tendencies, or other personality traits that cause further complications with communication, Couples Counselling can help both/all partners feel seen, heard, and understood.
Couples Counselling can support partners who have past experience in relationships that included Gender-Based Violence, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), or Domestic Violence (DV) as they learn to trust their new partner.
Couples Counselling + Non-monogamy
Whether you are newly considering non-monogamy, exploring open relationships for the first time, or have been in polyamourous relationships for many years (but perhaps experiencing other life changes like a new partner, new baby, recent break-up, etc.), Couples Counselling can be helpful for partners who are navigating non-monogamy / polyamoury.
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is the main model we use in couples counselling & relational therapy.
EFT provides a clear road map for partners with steps and stages to follow on the road to reconnection.
In Stage 1, we track the negative behaviour patterns (the “Cycle”) that you both get pulled into because of what you learned during your childhood and past relationships.
In Stage 2, partners work on creating enough safety in the room to explore & express attachment needs and fears to the other partner(s) from a place of vulnerability. Partners accept & validate each other’s attachment needs and fears, while demonstrating evoked emotions in real-time. New patterns of interaction become possible within the sessions as well as outside them.
In Stage 3, we consolidate the work clients have accomplished, ensure that skills have been generalized to a variety of situations, and plan for the end of therapy.
The magic of EFT happens during “engaged encounters”… Guided by the clinician in a structured way, partners turn to each other and express their emotional experiences. We move slowly towards spending more time in touch with emotions, which is one of the key reasons it’s recommended to use a 1.5 hour time frame for EFT couples sessions.
We speak softly & slowly, repeat things, & use each other’s words. Messages are finally taken in on an emotional level, not just a cognitive level.
I have changed the “C” from “Client’s Words” to “Copy” because I want to invite clients to use RISSSSC with each other just as I do with them in session.
Ready for the next step?
Choose therapy that works for you:
- In-person or virtual therapy
- Evenings, daytime, or Saturdays