Great Couples Counselling in Gibbons, AB. Therapy to heal relationships.

We offer couples counselling from both an Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) approach as well as incorporating the Gottman Method. Our focus incorporates understanding attachment histories and how they influence current relational patterns. We also support couples to more effectively express themselves, understand where their partner is coming from, as well as strengthen their skills in navigating conflict.

It is within our relationships that we experience the most joy and the most pain. Most relationships begin with a deep connection and people anticipate a future that continues to be passionate and fulfilling. It is inevitable, however, that disappointments and misunderstandings arise. Learning to communicate in an effective way that bridges differences and leads to respect and understanding are essential to a happy relationship.

Have You And Your Partner Experienced A Breakdown In Communication? Do you feel unable to work as a team or compromise on important issues? Are there differences between you that you didn’t foresee when your relationship started? Have you both gotten so busy with your lives that sex and intimacy have fallen to the bottom of your list of priorities? Maybe you and your significant other find yourselves arguing in circles—your interactions have become hostile and defensive. Perhaps there’s been infidelity and now you’re wondering if you’ll ever be able to rebuild the trust between you. Or maybe you both get along, but you’re newly married and struggling to blend your families together.

Couple's counselling can provide an opportunity to identify issues impacting the relationship, while working toward discovering solutions to resolve presenting concerns. I have experience working with couples struggling with intimacy and communication issues, assisting them to work toward increasing interpersonal connectedness and developing ways to reduce conflict by communicating more effectively.

I often work with couples who are struggling in an effort to develop effective communcation, express feelings appropriately, overcome infidelity, deal with parenting conflicts, address unresolved issues, establish more of a connection with one another, adjust to various life transitions (such as having a baby), and deal with day-to-day struggles (such as housework). I use a variety of techniques to address these difficulties, with the ultimate goal of establishing a sense of goodwill and connection, so that each partner has empathy and support for the other, and they can create a sense of being a true team as they navigate life together.

In my work I am enabling couples to resolve disagreements, or agree to disagree, without becoming disconnected or abusive. Given that different couples might need different types of intervention, the mechanisms of change vary accordingly. Therefore, in order to achieve change and enable growth, I am using an integrative approach, which I tailor to suit the needs, experiences, and personal circumstances of the couple.

I define a couple as any two people involved in ongoing interaction. When things go wrong the relationship is unfulfilling and may be hurtful to the participants. All too often things go wrong when the individuals focus on what they want from each other and they become enmeshed in a power struggle. In couples therapy there are no “rules of engagement” but there are skills which can be developed to make the relationship mutually rewarding and personally empowering.

Dr. Vandegriend is a Registered Psychologist and Certified Gottman Therapist specializing in working with couples/marriage/relationships and implements a practical, easy-to-talk to, and results oriented approach. Areas of focus are: better communication; working through conflicts and areas where they just feel "stuck"; managing transitions better together (ie. new parents, retirement); healing after infidelity and establishing greater trust, respect and connection between each other; and deepening levels of intimacy. www.stalbertcounselling.com

Couples often get stuck in their relationships - they disconnect. The good news is that reconnection is possible. Sometimes, it means processing through regrettable incidents or learning to take responsibility for the pieces of communication that you can improve. Tamara uses the Gottman Method in her work with you as well as her years of experience/knowledge in the area of mental health.

The Gottman Method approach is an empirically based treatment used when couples have become gridlocked. This method starts with thorough assessments that help inform the therapy process through research-based interventions. The goals of this therapy are to learn and practice softened start up communication skills, increase fondness and admiration, manage conflict, create shared meaning, and increase trust and commitment. I have completed Level 1 and 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and I use Gottman Method Couples Therapy in my work. Note: this method is not appropriate for couples where violence is occurring.

Most people deeply desire a warm and healthy relationship with a spouse or partner. However it requires work and effort, and is not an easy process for either individual in the relationship. On the other hand, the benefits of the effort put in are inevitably well worth it in the long run. If you're looking to work out differences and move towards a more harmonious relationship, I can work with you to find love, acceptance and the tools that work best for you and your relationship.

Working with couples is a particular love of mine. Being in a relationship that continuously grows and evolves I know the value of a good relationship. When it does not thrive it can be miserable. Having an objective outsider who is skilled in pointing out negative patterns and helping you work through hurts and grievances can often save a relationship that appeared doomed. We always need to be able to express our wants and needs and feel heard and equally we need to do the same for our partners. The latter is not always so easy but that can be where the gold is! Of course we often feel its a one way street and then different strategies have to be applied.

In couples counselling, I create a supportive space to help partners communicate more openly and effectively. I use tools and techniques, primarily from the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), to strengthen connection and resolve conflicts. These approaches help couples understand each other’s needs and build trust. I guide partners in exploring their emotions, communication patterns, and shared goals, helping them develop a deeper connection and a stronger, healthier relationship.

Being in a relationship is not always easy. Sometimes our experiences from relationships in the past, including our own families, can make this even more difficult. It can be hard to love someone when resentment, fear, anger, and confusion stand in the way. As a couples/relationship therapist its my role to help your sort out these concerns and find more effective ways of communicating so that you might be able to love and care more freely with greater trust and openness. LGBTQ2+ Friendly.

When working with couples, my focus is the "relationship". It is my goal to understand the relationship that two people have created; to explore what works and does not work in the relationship. My focus is to create awareness for a couple as to how they maintain and reinforce the existing relationship patterns that may not necessarily work. A new way of relating can then be formed once the relationship is understood. The goal in couples counselling is to create Intimacy in a relationship, yet this can only be formed with safety and vulnerability.

What are the most common couples' issues? If you are thinking "communication, conflict, sex, money, child rearing" you are correct. However, most therapists will go after the symptom on each side of the couple fence thinking that the way to effective change is by getting each party to "work" on their respective "issue". Many times the parties don’t agree but comply. Imagine if you could align the unconscious brains of a couple and stop the "working on your issues" part that has become so popular in therapy settings? Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com to learn how! Or call 877-606-6161. DR. FLEMING'S NEW RELATIONSHIP/COUPLES INTENSIVES. www.kevinflemingphd.com/marriage-couples-retreats.php

The context of a relationship brings much more information to the surface then if we were alone. This can be very challenging and counseling can help sort this out. Couples counseling provides the opportunity to examine things as they play out within the couple. This arrangement can leads us to see first hand the strengths we have to connect with others. I have successfully worked with people from a variety of backgrounds to treat a variety of couples issues and look forward to working with you. Visit my website at www.prairieowlpsychology.ca from more details.

I have been told that I have well accepted and a results oriented approach with my clients. This approach moves beyond the conventional session structure providing you, the client, a greater opportunity to utilize the tools and insight gained in session. My goal for clients is to move through counselling in the most efficient way without a requirement for long-term, ongoing therapy. My methods will give you the opportunity to become free of the chronic stress and emotional drain of the issues that you are facing. This solution focused approach helps you to resolve issues and move forward to fully enjoy your life and purpose. I am also a trained Gottman Method Couples Therapist; well known Psychol....

Working together with couples for pre-marriage counselling, couples issues, or marriage counselling allows clients to work through the issues (the "ripples" in the carpet) that they continue to trip over. Client's begin to connect with each other, reconcile the relationship, improve communication and intimacy, rebuild trust, as well as many other enhancements.

Although relationships ebb and flow, the experience of pregnancy and parenthood can impact a couple greatly. As you and your partner navigate your new roles and identities, it is not uncommon to be navigating changes in your relationship. Our therapists can help you and your significant other navigate these changes together and work to strengthen your relationship.

I am trained in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. I help couples heal from the wounds that prevent us from feeling safe and secure in our relationships. These wounds sometimes happened to us long before we found our current partner, and sometimes there is betrayal in the marriage. I help clients recognize how these wounds affect our emotions and behaviors in a way that prevents us from getting what we are most longing for: connection in love.

Our Therapists at Rivers Edge Counselling can help you to • Effectively communicate with your spouse • Solve misunderstandings and engage in a “fair fight” • Increase your trust, intimacy and friendship with your spouse • Learn how to forgive when you feel betrayed • Focus on hopes and dreams that defines your relationship • Live with hope for a better future with your spouse

I have a significant caseload of relationship therapy clients. I am comfortable with essentially any type of relationship taking place between consenting adults. I accept the orientation(s) of the parties to a relationship, and am as a rule able to come from there. If I have a bias, it is to preserve the being of the relationship, the "we" that emerges when one and another form a bond. My bias notwithstanding, I am able to assist parties to a relationship to achieve a more peaceful separation/termination when that is their choice.

Creating stronger relationships through the research- based Gottman approach. Couples who wish to develop a deeper awareness and connection in their relationships will benefit in using E- Counselling to enhance communication and bonding. Often when we are in a face to face conversation we are thinking of our next response rather than allowing the other person to be understood. Using a secure and completely confidential web based Gottman trained counsellor will help break down the barriers of communication and improve relationship dynamics. Couples can expect more understanding, respect and intimacy in their relationship. LGBT relationships are welcome.

In a relationship, each member is responsible for an equal share of the dynamic. In a family, that means it splits between the amount of people, and in a couple it’s 50% created by each partner. This 50% is the result of the individual’s needs- both functional and dysfunctional. Functional needs relate to biological drives, culture, relationship goals, values, etc. Dysfunctional needs come from limiting beliefs, which are internalized in our childhood. They create needs like: the need to be in control, or the need to protect oneself. The needs, whether functional or dysfunctional, can balance each other out, creating a “stabilizer” or they can become unmet needs.