Great Couples Counselling in Port Moody, BC. Therapy to heal relationships.

Couples therapy. I am trained in solution focused couples therapy to bring the issues at hand right out at the first appointment. I ask clients to prepare for their first appointment by bringing in a wish list, what each partner wants the other to get better at, to stop, to do more of, and to do less of. These take us right to the couples' goals and then we begin to work on the most important issues on their list. A successful, peaceful relationship can bring great joy to our lives.

Our intimate relationships are where our deepest issues arise and our greatest healing can occur. In couples therapy we build on the principles of openness and honesty, creating a safe space where each partner can safely share their deepest needs and concerns. We work on individual awareness of personal issues that each person brings with them from their past while focussing on deepening the connection that they each yearn for.

I work with couples using Gottman Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy and Attachment Therapy. I will help you identify your maladaptive patterns of behaviour and improve your communication skills. There is no shame in getting some coaching in how we connect with each other and how we can better meet each others needs. I use a strengths based approach to help you see the positives and remember why you fell in love.

I have extensive experience in working with parents and their child or youth on a wide variety of issues. For example: dropping grades, school absenteeism, communication breakdown, anger issues, control and power, oppositional communication, self-esteem difficulties, and self-harming behaviours. I specialize in helping parents better understand their child/youth and youth better understand their responsibilities. My goal is to help child/youth and parents have better communication in order to live happier and healthier lives. I look forward to working with you and your child or teen.

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

In an environment of safety and respect, it is my hope that each person will develop a greater self-awareness and a sincere willingness to change. Couples will learn to listen to and understand the feelings and needs of their partner, as well as to communicate their own more effectively. Couples will identify the repetitive negative patterns in their relationship that create distress and alienate one from the other. Each person also will explore negative thought and behaviour patterns within themselves, and relevant past issues that may be contributing to their difficulties. It is my hope that couples will discover that they do have the capability to build a healthy relationship.

Are you and your partner stuck in unsolvable arguments? Does one of you tend to ‘demand’ more while the other shuts down and withdraws? Are you feeling less connected and actually adding stress to each other’s lives instead of reducing it? While frustrating, these are perfectly normal patterns of partnership and there is hope. I would be glad to help you untangle the knots, learning to team up together instead of entering battles over who is right. In doing so, we will unpack past traumas and patterns of behaviour, learning to better communicate and to be safely vulnerable in a way that stands your relationship on solid ground.

With training in the Gottman method, we work with couples helping them find new ways of repairing their relationship, and shifting their mindset to better understand each other’s needs. We work from a strength-based approach, providing insight into the relationship. We work with the couple to better understand each other and live in a relationship where they feel valued and strong.

My Approach to Couples Counselling includes - Providing you the tools for: Resolving Conflict and misunderstandings Effective problem solving Healthy ways to listen, talk and be heard Have a win-win relationship Moving past anger, resentment and bitterness Successfully changing self defeating behaviours Explore how your past affects your relationship/s Discover new ways to assist your life, It’s not just about your relationship, it’s also about you by building: Self-Esteem Love Intimacy Self worth Confidence Value Discovering how your personal past and baggage affect you Understanding what you need and your partner needs in a relationship And much more. Call now 604.290.1336

My role as a couple's therapist to create a safe haven, a calm bay, for you to make the repairs as needed, for you to re-embark on your journey together, stronger, more connected and back on the same team. The storminess of relationships is as natural as waves in the ocean, our ability to stay connect during the swells and crashing waves is what makes or breaks a marriage, not the wave itself. Our work together focuses on identifying our patterns and our partners patterns as we run for cover in the tumult of the wave. We then work on understanding, supporting and staying reconnected.

The research around attachment tells us that having a sense of closeness with others is essential to our well-being. When partners feel a lack of connection, it can touch on past wounds that may even exacerbate the present difficulties. All couples go through challenging times, and it is important that both individuals remain allies, even through trouble. Skilled couples counselling can support this, and help the relationship become stronger than ever before. I draw from a number of approaches when working with couples, especially Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, and communication approaches such as Non Violent Communication.

I work to help couples come to a place of understanding and connection. I do not choose sides but rather help couples work through their issues in a safe, supportive environment. I have educational training in Gottman couples counselling as well as over 15 years of experience successfully working with couples.

I help couples, friends, and various other dyads work on their connection and experience with one another. Our friends and romantic partners can make us feel certain ways (contrary to common messaging nowadays!) which impacts the relationship as a whole. I work in a systems approach to help you get clarity and reach the goals you would like in your relationship.

Couple relationship problems are not only significant in their right, but they also impact a host of individual problems. You will encouraged to channel your efforts into specific changes leading to long-term goals and problem resolution. There will be questions to discern where the troubles lie in terms of family of origin issues, current stressors, emotional status concerns, social network, pressures, physical health problems, coping skills, interpersonal conflict, etc. Strategies will address your greatest needs and desire for a health-supportive relationship. e.g., communication.

Relationships usually start with lots of love and passion. After a while, however, the miscommunication between partners, their previous traumas, and the everyday stresses of life lead to an unhappy couple. With training in evidence-based approaches to helping couples, I help my clients become mindful of the repeating patterns in their relationship and their roots. We will then work together to change these patterns and create new loving healthy patterns. We will work on helping you communicate your true feelings to your partner without blaming, stonewalling, or criticizing. We will focus on helping you become more vulnerable with your partner so that your emotional bond becomes stronger.

All couples have a unique and dynamic bond that comes with its ups and downs. I believe any couple can benefit from counselling and therapy to address the issues they have. Counselling helps us to understand ourselves and the other person and can ultimately bring us closer together. Whatever you are struggling with, I can help you come to a better understanding of each other and yourselves. I can help your relationship overcome the challenges and strengthen the bond between you. I offer support to all genders and orientations and believe diversity makes a happy community. Contact me to start strengthening your bond today.

Anyone who is in a relationship knows that they're difficult! I practiced couples therapy and taught couples therapy for several years before I learned Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Now I know what I was missing! I've discovered that it's only through being in the emotion and understanding the attachment significance of what we experience that we can make the fundamental changes that transform our lives and our relationships. You will likely find that showing up in couples therapy means a lot to your partner. I will help you make sense of the rest. You only need to be willing to participate in the process and be honest about how you feel as we go. It's work but here are big rewards!

Each relationship faces unique hurdles and holds unique potential for growth. By skillfully tuning in to each other's inner worlds, learning new ways of being together and strategies for navigating conflict, we'll resolve what is hindering you. We’ll get creative and collaborate on new possibilities. Intimate relationships can bring out the deepest parts of ourselves and ignite personal transformation. Learning about how we relate is key to learning about ourselves and each other.

Relationships can become tense, defensive, and hostile. Sometimes, ruptures in trust occur that leave us questioning "should I still be with you?" When our relationships feel insecure, we react often through becoming critical/nagging, or shutting down and checking out. I practice a form of evidence-based couples therapy called Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT). Through EFT, we identify the negative cycle that has come to define your relationship, and work to repair this ruptured attachment bond, helping partners feel safer and freer around one another. This leads to improved intimacy, better communication, and a stronger emotional connection.

Many couples struggle with communication and "feeling heard". Over time a once happy and vibrant relationship can begin to decay through hurt feelings, anger, lack of attention, feeling valued, infidelity, the strain of children, childhood issues, and much more. We focus to heal the wounds of the past and rebuild the love and trust within the relationship. We work to equip both partners with a voice and ability to effectively listen and hear one another. We will work together to establish individual boundaries within the relationship, while creating a stronger and healthier connection. Our goal is to equip each couple with the tools they require for success, independent of counselling

In the couple therapy , I assist the couples to identify the dysfunctional patterns that they get stuck in and to understand the underlying maladaptive emotions. I guide partners to become more aware of primary anger and sadness, fear and shame, and the attendant needs and to regulate, make sense of, and communicate these in non-demanding ways to promote security, validation, and warmth. In addition, I help partners reveal their most vulnerable feelings to each other to promote bonding and validation and help couples learn to soothe and transform emotions that are maladaptive.

Couples counselling focuses on developing strong communication skills, conflict resolution techniques, forgiveness, and effective dialogue. Many couples experience frustration at some point in their relationship where they feel they are not heard, valued or even loved any more. A toxic cycle of blaming, fighting and pulling away begins to form, creating distance and fatigue. For others an affair has shaken the very core of the safety and love they once felt in their relationship. It can be an agonizing and terrifying discovery for the partner who has been betrayed, and strong feelings of guilt, shame and a lack of understanding to how it even happened for the offending partner. Whether you are looking for a tune up to build back the excitement and...(view profile to read more)

I utilize Gottman Therapy, having completed Levels 1 and 2 training. Our sessions begin with an assessment to identify the specific issues affected the relationship whether it was an affair , lack of communication and connection or other challenges. The assessment allows us to implement the most effective interventions. Through Gottman Therapy, we can enhance the relationship between partners and foster a stronger connection in a relatively short period.

Healing and growing in our sexuality & eroticism can help us understand ourselves and our partners in ways we may have never been privileged to before. It opens us to the appreciation of the full depth and breadth of human erotic expression. I work with individuals and couples. My approach is informed by training as an Erotic Blueprint Coach, somatic attachment and conscious kink. All forms of love, relationship structures, and sexual expression (from the most sensual "vanilla" to the raunchiest kink) welcome.

Do you look at your partner and wonder what happened to the sense of connection and intimacy that you once enjoyed? Have the stresses of life, career, and parenting gotten in the way of your relationship? Would you like to learn how to be heard and to hear what is really going on in your partner's heart of hearts? Couples counselling is an opportunity to re-connect and re-discover yourself and your partner. It is a safe forum to air difficult issues , develop skills for effective communication and enhance emotional and physical intimacy.