Great Couples Counselling in Don Mills, ON. Therapy to heal relationships.

In couples counseling, I create empathetic environment for both partners. I encourage open communication, helping each individual express their feelings and perspectives without judgment. By exploring the dynamics of their relationship, we identify patterns that contribute to misunderstandings or conflict. My background as an Asian-Canadian woman allows me to approach cultural differences sensitively, recognizing how these influences shape each partner's values and beliefs. Using a blend of therapeutic approaches, including Emotionally Focused Therapy, the Gottman approach, and Narrative Therapy, I facilitate collaboration and growth, guiding

With the fast pace and challenges of life, you do not have to face them alone. Sometimes you need a helping hand and a friendly ear to talk to. It's my passion to help people. I offer counselling and psychotherapy for individuals, couples and families. I work with clients to improve their resiliency, and uncover their strengths using a client centered approach and different modalities to meet needs .

Healthy relationships take commitment & work. I help couples increase emotional intimacy & connection. I help them stop unhelpful ways of interacting, achieve resolution to their unresolved conflicts, & take responsibility for their negative contributions to patterns. Couple relationships require re-committing ourselves to each other repeatedly throughout the length of our relationship. I will help you to learn to "turn towards" one another. I will also help you to eliminate the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a phrase coined by couple researches John and Julie Gottman. Lastly, all couple relationships include pursuer-distancer patterns. I will help you identify these and work to stop them.

We all want to love, be loved, and connect with our significant others. Yet, it can feel daunting at times, due to repetitive relationship patterns (influenced by our childhood wounding), poor communication skills, cultural/gender differences, and inability to negotiate “me” with “we”. So be it past trauma, poor communication skills, inability to handle stress, different upbringing (thereby different ways of doing things), or sexual challenges, among other things, I help couples identify the areas/habits which challenge them, behaviors which destroy relationships, and anything else that stands in the way of them achieving an intimate connection.

When it comes to couples, the total is greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore, in couple therapy, the focus is not on the two sides of the equation. Rather, the object of inquiry and therapy is the relationship between those two sides. The therapy examines the interpersonal relationship and treats it as a third space. Therefore, the goal is not to change the individuals but to change the way they communicate, understand, and accept each other. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit.

Dr. Van Blyderveen offers Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples. This approach is evidence based and has a greater success rate than traditional couple's therapy. Therapy will focus on improving communication through creating and strengthening your emotional bond with one another. During therapy sessions Dr. Van Blyderveen will guide you and your partner through emotional conversations with one another with the goal of improving closeness, connection, and acceptance of one another.

You are at the end of your rope. You love your partner, you don't want to end the relationship but your partner is so distant and disconnected, so you are looking for help. Perhaps you just found out the awful truth that your partner is having an affair. Maybe you have tried couple therapy before and things improved a bit then you found yourself back in the same sad stuck place. Couples often need help to find their way back to each other. Please visit my website or call me to find out how I can help you heal wounds and create the strong loving connection with your partner that you deserve.

In couples counseling with me, the focus is on enhancing the relationship dynamics and communication patterns between partners, regardless of marital status. By providing a safe and supportive space, I facilitate open dialogue, empathy-building exercises, and conflict resolution techniques tailored to the unique needs and goals of each couple. Whether navigating challenges related to intimacy, trust, or life transitions, couples counseling offers an opportunity for couples to deepen their connection, strengthen their bond, and cultivate a more fulfilling partnership. Through collaborative exploration and skill-building, couples can gain insight into their relationship dynamics and heal.

Couples Counselling Most relationships will become strained at some point and will begin producing maladaptive patterns. Relationship problems are rooted in our distorted egos, insecure attachment, emotional immaturity etc., which create to the many issues that develop for couples - infidelity, financial stress, poor communication, ill health, sexual divergence, household responsibility conflicts, addictions, etc., .... or just simply growing apart. Relationships can often be restored if help is sought soon enough. A counsellor can help reorient perceptions and emotions (how we look at a situation and how we feel about it) and assist the couple in adopting conscious structural changes.

Intimate relationships are like a dance – they can be quite joyful and energizing but when facing obstacles, partners need to find the steps and rhythm to move more freely. Couple therapy can provide a safe space in which you and your partner can gain a deeper understanding of one another and what contributes to difficulties within the dance of your relationship. Should you decide to attend sessions, I will work with you to facilitate honest conversations, help you to better understand what you may need from one another, and support you in finding a way to step toward more acceptance, intimacy, and connection. Contact me or book a free consultation if you wish to learn more.

If you are finding yourselves stuck in the same 'merry-go-round' (although not so merry!) of poor communication and accusation/defensiveness, winners and losers, your marriage probably feels like you're going nowhere fast! You think you've married the wrong person and feel that you've tried everything in your 'tool-bag' to do. If you don't have 'win-win', what you essentially have is 'lose-lose'.. I will advocate for your marriage...I will be your cheerleader and your coach combined, showing you how to get out of this destructive cycle and move forward to something much more satisfying. I will help you rebuild when hurts have been deep. Don't delay on this...sooner is better!

Beneath most intimate relationship struggles, there is a key defining question being asked, “Are you really there for me?” This question embodies many others: When I need you, can I reach you? Do you respect and support me? Do you care about me when I'm hurting? Do you still want me? When the answers to these questions become shaky in our mind, we get stuck in unhealthy patterns, and may need some help finding our way back to each other. Emotionally Focused Therapy is an evidence-based model that helps couples reconnect with each other and (re)discover the relationship they have always wanted. Reach out today to bring healing and enhancement to the most important relationship in your life!

Therapy with couples is amongst the most rewarding aspects of my work as a therapist. Not much gives me greater pleasure than helping couples develop a deeper understanding of both their situation and of one another that leads to a more meaningful and enjoyable shared life. In my experience, couples can make incredible progress when both parties are motivated to improve the quality of their relationship and learn to love one another in healthier, more fulfilling ways.

Couple therapy is a broad term for those who wish to address relationship concerns or would like assistance in navigating their relationship. Presenting topics may include breaches of trust, infidelity, (co)parenting, sex and intimacy, separation, exploration of relationship structure or general conflict and arguments. Often times, at nobody’s fault, couples may get caught in patterns of interaction that bring a lot of pain to the relationship. I will assist you in identifying these harmful interactions and work towards breaking that cycle with new ways of relating to each other. I am affirming of polyamorous and ethical non-monogamous relationships. Contact me to book a free consultation.

In working with couples, the relationship is my client. My goal is to ensure that both partners feel heard and validated. I support the couple in creating space to have conversations that might otherwise be difficult to have. In working with me, couples will learn improved ways of communicating and being there for one another. They will also learn how to manage conflict in a way that is supportive of relationship growth. Further, the couples' strengths will be highlighted and accessed to continue to grow the relationship bond.

Relationships all go through difficult times, whether they’re new or longer term. If you feel communication is breaking down, tensions are high and intimacy is low addressing these are the catalyst to a health and positive relationship. If you’re looking for a deeper connection and insights to your partner prior to saying your “I do’s”, we use this time to explore various areas, shedding light on topics that might not have been discussed or explored in-depth.

Relationships are not always easy; we are delicately balancing the needs of ourselves as individuals and the needs of the other within one space. When a couple comes in for counselling, we explore this field between you both, and see how to shift some relationship patterns in order for you both to better understand, and hear each other. From here we can make the adjustments necessary for you both to get what you need from the relationship. And, if moving away from each other is what will move one, or both of you to where you want to go, we navigate these physical, mental, and emotional changes and challenges safely and nonjuddmentally, for the wellbeing of everyone involved.

In working with couples, the relationship is my client. My goal is to ensure that both partners feel heard and validated. I support the couple in creating space to have conversations that might otherwise be difficult to have. In working with me, couples will learn improved ways of communicating and being there for one another. They will also learn how to manage conflict in a way that is supportive of relationship growth. Further, the couples' strengths will be highlighted and accessed to continue to grow the relationship bond.

Over the course of your relationship, you are going to face its ups and downs. Learning how to meet all that life may throw at you, together as a couple and grow stronger in each experience are just some of the many benefits of couples counselling I provide. I help you develop the tools you need for when your relationship goes through a tough time. You'll learn how trust and open to your partner and feel safe, how to respond to your partner's needs during the good and the bad times, keep moving forward and blooming as the time goes by.

When working with couples, I use several approaches to treatment including PACT and RLT. You may find that out work together is different than previous experiences you have had in couples therapy. Through our work together, you and your partner will discover how to stay connected, help each other feel safe and secure, manage each other’s emotional highs and lows, fight well and minimize each other’s stress. Longer sessions allow us to go deeper, getting to the heart of the issues you are facing and allowing time for repair to occur in session. Learn to have a secure relationship where both partner’s needs are met.

My approach to couples therapy focuses on creating a safe and supportive environment for partners to explore their emotions and concerns. By delving into the underlying dynamics of their relationship, we collaboratively identify areas of growth and implement effective strategies for positive change. Through active listening and empathetic support, partners gain insights into each other's perspectives, fostering a deeper emotional connection. The benefits include improved communication, enhanced intimacy, and the development of healthier relationship patterns, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling and harmonious partnership.

One of the biggest decisions we make in life is choosing our partner. And then the real work begins. Divorce rates speak to how difficult sustaining a healthy marriage can be. Evidence-based studies have shown essential elements to a healthy and nourishing relationship. Couples counselling focuses on a variety of these areas including, communication, conflict management/resolution, and connection. Presenting issues include communication, conflict, infidelity, parenting issues, separation and divorce.

I prioritize creating a neutral, encouraging, and comfortable environment during our sessions to work collaboratively to restore your connection with your partner. Couples therapy offers a safe, supportive setting that promotes open, honest communication. Improving communication abilities enables you to explore hidden concerns and previous emotional traumas that might be present. By engaging in this process, you will gain a more profound comprehension of your partner, discover ways to assist you in the face of life's difficulties, and form an authentic, all-encompassing, and significant connection while cultivating the abilities and resources to handle tension within the relationship.

Romantic relationships can be hard work. They require regular care to keep them functioning well. Many couples expect romance to go on forever without doing the necessary work only to face the realities of relationships. Relationship issues become more magnified when one or both parties carry a history of trauma. Couples counselling can help individuals learn about one another, communicate effectively and grow as individuals while becoming loving partners. The therapist is an unbiased party who is there to help both partners function together well as a unit by providing solution-based interventions.

In the downtown Toronto area, people come to see me for help with marital and couples-related conflicts. I am very comfortable helping couples who are in straight, gay, or lesbian relationships. Conflicts often come up between partners in relation to difficulties with intimacy, conflicts surrounding extended family members, and disagreements around family goals and priorities.