Couples Counselling

Feel connected again, not stuck in the same conversation.

You may love each other deeply and still find yourselves having the same arguments, feeling misunderstood, or slowly becoming more distant. Sometimes one person wants to talk while the other pulls away. Sometimes small issues quickly become big ones. And sometimes there is very little conflict at all, just a growing feeling that you are no longer as close as you once were.
Couples counselling provides a space to slow things down, understand what is happening between you, and begin creating a healthier way of connecting.

Couples Counselling

Do You Recognize Your Relationship Here?

We keep having the same argument.
You talk about the issue, think it has been resolved, and somehow end up back in exactly the same place.
I do not feel heard.
You try to explain what you need, but the conversation quickly becomes about defending, explaining, or proving who is right.
One of us wants to talk. The other shuts down.
The more one partner pushes for connection or answers, the more overwhelmed or distant the other becomes.
We are not fighting, but we are not really connecting either.
Life, work, children, responsibilities, or years of unresolved hurt may have slowly changed the relationship.
Something happened and we have not been able to move past it.
Trust may have been affected by dishonesty, infidelity, pornography, substance use, broken agreements, or another painful experience.
If some of this sounds familiar, it does not necessarily mean the relationship is failing. It may mean the two of you have become caught in a relationship pattern that neither of you knows how to change.

The Problem Is Often the Pattern, Not the Person

Couples frequently arrive in counselling believing they need to solve a particular issue such as communication, money, parenting, intimacy, trust, household responsibilities, or family. Those issues matter. Underneath them, there is often a repeating emotional cycle.
One person may feel disconnected and push harder to be heard. The other may feel criticized, overwhelmed, or inadequate and begin defending or withdrawing. The withdrawal can make the first partner feel even less important or more alone, so they push harder. Both people eventually walk away feeling misunderstood.
In couples counselling, we begin by identifying the cycle you are caught in rather than deciding which partner is the problem.

What We Can Work On Together

Communication and Conflict
Recognize escalation earlier and communicate difficult feelings without conversations immediately becoming criticism, defensiveness, withdrawal, or repeated arguments.
Emotional Connection
Understand what helps each partner experience closeness, safety, appreciation, and emotional connection.
Trust and Relationship Injuries
Work through experiences that have damaged trust and explore what meaningful repair and accountability may look like.
ADHD and Neurodivergence in Relationships
Understand how different communication styles, sensory needs, executive functioning challenges, and emotional regulation can affect the relationship.
Intimacy and Affection
Explore emotional and physical closeness when affection, desire, or intimacy has changed within the relationship.
Major Life Transitions
Navigate marriage, children, blended families, career pressures, immigration, caregiving, illness, and other changes that can affect how couples relate.

What Couples Counselling With Me Looks Like

I do not approach couples counselling as a courtroom. My role is not to determine who is right and who is wrong. Instead, we work to understand what is happening between you, what is happening underneath the reactions you are seeing, and what each of you may need in order to begin responding differently.
We may slow down difficult conversations, identify recurring patterns, develop practical communication strategies, and explore the emotional experiences underneath conflict. My approach integrates evidence informed therapeutic approaches and is adapted to the needs, personalities, and circumstances of each couple.
The goal is not perfect communication. The goal is helping you develop a relationship in which difficult conversations can happen without losing the connection between you.

Couples Counselling Can Help With

Flexible Ways to Attend

In person counselling is available at my downtown Vancouver office. Secure virtual counselling is available to clients in British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia.

Direct Billing Available
I offer direct billing to major insurance providers across Canada. Where available, I can submit your counselling claim directly to your insurance provider, making the process simpler and reducing upfront paperwork. Coverage depends on your individual benefit plan.
If you have questions about insurance, we can discuss them during your free 20 minute consultation, or you can contact me before booking.
You Do Not Have to Wait Until the Relationship Is Falling Apart

Couples counselling is not only for relationships in crisis. Some couples come because they are hurting. Others come because they notice themselves becoming disconnected and want to address it before the distance becomes larger. Some want to build a stronger relationship before marriage or another major life transition.

Start With a Conversation

The free 20 minute consultation gives us an opportunity to briefly discuss what has been happening in your relationship, what you would like to change, and whether working together feels like the right fit. You do not need to prepare anything. You can simply tell me what has been happening.