Services: For Individuals | For Couples/Relationships | For Artists & Creative People
Couples/Relationship Therapy
Relationships can be incredibly fulfilling. They can also be incredibly challenging, particularly since most of us have never been taught – or seen modelled – good, healthy communication skills.
In my sessions with couples I teach these communication skills, while supporting you in exploring how past patterns and experiences influence the present. Sessions are also an opportunity for conversations clarifying mutual goals and exploring difficult topics.
As a couples therapist I assist in:
- facilitation (moderating fights, exploring dynamics)
- navigating important conversations (children, marriage, compatibility, goals)
- support during life transitions (marriage, death, children)
- teaching communication skills (requests, fears, desires, boundaries)
I believe in the importance of teaching concrete skills that you can take home and practice. Some of these include:
- practices for staying connected during intense conversations
- tools to prevent and de-escalate arguments, and for staying calm when upset
- how to remember that you’re on the same team even during disagreements
- utilizing loving and heart-based communication
- how to bring more playfulness to your daily interactions
Dynamics inevitably develop when in relationships. My facilitation identifies personal and relational patterns, loops, or triggers that you and your partner may find yourself stuck in. As we explore your relationship dynamics, I help you get to the heart of your feelings, teach you to communicate those feelings with clarity, and to truly hear one another. I am trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a highly researched approach to couples therapy.
I provide a non-judgmental and supportive space within which couples can safely express vulnerable feelings, fears, and desires. I consider myself an ally for your relationship. I am committed to teaching couples how to bring more love and playfulness to their communication even, or perhaps especially, when things are difficult.
I enjoy and have experience working with couples of all sexual and gender orientations, relationship types (including ethical non-monogamy), cultural backgrounds, and with couples in which a partner is a sex worker.
My passion for studying the most effective and heartfelt ways of working with couples has led me to advanced training with Dr. Sue Johnson, author of Hold Me Tight and Love Sense, Dr. Rebecca Jorgensen and Dr Stan Tatkin’s Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy. I am a member of the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
