Couples Therapy

What To Expect

Couples therapy is for any two people in a committed relationship who want to improve their relationship. This includes married, unmarried, engaged, cohabiting, or same-sex couples. 

The first session of couple’s therapy consists of the therapist meeting the couple together - and marks the beginning of the Assessment phase. 

The therapist will meet with each client separately to obtain a sense of their hopes and clinical goals for couples therapy. This is also the time when the therapist can hear about what each client may or may not want brought up during a session as a couple - and for the clinician to better explore suitability for couple’s therapy i.e., if abuse is present in the relationship, the clinician may decide that couple’s therapy is not suitable intervention for the couple. 

During the assessment period, the clinician will compile all information gathered, and will formulate a treatment plan collaboratively with the couple - which will be reviewed together during the end of the assessment period. 

Couples must take responsibility for their role in the problems. In addition, couples therapy is not always a quick fix, it takes time, over many counselling sessions. Some couples cannot afford the cost of ongoing therapy and eventually drop out or even try to fix their problems themselves. Other risks to couples therapy can consist of emotional discomfort, unwillingness to participate, lack of progress, time and money and on occasion perpetuation of abuse. 

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Whose It For?

Couples therapy is for couples who may be experiencing the following, however this list is not exhaustive - every couple’s reason for attending couple’s therapy is different!

• You're having frequent arguments

• You're feeling disconnected from your partner

• You're considering marriage or having children

• You're going through a difficult time in your relationship

• You want to prevent problems from becoming more serious

• You want to improve your communication skills

• You want to learn how to resolve conflicts
   

What can couples therapy help with? 

• Improving communication

• Building trust

• Setting boundaries

• Identifying underlying problems

• Developing conflict-resolution skills

• Addressing issues related to sex

• Working through feelings of disconnection

• Dealing with external stressors