Couples Counselling

Navigate challenges more effectively, improve communication, and strengthen your connection.

Call to Book: 403.488.8912

Repair, Heal and Co-Create the Relationship You Desire

Every relationship faces challenges, with seasons of celebration and times of disappointment and pain. Relationship counselling can help you identify where you're stuck, process roadblocks, and gain perspective and skills to navigate challenges more easily.

Couples counselling isn't just for extreme rough patches; it's also for those who proactively invest in building a strong foundation. Whether dealing with difficult situations or the natural ebbs and flows of life, counselling offers a safe space to navigate conflict, improve communication, and deepen intimacy. It provides valuable support for couples at any stage of their relationship.

Couples Counselling

  • In Relationship Counseling, you and your therapist will focus on fostering a healthier relationship by addressing communication patterns, resolving conflicts, and rebuilding trust. You will benefit from a supportive and non-judgmental environment where you can explore areas of gridlock and work towards mutual understanding and growth.

  • Ideal for couples navigating challenges at any stage of their relationship journey—from new beginnings and midlife to retirement and empty nesting. We support you in addressing a variety of concerns, including communication breakdowns, conflicts, trust concerns, intimacy challenges, and significant life transitions.

  • Whether you are in distress or simply want to proactively set up a strong foundation for your relationship, couples counselling can be a transformative experience that strengthens your relationship and enhances your quality of life. By working with a skilled therapist, couples can expect to reap numerous benefits, including:

    Enhance Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills: Improve how you and your partner communicate, fostering healthier and more effective ways to resolve disagreements.

    Repair and Rebuild Trust and Intimacy: Address past hurts and rebuild the trust and intimacy that are essential for a strong relationship.

    Develop Strategies to Navigate Challenges Together as a Team: Learn practical strategies to face challenges together, enhancing your ability to support each other and work as a cohesive unit.

    Strengthen Emotional Connection and Partnership: Deepen your emotional bond and strengthen your overall partnership, creating a more fulfilling and resilient relationship.

    Find Flow and Ease in Your Relationship: Achieve a natural rhythm and harmony in your interactions and daily life together.

    Co-Create the Life You Desire Together: Collaboratively build the future you both envision, aligning your goals and aspirations.

    Learn to Prioritize One Another: Understand how to prioritize your partner and feel valued and prioritized in return.

    Develop Safeguards for Relationship Strengths and Values: Establish protections to maintain and enhance the core strengths and values of your relationship.

    Increase Connection and Intimacy: Foster a deeper emotional and physical connection, enhancing your closeness and affection.

    Find Strength in Parenting Alignment: Navigate and reconcile complementary differences in parenting philosophies to create a unified approach.

    Gain Clarity About Lifestyle Choices: Reach a mutual understanding about hobbies, time spent together and apart, and social interactions.

    Dream Together and Realize Shared Visions: Collaboratively set goals and take actionable steps toward achieving your shared dreams.

    Part Amicably if Necessary: If separation is the best path forward, do so amicably, supporting each partner in transitioning to a new chapter of life.

  • When looking for a couples therapist, it's important to consider several key qualifications to ensure you receive the best possible support for your relationship:

    Education and Credentials: Look for a therapist who holds a relevant degree (e.g., Master’s or Doctorate) in psychology, marriage and family therapy, counselling, or a related field. Additionally, ensure they are licensed or certified by a recognized professional board.

    Specialized Training in Couples Therapy: Verify that the therapist has specific training and experience in couples or relationship counselling. This may include certifications in methodologies like Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman Method, or Imago Relationship Therapy.

    Experience: Consider the therapist’s experience level, particularly in dealing with issues similar to yours. An experienced therapist is more likely to have developed effective strategies and insights for various relationship challenges.

    Approach and Philosophy: Understand the therapist’s approach to couples therapy and ensure it aligns with your needs and values. Some therapists may focus on communication skills, while others might emphasize emotional connection or conflict resolution.

    Compatibility and Comfort: It's essential that both partners feel comfortable and understood by the therapist. A good therapist will create a non-judgmental, supportive environment where both individuals feel safe to express themselves.

    Finding a therapist with these qualifications can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your counselling experience and support the growth and improvement of your relationship.

Our Approach

At Core Psychology, we take a personalized approach to couples counselling and use a combination of evidence-based methods to help you and your partner build a stronger, healthier relationship. Some of these approaches include:

Gottman Method

Gottman method skills development in areas of communication, conflict resolution, repair, and intimacy. Couples benefit from tangible concepts and references that are accessible and allow ease in effectively making small but effective shifts that support you in gaining traction.

EFT

Emotionally Focused Therapy, or EFT, places a strong emphasis on the importance of emotional bonding and attachment between partners.

You will be supported in repairing, developing shared understanding, and finding meaning and connection for your path forward.

Intimacy

Concepts researched and explored by Esther Perel and other experts in the field focus on desire, sexuality, and intimacy in relationships - many of the things couples find difficult to talk about, but that can be so rewarding to heal, connect and deepen around.

By integrating these methods among others, we are able to provide tailored treatment plans that address your unique needs and goals. Our compassionate and experienced therapists will guide you through the counselling process and provide you with the tools and strategies needed to improve your relationship.

Therapists who provide Couples Counselling

  • Joe Seddon, MC

    Certified Canadian Counsellor

  • Lisa Thomson, MA

    Registered Psychologist, MFT

  • Claire Granson, MC

    Registered Provisional Psychologist

  • What clients are saying

    “I felt so comfortable and safe opening up about past experiences. This has been one of best counselling experiences I have had and I feel more hopeful than I have in years.”

  • What clients are saying

    “I would highly recommend Claire as a therapist. She is incredibly compassionate and empathetic and has a beautiful way of making you feel heard and understood in any conversation you have with her. She has a natural ability to make you feel safe and comfortable!”

  • What clients are saying

    “The office coordinator, Sarah, is the first contact I had with Core Psychology and she is wonderful. I felt so taken care of by her. She helped me get started, know what to expect, and to coordinate times that worked into my busy schedule. I am so grateful.”

  • What Clients Are Saying

    “Jordan is wonderful. She’s incredibly skilled and provides supportive direction that is accessible and easy to incorporate into my life.”

Where you can find us

Located in the heart of Marda Loop in Calgary, our office offers a tranquil
space where you can take a breath and focus on you.