Couple Counselling
Relationships are a joy but can be challenging at the same time. Couple counselling gives spouses a chance to meet with a neutral third party and work through what is getting in the way of their relationship being all that it can be. Classic topics discussed in couple counselling sessions are couple communication, parenting, blended family issues and conflict resolution.
It should be noted that individual issues have a way of surfacing in couple counselling sessions. At that point, if this occurs, one or both clients can take the opportunity to work a bit on themselves prior to returning to the couple counselling sessions. An example of this would be anger management issue or problem drinking behavior, both of which can limit intimacy and couple communication. Seamless transitions between individual and couple counselling can be helpful in addressing challenges that couples face.
Couple sessions usually occur every two weeks, giving couples the opportunity to practice strategies suggested in the couple sessions and also to reflect on issues raised in the discussions.
Emotionally Focussed Couple Counselling and Brief Solution Focussed Therapy are two of the main approaches that I use. These approaches have been shown to be highly effective in numerous research studies in couple counselling. At the same time, it should be noted that the eclectic approach used in individual counselling is sometimes utilized, especially when individual issues surface which need to be addressed. Examples of some other theories which may be used include theories and practices of conflict resolution, mental health and trauma.
