Relationship, Couples & Marriage Therapy

Relationships can be difficult. Maybe you’re feeling undervalued or unloved. Perhaps you’re struggling with communication, hurt, or trust issues. Maybe your relationship feels strong and you want to prepare for marriage or a new transition as a couple. At Rebound Total Health, we’re here to help you through the unique needs of whatever stage your relationship is in.

What can couples therapy help you with?

Every relationship is different and so too are their struggles. Our therapists are well equipped to help you and your partner through a wide range of struggles.

Trust issues
Infidelity
Relationship transitions
Communication Issues
Conflict resolution
Parenting
Divorce & Separation
Intimacy & More!

What to Expect when Starting Couples Therapy

In couples therapy, you’ll meet together with your therapist in our online virtual setting. We encourage couples to be in the same physical space together and bring and open, honest, eager attitude.

Often, couples are hoping for a mediator to play referee to their day-to-day arguments within their therapy sessions. While we understand the desire for resolution, therapists are here to offer you much more than a simple mediation. You can expect your therapist to act as a sounding board, helping you to feel heard, understood and appreciated. Couples’ therapy often begins with finding areas of collaboration, mutual understanding and setting goals to strive for – together. We will ask questions, engage in activities, provide empathy and support, and challenge you where necessary. You might have activities or assignments for reflection to complete in between session, to further your growth and progress. We strive to ensure that both partners have equal opportunity to contribute and engage. In couples’ therapy, there’s no taking sides – our job is to engage in therapy for the best interest of the relationship. Rest assured, you can know that your therapist is striving to achieve the same goal you are.

Our Therapeutic Approach to Couples therapy

Our approach to helping couples varies depending on the couple and their unique needs and goals. Our therapist s are trained in a variety of approaches that support couples, including Gottman Method, Emotions Focused Therapy (EFT) and even cognitive behavioural therapy for couples. Using techniques that work to implement healthier communication patterns, quicker and more effective conflict resolution and increased intimacy, our goal at the beginning of therapy will be to improve your day-to-day relationship experiences. As we get to know one another and progress through therapy, you and your partner, along with your therapist will safety explore the deeper underlying issues that may be perpetuating the struggles in your relationship. Our hope is that you’ll develop a deeper understanding for one another, allowing you to heal and achieve resolution from past wounds.

Couples therapy can support...

  • Marriage is work! And we’re here to help you navigate any struggles that are popping up in your marriage. Whether it trust issues, intimacy struggles, conflict or communication problems, we can support.

  • Helping you develop healthy patterns in your relationship before facing the life transitions and additional pressures that come with marriage. This is an excellent proactive step to take to protect the health of your relationship!

  • Helping you navigate your separation in a healthy way that is authentic to your values! Finding healthy coping techniques to navigate the complicated feelings that arise.

  • Helping you explore what a healthy relationship looks like, in accordance with YOUR values. Navigating the complex factors layered into polyamorous relationships from familial and societal expectations/norms, to pressures within your own relationships. Your therapist is here to support you nonjudgmentally, and openly!

  • Navigating the normal stressors of everyday relationships, while also helping you navigate any of the additional complex factors that can sometimes influence LGBTBQ+ couples such as societal or familial expectations and/or judgement. Your therapist is here to support you nonjudgmentally, and openly!

  • Setting up healthy communication patterns and coping strategies from the beginning is a great way to set yourself up for success. Often times, couples become entrenched in their own negative habits and patterns. The longer the patterns last, the longer it takes to undo them and relearn new ones. Starting couples therapy when you’re dating is NOT a sign that something is wrong – it’s a great proactive way to gain support.

  • You don’t need to be in love with your partner to seek couples counselling! If you’re coparenting, you know that sometimes that comes with its own struggles. Communication, values discrepancies, parenting decisions, conflict resolution and friendship are all things that we support coparenting couples with!

What are some strategies to help support my relationship?

Bid Towards

How many times throughout your day do you attempt to make connections with your partner? How many times do you ignore or turn away from your partners attempts? Bidding towards one another simply means making diligent efforts for small ways to connect. For example, if your partner reflects to you “wow the weather is nice today” responding with a bid towards might like “oh yeah, it’s nice, let’s open some windows!” whereas a bid away might look like ignoring your partner’s statement. Engaging in more bidding towards one another helps increase communication, intimacy, and friendship!

Speaker Listener Activity

Many couples struggle with communication and that’s no surprise! The speaker listener activity aims to allow each partner the opportunity to genuinely express their thoughts and GENUINELY listen to understand as opposed to argue. Once  a week, spend time engaging in the speaker-listener activity. One partner speaks calmly and kindly about a topic on their mind, while the listener is not allowed to speak until the speaker is fully finished talking. The listeners goal is three things

1) listen to understand (not respond)
2) find something to validate and empathize with and communicate that back to your partner.
3) take responsibility for something that your partner communicated. Then, reverse roles!

We recommend starting with low conflict topics in the beginning!

Its time to help your relationship Bounce Back

Depending on your relationship needs, we can help you navigate your struggles both individually and as couple, while we collectively work towards the goal of overall improved relationship satisfaction. Together with your therapist, you’ll identify any areas of tension and learn to recognize the cycle of conflict that exists. We’ll explore the underlying root causes of the issues in your relationship and work to ensure healthier communication to foster an overall healthier relationship.

Couples Counselling on the Bounce Back Blog

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