How I help couples and individuals with their relationships.
Direct & Honest. Unlike many other modalities, I use a direct, no-nonsense approach. No hiding behind text book rules.
Taking Sides. We don’t stay in neutrality. Sometimes we need to take sides as not all problems are 50/50.
Homework & Accountability. Customized homework for in between sessions that will encourage change and accountability.
No Therapy Lingo. We stay away from typical lingo, like “how does that make you feel”. We will have real conversations.
Pro-Marriage. Not all couples therapists are pro-marriage or even have a positive attitude towards marriage.
These are 5 key differences in the way we do couples counselling that you will not find anywhere else other than with a Relational Life Therapist. We break the rules of traditional counselling, and by doing so, we help couples attain a level of satisfaction and change that is refreshing, especially for those couples who have been to therapy before. We strive to help couples make drastic changes quickly.
I help you unpack your stuff. Most couples that come in have years and years of resentment built up. They have been hurt over and over. I will help you unpack it so that it is more manageable. Isn’t it time to start feeling lighter?
I will help you stay focused on your purpose of even coming to counselling. We will check in with each other often to make sure we are heading in the right direction.
I will provide a safe space for each of you to talk and share without being interrupted by your partner.
Where Relational Life Therapy and The Gottman Method meet.
What an amazing combination that most other couples therapists don’t use. The direct, no-nonsense approach with Relational Life Therapy, and the hands-on, effective strategies and techniques of Gottman.
Using both strategies, we open the doors for some intense and intimate work with your family of origin and the wounded child. We explore how the wounded child had become the adaptive child and how that adaptive child is controlling you in your relationship.
In our sessions, you will be guided to discover the actual strategies that you are using, maybe not even realizing it, that is harming your relationship. You will learn and try out new strategies and experience a refreshing change in how the two of you communicate and experience each other.
We may talk about grandiosity and shame, being walled off or boundaryless. We will be able to see the exact “dance” that the two of you are stuck in and what to do about it!
Relationship Transformations
Real Examples. Fake Names.
Brenda and Alex were married for years. With their kids now out of the house they are finding themselves alone with nothing to do. They realized that they spent all this time raising the kids and have forgotten about each other. They are bored, disconnected and unsure whether to stay in the marriage or not.
In therapy, they learned how to reconnect again. They worked on prioritizing their relationship now that the kids are gone. They connected, renewed their love and are happily taking on retirement life together.
In therapy we openly talked about the affair. Leslie felt safe to ask questions and Bill, through on the spot coaching, was able to answer her questions without becoming defensive. The couple learned exact ways on how to rebuild trust as they both wanted to secure their family. We then talked about their marriage and the unmet needs they both had. The couple walked away with an immense understanding of their inner child wounds, the need to connect emotionally with each other and a stronger fight to keep their family together.
Leslie had recently found out that her husband, Bill had an affair. They came in to counselling having absolutely no hope that they can fix this. Leslie was devasted and Bill was ashamed and embarrassed. This couple was in trouble and was at risk of losing their large family.
Our therapy helps couples change their relationships. They move from living like roommates to being connected partners. They learn to communicate effectively, so their partner truly listens. They gain insight into how their upbringing affects them. They feel safer to be vulnerable and open up. They leave with clear tools to handle disagreements and repair emotional hurt, fostering a more intimate bond and improving their relational skills.
In-Person and Virtual Counselling
Our Burloak Drive office, easily accessible from the 403, offers in-person counseling. Meeting face-to-face allows couples to discuss issues in a neutral setting, away from home. You can sense the therapist’s and your partner’s energy, which can enhance the experience.
We have years of experience helping individuals and couples in Burlington, with clients traveling from as far as Kitchener, Niagara, and Brampton.
Virtual counseling gained popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many therapists and clients adapting to online formats. Fortunately, we had prior experience offering video counseling, ensuring a secure and compliant service with Canadian privacy laws.
Online therapy provides several benefits, including avoiding traffic, saving time, and the convenience of attending sessions from work or your car. Virtual appointments are also easier to schedule without the need for travel. Since 2016, we've connected with couples across Ontario, from Thunder Bay to Ottawa and Windsor.
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Rated 4.9 by hundreds of clients who experienced a transformation of their relationships.
Award winning including Top Marriage Counsellor in Hamilton and Burlington from 2016-2024, and the Silver and Gold Award by the Burlington Community Awards.