Call us: 604-542-2412 for appointment or information
Anita Thandi, MA, RCC and Anil Baines MA, RCC

Relationship Counselling

  • tree symbolizing growth from relationship counsellingAre you looking for a more fulfilling and satisfying relationship?
  • Do you want to feel more appreciated and understood by your partner?
  • Does it feel like you end up repeating the same patterns; picking unavailable partners, staying in unhealthy relationships or feel stuck grieving a loss or breakup?

Sometimes when you are feeling stuck in your current relationship or one that does not seem to be growing, counselling can be an opportunity for couples to ‘divorce’ themselves from a repetitive, unfulfilling relationship and create a new healthier relationship. Couples often identify poor communication and conflict as two of the major reasons that bring them into counselling. They are generally looking to create a more meaningful, intimate and fulfilling relationship but do not know how to get there. Our counselling team will help.

Relationships can be hard work. Generally people try all sorts of ways to address their issues and conflicts but still find they are repeating the same patterns. The counselling process can help you identify what is missing and move towards the type of relationship that you are looking for. For example, a relationship in which you feel appreciated, accepted and have a sense of belonging.

Our counsellors have both extensive training and experience working with many types of relationships and a wide range of relationship issues. We also work with each partner to be able to strengthen the ‘individual’ within the couple relationship so that one can manage his or her own emotions when they feel ‘flooded’ during couples work.

Relationship counselling can help you:

  • Learn to communicate more effectively and express your needs in a way that your partner can hear you.
  • Break away from hurtful, repetitive bickering and conflict and move towards a more fulfilling, respectful relationship.
  • Move towards creating more intimacy by learning to be more vulnerable.
  • Focus on the connection and positivity in the relationship versus focusing on the negatives.
  • Re-discover or develop shared goals and meaning.
  • Find ways to heal and choose to trust another after a hurt or betrayal.
  • Keep the passion alive.
  • Learn ways to negotiate around difficult topics in a healthy way.
  • Learn to regulate your own emotions so you can better get your needs met in the relationship.

By creating a safe and trusting and healthy environment couples or individuals can address any number of these issues and move towards a more connected, fulfilling, meaningful relationship. Our approach incorporates the latest research in neurobiology, couples counselling (Gottman, Johnson), mindfulness and our own experience working with hundreds of couples.