Secrets to Successful Couples Therapy

Couples counselling as a preventative measure. 

You’re going on a girl’s trip. These are new friends. You ask about their boundaries, dealbreakers, habits, needs and pet peeves. Their bedtimes tell you what kind of nightlife to expect. Figuring out everyone’s budget ensures everyone spends within their means. Some plan a detailed itinerary, some follow their instinct by the moment. Gauging compatibility alone can help you manage expectations before you start packing your suitcase.

The analogies are endless:

It’s never too late to go to the gym. However, isn’t it easier to start when you’re already fit?

It’s always great news to catch cancer while it’s malignant, rather than when it’s spread.

Like physical health, your romantic relationships manifest in other parts of your life. 

Working out = staying strong = more energy = experiencing more out of life.

Nurturing your partnership = feeling safe =  coming home to a loving environment. 

When building furniture, it’s not impossible to figure it out as you go along. But why not read the manual? It’s there to guide you.

Foresight helps us anticipate what could go wrong. At Healing Waves Counselling, we have the best marriage counsellors in Vancouver. They ask the right questions so they can give you tools to handle obstacles. You’ll already know what to do as difficult situations arise. 

Overcoming Negative Connotations

“If you’re seeking couple’s counselling,” an ex-boyfriend once said, “it means you’re already doomed.” 

He was speaking about my friends who were seeing a therapist during their engagement. Four years later, this couple is treating each other with more tenderness, respect, and admiration than ever before. 

Some typical fears surrounding couple’s therapy include:

• Feeling unheard.

• Therapists choosing sides. 

• Being told you’re “wrong”.

• Seeing needing help as a sign of failure.

Healing Waves Counselling acknowledges these hesitations. We take matters into our own hands:

• We provide additional couples counselling training to all our staff members. This ensures that all our coaches and counsellors are equipped with reliable tools.

• Healing Waves Counselling takes extra care to create a safe space for all couples, including those with special needs such as ADHD, OCD, and autism.

• Our clients include couples and individuals dealing with trauma recovery.

• We have practitioners with over ten years’ of experience, guiding couples through troubled times and healing marital wounds. 

• Our team consists of some of the best couples and marriage counsellors in Vancouver, BC. 

Tailor-Made Couples Counselling 

Every person and every relationship is unique. At Healing Waves, we get to know your specific needs to understand what works best for you. Using a variety of techniques, our couples counsellors may use a blend of treatments, depending on where you are in your couples’ progress.

This easy guide lists our teams’ specialities. You can find the right counsellor for you and your partner here.

Our methods include:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Couples.

Dr. Garima Garg uses DBT: 

• Talk therapy which combines cognitive-behavioral techniques and mindfulness. 

• Impactful for individuals with ADHD and BPD.

• Trains in management of intense emotions.

• Strengthens communication.

The Gottman Method

The Gottman Method, led by Manprett Kour, aims to:

• Disarm verbal conflict.

• Increased empathy, intimacy and affection. 

• Remove barriers and address conflict.

• Build shared meaning. 

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)Led by Cassidy Thind EFT focuses on:

• Building and rebuilding trust.

• Restructuring emotional responses.

• Promoting positive interactions.

  
  

Relational Life Therapy (RLT) Led by Lien Dilewijns combines EFT with RLT, which utilizes:

• Systems therapy.

• Feminist Therapy.

• Authentic connection with themselves and the world.

RLT breaks traditional therapy rules in favour of more effective transformation.

Do any of these speak to you? You can directly book your session with any of our trustworthy and qualified team members. 

Get excited to know yourselves and each other on a whole new level. Just like you and your partner, the relationship itself is a whole living, breathing entity. It has its complexities, its feel-good days, its moments of dissatisfaction. It deserves to be nurtured. 

Let’s get you ready.