Our Services
Couples Counselling
Struggling to connect? Whether you're new to your relationship or have invested years together — there's no wrong time to reach out for support.
Strengthening Your Relationship Together
Maybe you've fallen out of sync, raised a family together, or feel like you're on different paths. Perhaps communication has broken down, trust has been damaged, or you simply want to build a stronger foundation before problems arise.
At Counselling and Play Therapy Services, we work from a Gottman framework — one of the most well-researched approaches to couples therapy in the world. Whether you're a "newbie" in your relationship or have invested years together, we have you covered.
Couples counselling is not a brief intervention. It requires commitment from both partners and your therapist. Bi-weekly appointments are encouraged to start, then reduced as you begin to see progress.
The Gottman Approach
The Gottman Method is grounded in decades of research on what makes relationships thrive. It focuses on building friendship and intimacy, managing conflict constructively, and creating shared meaning — giving couples practical tools they can use both in session and at home.
Build Friendship & Intimacy
Deepening your knowledge of each other and nurturing the emotional connection that sustains a relationship.
Manage Conflict Constructively
Learning to navigate disagreements without contempt, criticism, or defensiveness — the patterns that erode relationships over time.
Create Shared Meaning
Developing rituals, goals, and values that give your relationship a sense of purpose and direction.
What to Expect
Intake Session
You and your partner share your story together — what brought you here, what you're hoping for, and what your relationship has looked like.
Individual Sessions
Each partner meets separately with the therapist. This gives you space to share your own history, and individual screens are completed.
Goal-Setting Session
Together, you'll explore what's working, develop shared goals, and build a plan tailored to your relationship.
Ongoing Sessions
Building on your strengths, you'll practise strategies in session and at home — with regular check-ins to track your progress.
Areas We Support
- Communication breakdown
- Trust and infidelity
- Conflict and recurring arguments
- Emotional disconnection
- Parenting disagreements
- Life transitions (new baby, illness, relocation)
- Separation and divorce support
- Blended family adjustment
Therapists Who Offer Couples Counselling
Ann Tichelaar Swerdfeger
Registered Psychotherapist & Certified Play Therapist
Gottman Level 1, Couples & Relationship Support
Chelsea Jackson
Registered Psychotherapist
Couples & Families: Anxiety, Depression, Relationship Challenges
Olivia Richardson
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Couples: Communication, Life Transitions, Meaningful Change
Ready to Invest in Your Relationship?
Reaching out is the first step. We'll help you find the right therapist and get started at a pace that works for both of you.