Couples counselling Calgary
specialized therapy for couples
Calgary Couples & Marriage counselling
Takeaway: All relationships hit bumps in the road. However, sometimes these bumps feel more like mountains that are impossible to climb. With the help of a Calgary couples therapist, you and your partner can navigate whatever life throws at you and come out stronger.
Does this sound like your Relationship?
You might consider marriage or couple counselling if you're experiencing:
Communication Issues: persistent difficulties in effectively communicating and understanding each other.
Repeated Conflicts: Frequent arguments or recurring conflicts that seem unresolved.
Emotional Distance: Feeling emotionally disconnected or distant from your partner.
Trust Issues: Infidelity or other breaches compromise trust.
Major Life Transitions: Managing significant life changes, such as parenting, career shifts, or relocation.
Intimacy Concerns: Struggles with physical or emotional intimacy within the relationship.
Pre-Marital Preparation: Seeking guidance and support before getting married.
Stale Relationship: Feeling stuck in negative patterns or a lack of growth in the relationship.
If you're uncertain, a consultation with a couples therapist can help assess your specific situation and determine whether couples counselling is a beneficial step for your relationship.
Calgary couples therapy can help Rekindle a strong, loving connection.
Couples or marriage therapy can offer several benefits, including improved communication, strengthened emotional connection, enhanced problem-solving skills, and the opportunity for personal growth within the relationship. Additionally, therapy can help couples navigate challenges, reduce conflicts, and build a more fulfilling and resilient partnership.
Improved Communication: Couples counselling enhances communication skills by teaching partners to express themselves effectively, listen actively, and understand each other, fostering a healthier relationship.
Enhanced Problem-Solving: Therapy provides couples with tools to navigate challenges, teaching effective problem-solving strategies and encouraging collaboration to overcome obstacles together.
Rebuilding Trust: For couples dealing with issues like infidelity, counselling offers a structured environment to address trust concerns, facilitating open conversations and steps towards rebuilding trust.
Increased Intimacy: Couples counselling focuses on emotional and physical intimacy, helping partners reconnect, rediscover shared interests, and strengthen the bond that initially brought them together.
Stress Management: Counselling supports couples facing life stresses, such as work pressures or family transitions, by providing coping mechanisms and fostering resilience to navigate challenges as a united team.
Connect for a free 30-minute call with a marriage counselling therapist.
Our approach to marriage counselling in Calgary
Our team of counsellors and psychologists is passionate about helping couples find healing and build strong and lasting relationships.
At Shelly Qualtieri & Associates, our dedicated team of counsellors and psychologists is committed to guiding couples through healing processes and fostering resilient, lasting relationships. Whether you attend sessions individually or with your spouse, our experienced counsellors can help you uncover the underlying issues and improve communication, allowing you to regain a positive sense of self and strengthen your relationship. We employ evidence-based therapies like Gottman Method Couples Therapy, CBT, DBT, EFT, solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy, and trauma-informed therapy, tailoring each approach to address specific challenges and promote positive change in your partnership.
Meet 8 Top-Rated Calgary Couples therapists
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1. Shelly Qualtieri, Founder
Registered Social Worker
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2. Marizabel Forno
Registered Psychologist
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![Smyrna Gonzalez]()
3. Smyrna Gonzalez
Registered Psychologist
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4. Kim Noll
Registered Psychologist
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![Lorena Koenig]()
5. Lorena Koenig, MSW
Registered Social Worker
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6. Hannah Wilson
Certified Canadian Counsellor
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7. Puja Patel
Licensed Professional Canadian Counsellor
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8. Sadia Suleman
Registered Psychologist
Who are our couples therapy services for?
Our couples counselling support in Calgary welcomes couples of all ages, backgrounds, and sexual orientations, offering assistance to enhance and fortify their bond.
Whether you're grappling with communication breakdowns, struggling to resolve conflicts, or feeling the weight of negative patterns, our couples therapy services provide a dedicated space to address these challenges and nurture a more harmonious connection. We extend our support to couples at various stages of their relationships, be it in the early months of dating or after many years of shared experiences. Our therapists are committed to understanding and navigating the unique dynamics of each relationship, fostering trust, and developing tailored strategies for growth and fulfillment.
At Shelly Qualtieri & Associates, our inclusive approach ensures support for all couples, including same-sex couples, providing a safe and affirming environment to explore and enhance their relationships. If you're facing challenges in your relationship, whether it's with a partner of the opposite or of the same sex, we invite you to take the first step toward a more fulfilling partnership.
To develop a personalized plan for a fulfilling relationship, read here.
FAQs about working with a Calgary couples counsellor
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In couples therapy, our therapist offers a secure space for partners to engage in meaningful conversations and rediscover their connection. The therapist guides couples in solution-focused therapy, helping them shift their focus from blame to understanding the relational dynamics and facilitating new steps forward. Acting as a consultant, the therapist assists in making sense of relationship challenges and navigating the intense emotions experienced by distressed partners.
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Typically, the first session includes both partners. Following the initial session, we arrange one individual session for each client. All further sessions include both partners.
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The therapy modalities utilized are brief therapy, and typically clients can expect to see positive changes in their relationship problems or individual problems in 10–20 sessions. The number of sessions depends on the client, the severity of the problem, and the duration of relationship distress.
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If your partner is unwilling to attend couples therapy, it's important to address the situation with empathy and open communication. You can express your desire for both of you to work together on improving the relationship and highlight the potential benefits of couples therapy. However, therapy is most effective when both partners are willing participants. If your partner remains resistant, you may consider attending individual therapy to explore your own concerns and gain insights into the relationship dynamics. Ultimately, open communication and understanding each other's perspectives are crucial in navigating such situations.
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The basic task of the therapist is to provide and create a safe environment for the client to explore relationship issues, whether with themselves or with others.
Safety Concerns: If there is a risk of physical harm or abuse in the relationship, prioritizing safety is crucial. In such cases, couple counselling may not be appropriate until safety concerns are addressed.
Lack of Commitment: If one or both partners are not committed to the process and there's a clear unwillingness to engage in therapy, it may not be effective.
One-Sided Effort: If only one partner is actively working on the relationship, it can create an imbalance, and the therapy may not yield the desired outcomes.
Unresolved Addictions: If one or both partners are struggling with active substance abuse issues and are not actively seeking help for addiction, addressing these issues may need to take precedence.
Untreated Mental Health Issues: If one or both partners have untreated severe mental health issues that require individual therapy or specialized treatment, couples counselling alone may not be sufficient.
It's essential to consult with a mental health professional to determine whether couples counselling is suitable based on the specific circumstances of the relationship.
get started
Ready to heal your relationship?
Our complimentary consultation may help you find the therapist who will be the best fit for your journey to a loving and compassionate relationship. We are accepting new clients.