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There are certain signs that therapists can spot when counselling couples: indicators that the relationship they are trying to save is fundamentally healthy. Whether these signs are present when the couple in question first begins therapy or whether they start to appear as things progress is not important. What is important is that every single sign is a positive indication that the relationship is likely to endure and should encourage the couple in question to stay the course.

The Signs Your Couple Therapist in Toronto Will Be Waiting to See

We are sharing these classic indicators of a healthy relationship so that you can see and rejoice in them when they emerge in your relationship!

1. You Share Your Emotions – If you start to talk to your partner about the way you are feeling at certain times, the emotions you experience in your life, this is a very good sign that your relationship is on the mend. Keeping your feelings to yourself is one of the first signs of a failing relationship so when this behaviour is reversed it is a very positive sign indeed!
2. You Can Admit Your Faults – Couples who are both willing to take responsibility for the problems in their relationship are far more likely to find a way to make things work and to stay together in the long term. A couple therapist in Toronto who is faced with two people that have no intention of taking responsibility for any of the problems in their relationship may come to the conclusion that no matter what methods are employed, failure is a very real possibility.
3. You Still Argue– Couples that still argue and are engaged with each other still care enough about their relationship to discuss the problems they are facing. It may not sound like a great sign but it is far healthier than couples who have simply stopped caring and communicating.
4. You Engage in Affectionate Touching – Couples who frequently touch each other in a non-sexual manner are usually happier in their relationship than those who do not.
5. You Admire Your Partner – If you admire your partner’s strength of character or personality, and they reciprocate your feelings, you have an excellent chance of making your relationship work.

If you do not notice any of the above signs, please do not despair. Feel  free to give us a call and arrange to have a face-to-face session with our experienced couple therapist in Toronto. After your first couple sessions, you should be in a much better position to judge whether your relationship can be salvaged.

Couples who have decided that now is the time to visit a Relationship Therapist Toronto, in order to get their relationship back on track, should ensure they are ready to make the most of the therapy they receive before they attend their first session. If you are living here in Toronto, you will find there are a number of experienced and qualified therapists ready and willing to help you resolve your relationship issues but all of them will expect you to make a major contribution during couple therapy sessions.

How to Prepare for Your First Session with a Relationship Therapist Toronto

Whether you have already booked your first session or you are just about to, you can follow the steps below to make sure that you are able to make the most of your time in couples therapy.

1. Cease Hostilities – If you are actively arguing with your partner every day, make an effort to cease hostilities in preparation for your first session.

2. Think about Your Issues – Spend some time alone considering what it is that upsets you most about your relationship with your partner. If you are to be able to talk freely with your therapist about the issues closest to your heart, right from the very start, you will need to identify what those issues are. A good couples therapist can of course facilitate this process of discovery but a little preparation beforehand will help you to make the most of your time together.

3. Make Time to Relax – While the busy work and social lives that many of us lead in cities such as Toronto can make it difficult to find time to spend alone in contemplation, doing so could really help you to get more out of your session with a local therapist. Approaching your issues with a clear, serene mind will make it much easier to accept positive suggestions and to instigate changes that will improve the situation in which you find yourself.

4. Be Willing to Believe – If you think that you might have avoided booking a session with a relationship therapist Toronto up until now because you simply don’t believe that couples therapy can help, you really need to question this belief before you begin. Starting a course of couples therapy with the attitude that there is no way it can possibly help you to resolve the relationship issues you are experiencing will most certainly slow any progress you are able to make and could stop the process from working altogether.

Lastly, another component to consider when starting therapy is the importance of a good fit between the both of you and the relationship therapist in Toronto. It is crucial that you feel comfortable with the couples therapist you have chosen as well as trust their knowledge and judgement.

Couples therapy can be highly effective and has helped to bring many people closer together over the years: couples who might have otherwise divorced if they had not invested time and energy to save their relationship. Couple Therapy Toronto is more likely to be effective when both partners approach it with the right frame of mind. If you are a resident of Toronto who is not sure if it is the right choice for you, take a look at the points below before booking your first session.

How to Approach Couple Therapy Toronto

Whenever you have a few minutes to spare, sit yourself down in a quiet spot and consider the following points. Having done so, you will be in a better position to decide whether therapy is a good option for you and your partner.

1. Be Open to Change – This might seem like an obvious fact but you would be surprised at how many people approach couples therapy with the belief that it is the other partner who needs to change and not them. Unless both of you are open to the possibility of change, therapy may not be as effective as you would like.

2. Be Willing to Listen – Most people love to talk about their feelings when given the opportunity but if you are going to make an investment in couples therapy in Toronto, you need to be ready to listen as well as to speak. If you are ready to discover what is making your partner unhappy, as well as what is causing you grief in the relationship, couples therapy is more likely to be effective. If you want a sounding board, friends are wonderful, but if you want to improve your relationship, listening to your partner in couples therapy is more useful.

3. Think about What You Want – While it may not be possible for you to establish exactly what you want from the future, you should spend some time thinking about why you are unhappy in your relationship and what you would like to change, before starting therapy. If you have a good idea of what you would like your life with your partner to be like, it will be much easier to express yourself during therapy sessions and to communicate your feelings to your partner.

For further information on what to expect when starting Couple Therapy Toronto, please do not hesitate to call during office hours. If you are unable to call during normal business hours, you can always send an email and request a call back at a time that is convenient for you. Esther Benbihy, our resident Registered Psychological Associate in Toronto, is a caring and dedicated professional therapist who is committed to helping couples in the area resolve their relationship issues and go on to lead happy, fulfilling lives together.

Whether you have already booked a session or you are currently wondering if you should, it might be handy to find out a little more about what actually happens during a Couple Counselling Toronto session so you know what to expect. Regardless if you are seeing a therapist here in Toronto or elsewhere, the basic format that professional counsellors use is broadly similar.

What Couple Counselling Toronto Will be Like

Let’s assume for a moment that you are going to see a local therapist; just what can you expect to happen at your first session and any that might follow it?

1. A Non-Judgemental Environment – What matters to a professional therapist is helping couples to find ways they can fix their relationship issues, not apportioning blame to one partner or the other. If you are worried that your counsellor is going to think badly of you, you can stop worrying now.
2. Time to Unburden Yourself –You can expect your therapist in Toronto to give you both the opportunity to speak frankly and openly about your feelings about the problems you are experiencing; something which may be difficult for you to do at home.
3. Positive Suggestions – An experienced counsellor will be able to offer positive suggestions as to how you can mend your relationship, once they are aware of the nature of the major issues that are involved. They will not sit there and tell you what to do; rather, they will work with the two of you to come up with solutions to the underlying causes of your problems.

If there is something else about the process of Couple Counselling Toronto that is bothering you, please do not hesitate to call and speak to us at any time. We are dedicated to helping couples in the area resolve their problems and go on to enjoy fulfilling relationships together in the future.

Although therapy has helped many married couples in the past, some people are still reticent to try it. This may be partly because they don’t actually want to admit they are having problems, but it is often also due to not really understanding how such therapy works. Whether you see a therapist in Toronto or another part of the country, there are a few myths about marriage therapy Toronto you would do well to forget. Once these myths have been dispelled, you can look at therapy objectively and decide whether it is really for you or not.

Myths about Marriage Therapy Toronto and Elsewhere

There are a number of commonly held misconceptions regarding marriage counselling, including the often repeated myths you will find listed below.

• Therapists Are Only Interested in the Past – Many people are under the misapprehension that if they attend therapy sessions, they will spend most of their time talking about their childhood and their relationships with their parents. While some issues that couples experience may be rooted in behaviour they learned as a child, the focus is also on the present and vision of the future.
• Attending Therapy Is Admitting Defeat – Some couples feel that booking a session with a counsellor who specializes in marriage therapy Toronto will be admitting that they are unable to help themselves. A more positive way to look at it is this: at the very least, seeing a couples therapist will speed up whatever you might have been able to do on your own and it could help you to remove obstacles to a happy relationship that two people on their own would find very difficult to remove. It is not about admitting defeat, it is about seeking an effective resolution to the problems you are experiencing.
• Therapy Is Prohibitively Expensive – Seeing a therapist in Toronto is probably nowhere near as expensive as you think but this myth alone stops hundreds of couples from seeking the help they need. Although couples counselling is not covered by OHIP, it may be covered by an individual’s extended health insurance plan. Couples therapy is also an investment in yourself and relationship!

In truth, there are many other commonly held myths about marriage therapy Toronto and elsewhere so if you would like to discuss any reservations you have about seeing a therapist, we would be more than happy to oblige. You can use the number at the top of the page to call for further information or to make a booking.