Open 7 days a week - day, evening and weekend appointments available
Open 7 days a week - day, evening and weekend appointments available
Marriage counselling, sometimes called couples therapy, is a type of psychotherapy. It centres around various techniques and methods designed to help couples understand and resolve conflicts, improve their relationship, and rebuild their emotional connection. While each couple is unique and will require a tailored approach to marriage counselling, many sessions involve some combination of guided discussions, exercises, and tools. At One Life, these are all provided by a licensed therapist to address important issues specifically.
Whatever brings you to our Calgary office for marriage counselling, know that our therapists have experience with various relationship concerns. Whether it’s an argument that has seeped into other aspects of your life or multiple issues leaving you frustrated and distant, we’re here to help support your journey to a healthier relationship.
At One Life Counselling and Coaching, our experienced therapists provide a compassionate, non-judgmental space where couples can explore their issues and work towards healing and reconnection. We understand life is busy, making it difficult to prioritize time together as a couple for therapy sessions. When you choose marriage counselling at our Calgary office, know that we offer flexible scheduling, including evening, weekend, and online counselling options, to accommodate your schedule.
Our team consists of highly qualified therapists with diverse specializations in marriage and family therapy, including experts trained in the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Once you have found a good fit for your counselling session, your therapist will bring a wealth of experience and a unique approach to support your journey.
The Gottman Method focuses on building a strong marital friendship, managing conflict effectively, and creating shared meaning. Developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, this approach is based on over four decades of research with thousands of couples. The method emphasizes the importance of building a deep friendship, maintaining a positive perspective, and developing effective conflict management strategies.Â
Gottman Method therapists use specific tools and exercises to help couples strengthen their emotional bonds, enhance intimacy, and create a shared sense of purpose and meaning in their lives together.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) helps couples explore their emotional responses and develop stronger, more secure attachments. EFT is grounded in attachment theory and focuses on the emotional bond between partners. With this approach, your marriage counsellor will work with you to identify and address negative interaction patterns and unmet emotional needs. Our EFT therapists guide couples in creating new, positive interaction cycles that foster emotional safety and connection.Â
Through this process, couples learn to express their emotions more openly and respond to each other’s needs with empathy and support, leading to a more secure and fulfilling relationship.
IMAGO Relationship Therapy helps couples transform conflict into healing and growth by understanding each other’s childhood wounds and unconscious dynamics. The term "imago" comes from the Latin word for "image" and refers to the unconscious image of familiar love developed in childhood. IMAGO therapy posits that individuals are drawn to partners who reflect their unresolved childhood issues.Â
Through structured dialogues and exercises, IMAGO therapists help couples become more aware of these dynamics and learn to communicate with empathy and compassion. Should your therapist choose this path of marriage counselling for you, you’ll find the process allows partners to heal past wounds, reduce conflict, and build a more conscious and connected relationship.
The Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT) focuses on attachment and neuroscience to help couples develop secure, loving relationships through effective communication and trust-building. PACT combines cutting-edge research from neuroscience, attachment theory, and arousal regulation to help partners understand and respond to each other’s emotional needs.Â
By emphasizing the importance of secure attachment and understanding the brain’s role in emotional regulation, PACT therapists guide couples in creating deeper emotional bonds and fostering a safe, supportive relationship environment.
Relational Life Therapy (RLT) helps couples understand and break destructive patterns, fostering a more resilient and satisfying relationship. RLT focuses on the dynamics of power in relationships, helping partners identify and change their relational habits that undermine intimacy.Â
By addressing underlying issues and teaching new skills for emotional honesty and connection, RLT aims to restore balance and mutual respect in the relationship. If your therapist believes this is the best approach for your relationship, they will guide you through exercises that promote healthy communication and conflict resolution, leading to stronger and more fulfilling partnerships.
Marriage counselling at our Calgary office costs $330 + GST for 90-minute sessions, and $220 + GST for 60-minute sessions.
Yes, all sessions and information discussed in marriage counselling are kept strictly confidential. This ensures a safe and private space for you to work on your relationship.
The frequency of counselling sessions depends on the couple's needs, and we typically recommend weekly or bi-weekly sessions to gain momentum on your goals. As progress is made, sessions may be spaced out for longer periods.
It’s possible. Many insurance plans cover marriage counselling, and we recommend checking with your insurer prior to booking to understand the specifics of your coverage.
The first session can be nerve-wracking, especially as you bring current issues to the surface in front of a professional. In the first session, you'll discuss your relationship history, current issues, and goals for counselling. This session helps the therapist understand your dynamics and develop an initial plan for your therapy.
The length of the process varies based on the couple's needs and the complexity of their issues. Some couples see significant improvements in a few months, while others may continue for a year or more.
While it's ideal for both partners to participate, counselling can still be beneficial if only one partner is initially willing to attend. Individual therapy can also support relationship improvement.
It's common for one partner to be hesitant. Openly discussing the benefits and addressing concerns can help. Sometimes, starting with a few individual sessions can ease the transition into joint counselling.
If separation or divorce is the chosen path, your therapist can help facilitate a respectful and amicable process, focusing on effective communication and, if applicable, co-parenting strategies.
If being able to use your insurance benefits is an important factor in your selection, our team would be happy to recommend one of our therapists who's services are covered by most insurance plans. Please be sure to confirm in advance if insurance coverage is preferred.
Our standard fees are aligned with the recommended fee schedule from the Psychologist’s Association of Alberta. However, we offer the added value of 60-minute sessions in contrast to the recommended 50-minute session for this fee.
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