Couples Therapy
in St. Albert and Edmonton
Are you feeling disconnected, stuck in the same arguments, or unsure how to reconnect? Couples therapy provides a supportive space to understand the patterns affecting your relationship and build a more secure connection
When you care about each other but
can't seem to stop getting stuck in the same patterns.
Relationships can be deeply rewarding—and deeply challenging.
You may be arguing about the same things over and over. Maybe you've become emotionally distant, communication has broken down, or you're struggling to rebuild trust after hurt or betrayal.
Sometimes couples reach a point where they know something needs to change, but they aren't sure how to change it on their own.
Couples counselling provides a safe, supportive space to slow things down, understand what is happening beneath the conflict, and begin creating a different way of relating to one another.
At Guided Path Counselling, our goal isn't simply to help you argue less. It's to help you understand each other more deeply, strengthen your connection, and build a relationship that feels safer and more secure.
You May Be Here Because…
You may be experiencing:
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Frequent arguments or conflict
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Communication that never seems to go anywhere
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Feeling emotionally disconnected from one another
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Difficulty feeling heard or understood
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Loss of intimacy or closeness
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Trust issues or a breach of trust
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Infidelity or betrayal
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One partner pursuing while the other withdraws
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Difficulty resolving the same issues
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Anger, resentment, or frustration
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Differences in parenting, finances, or family responsibilities
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Major life changes affecting your relationship
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Uncertainty about whether your relationship can move forward
You may even be wondering:
“Can we get back to the way we used to be?”
“Why do we keep having the same fight?”
“Why can't my partner understand what I need?”
“Is our relationship repairable?”
You don't have to know exactly what is wrong before reaching out.
That's part of what counselling can help you understand.
How Couples Counselling Can Help
Couples counselling can help you slow down the cycle of conflict and begin understanding what is happening underneath it.
Rather than focusing only on who is right or wrong, therapy can help you explore the patterns that develop between you.
Together, we may work on:
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Understanding your communication and conflict patterns
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Identifying what happens when you feel hurt, rejected, criticized, or disconnected
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Expressing needs in ways your partner can better hear
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Understanding the emotions underneath anger, withdrawal, criticism, or defensiveness
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Rebuilding trust and emotional safety
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Strengthening communication and connection
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Developing healthier ways of responding to one another
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Reconnecting emotionally and physically
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Creating a stronger foundation for your relationship
The goal isn't to decide who is at fault.
The goal is to understand the pattern you're caught in and learn how to create something different together
Couples Therapy Approaches
1
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT)
Tammy uses Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), an evidence-informed approach that focuses on emotional connection, attachment, and the patterns that develop between partners.
When couples feel disconnected or unsafe in their relationship, they can become caught in repetitive cycles—one partner pursues while the other withdraws, or one criticizes while the other becomes defensive.
EFCT helps couples understand these patterns and the emotions underneath them.
Instead of simply asking, “Why do we keep fighting?”, we begin to explore:
“What is happening between us?”
“What am I really needing from my partner?”
“How can we create a relationship where we both feel heard, understood, and emotionally safe?”
The goal is to help couples move away from cycles of conflict and toward greater connection, trust, and security.
2
Relational Life Therapy (RLT)
Relational Life Therapy (RLT) is a direct and practical approach that helps people understand the patterns they bring into their relationships and develop healthier ways of relating.
RLT looks beyond the surface of conflict to explore what may be happening underneath—such as defensiveness, resentment, avoidance, criticism, control, or difficulty taking responsibility.
Rather than focusing only on “Who is right?”,
RLT encourages us to ask:
“What part am I playing in this pattern?”
“How am I showing up in my relationships?”
“What would it look like to communicate more honestly and take greater responsibility for my part?”
The approach can help couples develop greater awareness, improve communication, establish healthier boundaries, and create more respectful and connected relationships.
At Guided Path Counselling, Relational Life Therapy is one of the approaches being incorporated into our ongoing couples work as Tammy and Jason continue their RLT training.
3
A Unique Approach to Couples Counselling
Couples have the option of working with Tammy individually as their couples therapist, or exploring whether having both Tammy and Jason involved would be helpful.
Tammy brings her clinical experience as a Registered Clinical Social Worker and training in couples and relationship therapy.
Jason brings a practical, real-world perspective shaped by more than 20 years of experience in relationships, family life, blue-collar work, and supervisory roles.
For some couples, having both perspectives can provide an additional layer of support and insight.
If you're unsure which approach is right for you, we can talk about your needs and help determine what would be the best fit.