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Couples therapy has long been seen as something for relationships in crisis. But more and more couples in Ottawa are choosing to seek support before things hit a breaking point. Whether it’s navigating parenting stress, communication breakdowns, or life transitions, therapy is becoming a powerful tool for prevention—not just repair. At Resiliency Clinic, we believe healthy relationships are built and rebuilt over time, especially during seasons of change. Here’s what we’ve learned from working with couples across Ottawa and why we encourage more people to start the conversation early.
What Brings Couples to Therapy in the First Place?
Couples often come to us carrying quiet stress. It might be the invisible load of raising children, the ongoing grief of fertility struggles, or the growing emotional distance that creeps in during busy family life. Others are navigating complex challenges like lack of intimacy amidst demanding work schedules, resentment from unequal division of household labor, the emotional impact of caring for aging parents, or communication struggles that resurface during conflict. Many of our Ottawa clients are balancing dual careers, supporting multigenerational households, or adjusting to co-parenting after separation. These aren’t signs of failure—they’re signs of life. Therapy helps couples respond with intention rather than react from exhaustion.
Therapy Isn’t About Sides—It’s About Insight
One of the most common misconceptions about couples therapy is that it’s about picking a side or fixing a “problem person.” It’s not. A good couples therapist observes and supports the dynamic between partners—often bringing to light subtle patterns, like how one partner’s tone may cause the other to shut down, or how unmet needs are being expressed through frustration instead of vulnerability. We work to help each partner feel seen and understood, without blame or shame.
What Ottawa Couples Are Learning in Therapy
Over time, many couples begin to see how their childhood experiences and family systems shaped their current relationship patterns. They explore questions like: What did I learn about love and conflict from my parents? How do I respond when I feel emotionally unsafe? Am I really listening—or just waiting to defend myself? Couples therapy doesn’t just teach new skills—it creates space for reflection, repair, and responsibility. It’s about learning how to show up differently, together.
Relationships Change—That’s Not a Problem
In our work, we often tell couples: love isn’t a static thing. It grows, stretches, contracts, and evolves. The relationships that last are the ones where both people learn how to adapt, communicate through change, and return to connection—even after conflict. Therapy helps couples in Ottawa learn how to “ride the waves” of family life and come out stronger.
The Most Common Myths We Hear
If you’ve been thinking about couples therapy but feel uncertain, you’re not alone. Here are a few myths we often hear in the first session:
- “One session should fix it.”
- “My partner is the problem—can you convince them?”
- “Can we both see you individually too?”
While we do meet with each partner individually during the initial assessment, our work is rooted in supporting the relationship as the client. Individual therapy can complement this work—but couples therapy has its own unique process.
Therapy During Life Transitions
Couples therapy isn’t about assigning blame or pointing fingers. It’s about learning to navigate your relationship with more clarity, compassion, and connection — before things spiral. Many of the couples we support aren’t in active crisis—they’re navigating life changes. These might include the transition to parenthood, fertility struggles or pregnancy loss, launching teenagers into adulthood, navigating retirement or empty nesting, or caring for ill or aging parents. These moments don’t always come with a roadmap. Therapy becomes the place where couples can slow down, reflect, and realign.
Our Approach at Resiliency Clinic
We take an integrative, trauma-sensitive approach to couples therapy, primarily using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help partners re-establish emotional safety and connection, the Gottman Method for evidence-based tools around communication and conflict resolution, and CBT and narrative tools to support couples dealing with anxiety, past trauma, or stress-related habits. Each therapist tailors their approach to the couple’s needs, goals, and communication style.
Meet Our Couples Therapy Team
We’re proud to support Ottawa families and relationships at all stages. Some of our therapists offering couples counselling include: Celina Basto, who supports parents and blended families, as well as couples navigating adult child dynamics; Shirley Watchorn, who offers virtual therapy across Ontario with a focus on communication skills and emotional regulation; and Mckenna Bebee, who works with couples through postpartum mental health challenges, pregnancy loss, and ADHD-related relationship struggles. You can request an appointment with any of these therapists here. You can also learn more about our clinic here.
In a City That Moves Fast, Therapy Helps You Slow Down
Living in Ottawa means navigating demanding careers, public sector shifts, diverse family systems, and often, very full schedules. It’s easy for connection to fall to the bottom of the list. Therapy invites couples to prioritize their relationship—not because it’s broken, but because it matters. Whether you’re feeling distant, overwhelmed, or simply want to deepen your connection, couples therapy offers space to grow, reset, and reconnect.
Curious about starting couples therapy in Ottawa? We’d love to meet you. Contact us here to book a consult or learn more about our approach. Follow along on our socials, too! We love sharing about our approach and helpful tips for our clients.
