Whole Family Psychotherapy
Couples Therapy For Parents
Navigating life with children can take a toll on intimate partner relationships. Couples Therapy can help you and your partner get your relationship back on track – whether you have a new baby or teenagers at home. Providing Virtual couples therapy across Ontario.
Having a baby changes things
Congratulations on becoming parents! The transition from a couple to becoming a family is an exciting time for both of you. So why doesn’t it feel like you thought it would?
It’s normal to feel like your relationship has changed drastically after having a baby. Things that didn’t bother you before seem to consume your thoughts; you find yourself saying things to your partner that you wouldn’t normally say and your feelings towards them have shifted.
Conflict has crept in, making it hard to manage disagreements in a constructive way. Despite your best intentions, you feel like you are drifting apart. You want to feel loved, validated and understood, and for your partner to feel the same, but you need some help getting back to that place of connection.
Whether through online couples therapy or in-person sessions, we can help you address relationship issues and parenting challenges together.
Couples Therapy For Parents
The 14 Most Common Things We Hear From Couples
The intimacy and connection you used to have has been replaced by transactional interactions about the kids and what needs to be done in the home.
Both of you may feel completely maxed out in your respective roles, and are resenting your partner for asking for more from you, or for not doing more to help.
The primary parent often resents or is jealous of the parent working outside the home for the freedom they have, and how their lives haven’t changed as drastically.
The mental exhaustion and lack of sleep that comes along with being new parents means that you have less emotional resources to navigate conflict.
One wants more sex and intimacy than the other, which can cause feelings of rejection for one partner, and pressure to be sexual for the other.
The primary parent feels overwhelmed by the responsibilities of having a new baby, while the working parent feels under-appreciated in their role providing for the family. You want to find a middle ground where you can meet your partner’s need for appreciation while having your’s met as well.
You may also fear being seen as a nag or micromanager by your partner.
When there’s no resolution, repairing or apologizing after conflict, couples will continue to build distance and hostility between them.
One partner may reach for emotional support when overwhelmed or triggered, and this is difficult for the other partner who makes attempts that do not provide relief. This can result in a ‘tug of war’ around asking for support, and feeling ineffective in knowing how to provide support.
Feeling tension and a sense of score keeping around who has more freedom and time to themselves can drive a wedge between you.
Boundary issues with parents and in-laws and the unsolicited advice that comes along with it can cause division and confusion in your relationship.
The process of raising your own children can act as a catalyst, triggering the re-emergence of past wounds. The emotions and physiological responses that result can cause tension in your relationship.
Many people fear coming to couples therapy because they worry that the therapist will make them out to be the “bad one”. But this is not the case at all. This line of thinking only makes things worse!
In couples therapy, we listen to, and work with, both partners’ experience of the relationship.
Invite your partner to speak with the therapist via a free consultation if they’d like to, or let them know you want to go because you care so much about your relationship, not as an ultimatum and that will warm them up more.
Couples Counselling In Waterloo & Surrounding Areas
We can support couples with:
Conflict resolution
Tension in the relationship
Resentment
Guilt and shame
Feeling unappreciated
Emotional support
Parenting relationship issues
Parenting counselling
Family transition support
Parenting differences
Loneliness
Unresolved trauma
If this resonates, you're not alone
Couples Therapy is a game changer for parents.
About Us
Why Whole Family Psychotherapy?
We believe there’s never been a harder time for parents. Collectively, we are over-informed and under-supported.
The increasing pressure to keep up, do-it-all and do it right, can feel overwhelming. The crushing pressure to meet unattainable parenting standards, nurture relationships, balance the mental and physical loads of caring for children, families and homes while maintaining the façade of perfection seems unrealistic and unhealthy.
So much of what we all need as humans, especially right now, is to be truly seen, heard and held. When you work with our team, we hold space for you in order to explore the roots of what is going on, learn the tools to help you cope with life’s challenges, and dare I say, start finding JOY in your life! Our team of specialized therapists have extensive training and certification in perinatal mental health care, and we are parents ourselves – so you can be sure you will receive the very best care from someone who truly understands.
The journey won’t necessarily be perfect, but having consistent support – can change everything.
We help you feel whole.
Our Team Has Been Featured In
Therapists Offering Couples Therapy
Our counselling team provides in-person couples therapy in Waterloo and virtual couples therapy across Ontario. Browse our team profiles below to find the right therapist near you.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Couples Therapy
Struggling with parenting? Many couples find that parenting relationship issues can create new challenges in their partnership. This is completely normal, and we’re here to help.
Gone are the days when virtual therapy was seen as inferior to in-person therapy – extensive research conducted on virtual therapy throughout the pandemic showed us how valid an approach this is. Over the past several years, virtual therapy clients have also shared their positive experiences with us; particularly the impact of having therapy be so much more flexible and accessible when our time is so valuable and hard to come by.
Our virtual couples therapy and online couples therapy options provide the same evidence-based support as in-person sessions, with added convenience for busy parents.
Benefits of virtual couples therapy:
- Allows you to be in your environment, where you are most comfortable.
- Removes the need for child care – babies and young children can be cared for or sleeping at home while a parent receives the support they need.
- Removes the travel time, making appointments easier to schedule for busy parents.
Allows couples/family members to join a session from multiple locations.
If you feel deeply drawn to in-person therapy, we see you – and we do offer limited in person services in Waterloo and Markham Ontario for those who aren’t open to trying virtual – but we always encourage folks to at least TRY working virtually – you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it!
You will attend your first session together, and then each attend one individual session. From there, you will meet with your therapist together.
Many people fear coming to couples therapy because they worry that the therapist will make them out to be the “bad one”. But this is not the case at all. If we make your partner the bad one, then they are the bad one or you are with the bad one and that makes things worse! In couples therapy, we listen to and work with both partner’s experience of the relationship. Invite your partner to speak with the therapist via a free consultation if they’d like to, or let them know you want to go because you care so much about your relationship, not as an ultimatum and that will warm them up more.
Many couples seek counselling when transitioning to parenthood, facing postpartum adjustment difficulties, or experiencing co-parenting challenges. Getting support early can prevent deeper relationship issues from developing.
Often, when one or both partners have started asking the question, do we need therapy, it’s a good indicator that things feel off track, and that you could benefit from support. It’s important to remember that you do not need to be in a crisis to get support, and often, the earlier you work on challenges, the less difficult they are to work through. It is going to be a very personal decision, but if you are experiencing any of the following, you will absolutely benefit from couples therapy:
- Communication difficulties: conversations often escalate into arguments, and one or both of you feels misunderstood
- Frequent conflict: having the same argument, or similar ones very often without resolution, can indicate that you are stuck in a conflict style that isn’t serving you
- Loss of emotional connection and tenderness; feeling emotionally distant, like roommates, or experiencing a decline in your overall satisfaction with the relationship
- Trust issues or infidelity: navigating the pain of infidelity and struggling to rebuild trust
- Navigating major life transitions – hello parenting stress! Big transitions put a major strain on our intimate partner relationship
- Lack of problem-solving skills: feeling stuck and unable to find constructive solutions to challenges, or having difficulty with compromise
There are two important considerations:
- Does the therapist have the training and expertise to treat our particular difficulties?
- Do we feel a good connection with them – do we both feel heard, understood, and comfortable with them?
All of our couples therapists have advanced training and certification to work with couples, because couples therapy isn’t just individual therapy with two people; specific training is a must in our eyes. Our couples therapists also have advanced certification in perinatal mental health and are parents themselves, so you can feel confident that they understand and can help you in this stage of life.
For parents specifically, it’s valuable to work with a therapist who understands the unique challenges of maintaining a healthy relationship while raising children. Our therapists specialize in helping couples navigate parenting stresses while strengthening their connection.
In order to get the right fit, we offer free consultations, which allow you to get a feel for the therapist. If you find yourself overwhelmed reviewing our therapists’ bios and not sure who to try a free consult with, feel free to reach out to us at hello@wholefamilypsychotherapy.com and we would be happy to help match you with a therapist based on your preferences.
EFT is a short term therapy that is effective in 8 to 12 sessions for many couples. If there have been big hurts (including infidelity) in the relationship, it will likely take longer than this. If one or both partners are contending with trauma, this also takes longer.
Weekly sessions are recommended to get forward movement in EFT, although this can be difficult to manage for some couples and they may prefer every other week. If couples stretch out sessions longer than every other week, they may lose momentum, particularly in the first part of therapy where they are learning to lessen conflict or disconnection patterns.
Whole Family Psychotherapy requires 24 business hours notice for appointment cancellations or changes. (The clinic admin business hours are Monday 8am through Saturday 4pm). This cancellation policy is out of respect for your therapist’s time, and out of consideration for other clients waiting to be booked. If you cancel with less than 24 business hours notice, the full session fee will be charged to the credit card on file.
As you progress in couples therapy, you may notice:
- A renewed sense of connection, tenderness and compassion towards one another
- An increased understanding of one another’s inner worlds
- Increased awareness of your relational patterns and how they manifest in your relationship
- Stronger communication and conflict management skills
- Feeling more able to work as a team
- Deeper clarity on what you and your partner need to feel safe and loved
- Ability to navigate day-to-day stress better
How To Get Started
Book Online
You can book an appointment directly online using our secure booking portal. Select the therapist you’d like to connect with, create a profile, and select a time that works for you!
... or message us!
Get In Touch
How To Get Started
We’re here to help you find the right fit for you and your family. Please complete the simple form below and our Intake Coordinator will be in touch to answer any questions you have and either book you in for a FREE consultation or an appointment.
