Marriage & Family Therapy
Your close relationships can be a source of fulfillment, healing and wellbeing – or stress, unhappiness and even physical illness
We’re here to help you and your loved one(s) work out challenges, shift unhelpful dynamics and increase your connection in a safe, secure and non-judgemental environment.
Marriage and Family Therapy Can Help With…
Therapy is an excellent way for couples and families to address unresolved tension, conflict, stress and other challenges including/relating to:
- Explosive behaviour, fighting and/or aggression
- Lack of connection
- Poor communication
- Issues with intimacy (couples only)
- Infidelity (couples only)
- Financial conflict
It is also incredibly helpful as a proactive tool to ensure all members of your family/couple feel safe, heard, cared for and valued.
Our Approach To Therapy
Our marriage & family therapists use a variety of evidence-based modalities to support families through the process of resolving conflict, building connections, shifting focus or unhelpful dynamics and improving their relationships including:
- Emotionally Focused Family Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Schema Therapy
We approach couples and – especially – family therapy with an attachment focus, which means we recognize the importance of early attachment for overall wellbeing and its role in lifelong mental health (or lack thereof).
Getting Started & What To Expect
If you’re interested in marriage or family therapy, the first step is to book an intake call with our care manager. She will ask questions to gain an understanding of your goals and situation and, of course, answer any questions you may have.
If she determines that one of our marriage and family therapists can help you and your loved one(s), she will make the connection and therapy can begin.
Sessions are one-hour, and work best in person (though virtual is an option), on a schedule as discussed and determined between you and your care provider.
Our care manager will remain in touch to ensure you’re getting what you need from therapy and to connect you with additional services if/as necessary over time. If you so choose, they will also check in regularly with inventory assessment scales – which are simple tools we use to track and monitor your progress over time.
Ready to get started?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do/can children participate in family therapy?
Absolutely. We encourage children (aged 12 and up) to attend and participate in family therapy sessions. For families with children younger than that, we strongly recommend that sessions include parents only.
Does family therapy apply to extended families?
Absolutely. It applies to any relationship of two or more people that consider one another family. We can support caregivers, adult children and their parents, adult siblings and a wide variety of other dynamics.
Will all of our sessions be together as a couple/family?
Not necessarily. Our therapists will often recommend individual sessions in addition to joint ones. This will all be discussed and decided upon as part of your treatment plan, and you will absolutely have a say about this (and all other details of your care).
I feel my partner/family and I need therapy but they’re reluctant to participate. Any advice?
This is very common. If your loved one(s) aren’t on board with therapy just yet, we suggest asking them to try out a session or two – and then make the decision from there. Once they’ve experienced therapy, it’s likely that it won’t feel so scary and they’ll have a better sense of the benefits.
Generally speaking, when bringing up the idea of therapy with your loved one(s) (especially for the first time), avoid being critical or framing it as though something is wrong. Rather, focus on the benefits that can be had: greater connection, fulfillment, ease, enjoyment and health.
How will we know therapy is working?
We believe strongly in measurement-based care which is why all clients have the option of completing regular (bi-weekly) inventory assessment scales, which are quick, survey-style questions designed to gauge your symptoms and state of mind. If you are feeling more ease and connection and less tension in your relationship(s), that’s a good sign that you’re on the right track and it’s working.
Will we have a say in our treatment plan?
Yes, every step of the way. For us, therapy is about ‘working with’ not ‘doing to’. We take a collaborative approach to your care, which means that your preferences, ideas, and choices matter and nothing happens without your consent and comfort.
Are your marriage/family therapists trauma-informed?
Yes, all our therapists are trauma-informed, which means they understand trauma and its role as a root cause of a wide variety of issues and illnesses – both mental and physical.
Is therapy covered by OHIP?
Unfortunately it is not. It is, however, covered by most private insurance plans.
What are your rates? Do you offer a sliding scale?
Our rates are in line with industry standards and we do offer subsidized sessions with our therapy interns, who are closely supervised by our therapy team. If you’re on a tight budget and/or regular fees would be prohibitive for you, please reach out for more information about this option.
Do you offer individual therapy?
We do – you can read more about that here.
Our Marriage & Family Therapists
Shoshana Kulik, MSW RSW
Leah Mamorstein, MFT, OPCC
