Relational and trauma-informed psychotherapy may help if you repeatedly experience distance, people-pleasing, or conflict in relationships; understand that a pattern is unhealthy but struggle to change it; often feel guilty or overly responsible; experience strong emotions you cannot easily explain; notice childhood experiences affecting current relationships; or function well outwardly while feeling exhausted or empty inside.

We are particularly attentive to difficulties expressing emotions in Chinese cultural contexts, intergenerational pressures in immigrant families, and less visible trauma or dissociation in high-functioning people.

If your benefits cover services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist, you may be eligible for reimbursement. Check the details with your benefits provider. You generally pay for your session first, then submit the receipt we provide to your insurer.

We currently have a limited number of reduced-fee spots for long-term clients experiencing financial hardship, at $160–$180 per session. These rates generally last no longer than six months, or are reviewed every six months. Sliding-scale fees of $180–$220 may be available for couples and family therapy.

It is common to worry about what to say when we first meet. Helping the conversation get started is the therapist's responsibility. This free consultation is a chance for us to get to know each other: you can share what brings you to therapy, a little about your background, and what you hope to work on. The therapist will explain their approach and answer your questions. You can decide whether the fit feels right for you.

The first one to four sessions usually focus on learning about your history and life. The therapist may ask about family, relationships, and experiences, but will do so carefully and with attention to trauma. You only need to share what feels comfortable. If you seem hesitant, the therapist can slow down or stop asking. You are not expected to discuss anything you do not feel safe sharing. Safety and trust take time to build.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and the Gottman Method are both evidence-informed approaches that help couples recognize difficult patterns and strengthen connection. EFT places more emphasis on attachment and the underlying emotions in a relationship. Gottman-informed work places more emphasis on practical ways to build fondness, communicate, and manage conflict. The better fit depends on your relationship and goals.

Because the relationship is the focus, I generally encourage both partners or relevant family members to join the initial consultation. This helps everyone assess whether they feel comfortable working with me and begins to build trust and mutual respect. Often, one person is more eager to start than the others; we can discuss how best to proceed in that situation.

After the 15-minute online consultation, we usually schedule an initial meeting with the couple or family together, followed by two 50-minute individual meetings to better understand each person's experience. These can take place on the same day or over several weeks.

Early work often involves regular weekly sessions. We explore your relationship patterns and their roots, including which difficulties can be addressed and which may need to be managed together. Later sessions focus on the concerns you bring, whether recent or longstanding. You are welcome to raise questions about therapy at any point.

Therapy can support many couples and families, whether you want to strengthen your relationship or separate thoughtfully. Trust and safety matter in either case. Ongoing physical violence or undisclosed infidelity can make joint sessions unsafe; individual support may be a better first step. If you are unsure whether joint therapy is appropriate, we can discuss your options in an initial consultation.

In couples or family therapy, I follow a no-secrets policy. Information you share in an individual session that is relevant to the relationship may need to be discussed in a later joint session. If something cannot be discussed openly, we may need to pause our work together. The aim is to create a respectful, honest setting in which everyone understands how information is handled.

You can join from home or another private space. It is preferable for partners to sit together, but separate rooms are also possible. Please use Chrome, a reliable internet connection, and a quiet place where you can speak privately. If technical problems arise, we can switch to a phone session or reschedule.

No. Many couples and families seek therapy because they want to stay together or improve their relationships. Asking for help is a way to address difficulties, not a judgment about your family. Therapy is not a verdict on whether to stay together. It offers time to understand what is happening and decide what needs to change. In some circumstances, such as serious domestic violence, separation and safety planning may need to take priority.

A couples therapist should not act as a judge or referee. Their role is to listen to both partners and help you understand the patterns each of you contributes to. If either of you feels unheard or thinks the therapist is taking sides, say so during the session. That concern is important to discuss openly.

Conflict may come up in sessions, but a therapist should not encourage endless arguments or personal attacks. They can help you use structured conversations, speak from your own experience rather than blame, pause when emotions rise, and return to the discussion more clearly. The goal is to understand each other's feelings and needs, not to turn the session into another fight.

Many families first seek help because a child is withdrawn, upset, having difficulties at school, or frequently in conflict with a parent. When one family member struggles, others may also be affected, and family interactions can shape how difficulties continue. Family therapy is not about identifying who is at fault; it helps family members understand one another and improve communication. [1][2]

Sometimes changing communication within the family helps the child. At other times, individual support for the child alongside parenting or family support may be a better fit. The format depends on your circumstances and goals.

A child or teenager may worry that therapy means they are the problem or that their parents will criticize them. Family therapy looks at interactions among family members, not who is right or wrong. [1][3]

If your child is not ready to attend, we can begin by meeting with the parents to understand current patterns and consider what they can change. A child may become more willing to participate once they see that therapy is not about blame.

You do not need everyone to agree before seeking help. We can start with your concerns, explore what is happening in your relationships, and consider what is within your influence. Family therapy does not always require every family member to attend in the same way: depending on the circumstances, a therapist may meet with members separately or together. [1] Others may become more open to joining as the work progresses.

No. Family therapy is not about airing every grievance at once or forcing confrontation. The therapist can help family members build a safer way to communicate, deciding which subjects are suitable for joint discussion and which need individual attention first. The focus is on understanding feelings, needs, values, and interaction patterns rather than assigning blame. [1][3] If a topic could intensify conflict, tell the therapist so you can plan how to approach it.

Yes. Parents may disagree about limits, freedom, consequences, a child's stress, or how parenting responsibilities are shared. These differences can spill into family interactions, especially when partners undermine each other in front of a child. Family therapy can help you understand each other's perspectives and needs and consider how these disagreements affect the family, rather than declaring one parenting style right. [1][3]

Possibly. Children may notice silence, distance, shifts in mood, or tension at home even when they do not witness an argument. This does not mean every disagreement between parents harms a child. [1] Family therapy can help you understand your current patterns and consider how to help your child feel supported and secure while you work through differences.

Parents may feel they have done everything they can, while a child feels misunderstood. [4] This does not necessarily mean anyone has done something wrong. Sometimes the way care is expressed is different from how it is received. Family therapy can give everyone room to slow down, express feelings and expectations differently, and move from correcting or explaining toward a conversation that makes connection more possible.

Family therapy is not about finding someone to blame. A therapist helps everyone understand the family's interaction patterns rather than acting as a judge. Some behaviours may need to change, but discussing them is not the same as taking sides. The goal is to understand what keeps difficulties going and what each person can do differently, while giving parents and children space to communicate. [1][4]

Not necessarily. Sessions can be adapted to the family's needs and goals. Sometimes everyone attends together; at other times, parents, partners, or individual family members meet separately. A therapist can discuss which arrangement would be most useful for your circumstances. [1]

You do not need a crisis to seek support. Family therapy can help family members understand one another, offer support, and manage difficult situations or repeated patterns. [1] You might consider it if conversations have become rare, disagreements escalate easily, family members avoid one another, parenting decisions cause repeated conflict, or a child no longer wants to share what is happening. These concerns are enough to start a conversation about whether therapy would help.