5 Foundations for Effective Couples Therapy

 

Dr. Michael Dadson reviews the fondations for effective therapy with couples.

1. Develop and establish with both partners, a strong therapeutic alliance. A Registered Clinical Counsellor will work to establish a space that is safe and trusting, allowing both you and your partner to be comfortable sharing thoughts and feelings.

2. Focus on the present moment and the couple's current issues. Addressing the past is important for the purposes of improving the present and changing the trajectory of the future.  Understanding how the past effects the present may take time and iit is always for the purpose of understanding the present rather than just dwelling on past conflicts or events.

3. As a couple, entering into couples counselling helps you to identify and express your emotions in a healthy and constructive way. This includes helping and teaching couples to: 

• Experience what it is like to use effective communication skills
• How couples can effectivly address conflict
• Heal relationship ruptures
• Build emotional intimacy 
• Learn modelling skills for managing stress and difficult emotions, such as mindfulness and relaxation techniques.

4. Explore the underlying emotional and psychological factors and addressing issues that are inhibiting intimacy and contributing to the couple's conflicts. A good couples counsellor should also identify and address individual issues, also be aware of any individual issues that may be impacting the relationship and work toward effectively addressing them in therapy.

5. Identify the negative patterns in the relationship. A good couples therapist will help couples to recognize their patterns of engagement, emotional themes and potential behaviors that are causing conflict or damaging the relationship. Counselling can woirk to modify or eliminate these behaviours and help a couple to work towards repairing past hurts. A therapist should help the couple to work through and repair any past hurts or traumas that may be impacting their current relationship.

In the video below, Dr.Dadson reviewes some of the important things couples discover once they enter into counselling.

Counselling Support and Information Videos:

·         Ask Dr. Mike Dadson

·         Michael Dadson Gentle Currents Therapy

Counselling Support and Information Videos:

·         Ask Dr. Mike Dadson

·         Michael Dadson Gentle Currents Therapy

 

Education

·         PhD. University of British Columbia: Thesis title “Stories of Fathers. Men’s

Recovery from Integral Wounds

·         Masters Thesis: Stories of Father Child Closeness

Licences, and Memberships

·         Canadian Certified Counsellor

·         Registered Clinical Counsellor, BC Association of Clinical Counsellors

·         Certified Member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association

·         2016-2017 Board Member of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), named fellow in 2017 in the ISSTD

·         Best Rated Marriage Counsellor in Langley, British Columbia

·         Academia Profile: Publications

·         Google Scholar: Publications

·         Licensed in the Province of BC

·         Ordained Minister/ Chaplain (retired)

Certifications

·         Certified Myers Briggs Personality Type Assessor

·         Certified Strong Interest Inventory Assessor

·         Certified Observed & Experiential Integration (OEI) Therapist and Trainer

·         Certified QPRT Suicide Risk Assessment and Management

·         Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level One and Level Two

·         Enactment Therapy Trainer Level One and Level Two

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