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

#couplescounslling #couplestherapy #Drmichaeldadson #Michaeldadson #Drmikedadson #Mikedadson #Drdadson

5 Critical Reasons to Seek Trauma Counselling

 

"IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY RESOLVE TRAUMA, IT IS IMPORTANT TO SEEK A TRAUMA INFORMED THERAPIST”, EMPHASIZES MIKE DADSON.

Dr. Mike Dadson identifies when it is critical to seek counseling when you are affected by a traumatic incident, or you are suffering from PTSD:

1. If your daily life or your growth and development are affected by something traumatic that’s happened in your past, or even in the present. Or, if there’s a particularly invasive or difficult life circumstance and you are having difficulty being able to adjust or cope.

2. Engaging in a pattern of unhealthy coping behaviours.

3. A PTSD experience either past or present. An experience from the past that is still having a highly impactful stress on your life. Or it could be an overwhelming encounter with a life-threatening traumatic experience. When a person feels like their life or well-being is threatened, PTSD is common. Past events from childhood trauma such as abuse that is physical, sexual, or even verbal can trigger PTSD and exacerbate the issues above.

4. If you are overcome with anxiety, panic attacks, or depression.

5. When you are depressed for more than a few weeks, or you have been exposed to acute stress for more than a few weeks.

   

                                                       Unresolved Trauma with Dr. Mike Dadson

Dr. Mike Dadson indicates:

Post-traumatic stress disorder can result if untreated traumatic stress is not addressed. Long-term physical or mental health problems such as (PTSD can develop). To improve your mental and physical health, developing a plan to manage your symptoms along with coping strategies is a key piece in a treatment plan.

Symptoms of traumatic stress tress are individual and can vary. Seeking help from your doctor and a trauma informed counsellor It is important.  

 PTSD is common in first responders. In the video below, Dr. Dadson reviews the impact of trauma on first responders.

Over several decades, Dr. Michael Dadson was at the forefront of researching, development, competenciesand effective treatment programs for trauma. 

To read more on the proven research of PTSD treatment in veterans and first responders, visit me at Google Scholar. 

Neglect has been found to be extremely traumatic for children (Schore, 2003; van der Kolk, 1994), indicates Dr. Dadson. However, Dr. Dadson notes, when there is an absence of something necessary it can be difficult to put the experience of neglect into words compared to bruises that are visible sign of physical abuse.

For more information on trauma, visit Dr. Dadson’s blog on his trauma therapy clinic web site here. 

To understand the types of therapy used in trauma counselling visit Dr. Mike Dadson section on therapy modalities here.

Visit my counselling clinc at Gentle Currents Therapy in Langley, BC

#trauma #traumacounselling #traumarecovery #ptsd #counselling #Drmichaeldadson #Michaeldadson #Mikedadson #Drmikedadson #Drdadson