Couples Therapy

Couples Therapy at Arms Open Counselling
We integrate two of the most effective approaches to relationship therapy: the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Together, these approaches provide couples with both practical skills and deeper emotional understanding—helping them build stronger, more connected relationships.

The Gottman Method
Developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, this method is based on decades of research into what makes relationships succeed or struggle. The Gottman Method helps couples strengthen the foundations of their relationship by focusing on:

Friendship & Fondness – building appreciation, affection, and admiration for each other

Conflict Management – learning to replace negative cycles with healthier communication and problem-solving strategies

Shared Meaning – creating rituals, goals, and values that give the relationship a sense of purpose and direction

Couples are guided through structured exercises that make it easier to repair past hurts, resolve conflicts constructively, and create positive patterns that last.

How These Approaches Work Together
By combining the Gottman Method and EFT, couples gain both the skills to manage conflict and the emotional insight to create lasting closeness. Our interventions are designed to:

Increase intimacy and friendship

Deepen emotional connection

Help couples move past old wounds and patterns

Strengthen the bond so partners can face challenges as a team

At Arms Open Counselling, we believe that every relationship has the potential to grow, heal, and thrive. By working with both practical strategies and deeper emotional exploration, couples can rediscover connection, strengthen trust, and create a shared vision for the future.

Intimacy & Sex Therapy
Intimacy is about more than physical closeness—it’s about feeling safe, connected, and understood in a relationship. When sexual challenges arise, they can affect other parts of life, leaving couples feeling distant, discouraged, or unsure how to reconnect. Intimacy therapy is designed to help individuals and couples move through these challenges and rediscover both emotional closeness and physical connection.

The Challenges Clients Often Face
People often come to sex therapy feeling:

Disconnected from their partner and longing for closeness

Frustrated by difficulties with arousal, orgasm, or erectile function

Struggling with low libido or mismatched levels of desire

Unsure how to talk about sexual needs, boundaries, or past hurts

Carrying the weight of sexual trauma, shame, or past negative experiences

These challenges can affect not only sexual satisfaction but also self-esteem, emotional intimacy, and the overall health of a relationship.

How We Can Help
At Arms Open Counselling, our trained sex therapist provides a safe, supportive, and confidential space where concerns around intimacy and sexual health can be openly explored without judgment. Together, we can:

Improve communication so couples can express needs and desires more openly

Explore both emotional and physical barriers to intimacy

Provide education and practical strategies to enhance sexual function and satisfaction

Support healing from sexual trauma and rebuilding trust and safety

Help couples strengthen both physical closeness and emotional connection

Sex therapy may include talk therapy, education, and guided exercises designed to foster healthier intimacy and a more fulfilling connection. It is beneficial for individuals and couples of all genders and sexual orientations.

At its heart, intimacy therapy is not only about improving sexual function—it’s about restoring the sense of closeness, safety, and connection that makes relationships thrive

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples
Relationships are built on connection, trust, and emotional safety. When couples experience conflict, distance, or repeated cycles of misunderstanding, it’s often not just about the surface issues—it’s about deeper needs for love, security, and belonging. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is an evidence-based approach that helps couples identify these underlying patterns and rebuild stronger, healthier connections.

The Challenges Couples Often Face
Many partners come to counselling feeling:

Stuck in the same arguments that never seem to resolve

Disconnected, lonely, or emotionally distant from one another

Hurt by criticism, defensiveness, or unresolved conflicts

Unsure how to express their needs without pushing their partner away

Afraid that the relationship might not recover from pain, betrayal, or years of strain

These struggles can leave couples feeling exhausted and discouraged, even if they still love each other deeply.

How EFT Helps Couples Reconnect
EFT is grounded in attachment science—the understanding that humans are wired for connection. In therapy, couples learn to recognize and interrupt negative cycles, while creating new ways of reaching for each other with openness and vulnerability. Through EFT, couples can:

Better understand their emotional needs and learn how to share them with their partner

Reduce conflict by recognizing and breaking patterns that keep them stuck

Heal emotional wounds and rebuild trust after hurt or betrayal

Develop more empathy, compassion, and responsiveness toward one another

Strengthen both emotional intimacy and physical closeness

Our Approach at Arms Open Counselling
At Arms Open Counselling, we use EFT to guide couples through a safe, supportive process of reconnection. Both partners are encouraged to engage openly and honestly, exploring not just surface disagreements but the deeper feelings and fears that drive them. This process often leads to profound changes—helping couples feel heard, valued, and more securely connected.

EFT is one of the most effective approaches to couples therapy, with research showing high rates of success in improving relationship satisfaction and reducing distress. With willingness and commitment, couples can use EFT to transform their relationship into a place of safety, closeness, and enduring love