Welcome to Couples In Step
Glad you’re here. A healthier and happier relationship is possible. We work only with couples, giving us depth of experience and a laser focus.
- We believe close relationships are vital to human health.
- Most relationships are salvageable – we prove that almost daily.
- We are committed to confidentiality, never taking sides, and respecting each partner in the relationship.
- Our select team of therapists are EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) trained, a couples therapy model proven to be successful for more than 25 years.
Due to COVID-19 all couple therapy sessions are online. Couples are reporting, sometimes to their surprise, that online therapy sessions are helpful and effective.
Couples Online Therapy Helps. What Is Your Issue?
Couples Counselling
The first treatment goal is restoring the marriage or couple friendship in order to decrease the loneliness each of you feels in the relationship. Years of distance and isolation may make trust a challenge.
Sex Therapy
Sexuality is a healthy, positive & rewarding part of couple life. But couples don’t look for a sex therapist when all is going well. We discuss your sexual concerns in a safe and comfortable environment.
Infidelity & Affairs
Despite the prevalence of infidelity most people assume their partner will be faithful. So the discovery of infidelity is a severe, unexpected breach of commitment and trust.
Cross Cultural Couples
What attracted you to your partner? Was it the mystery of a different faith, culture, or nation? Did you enjoy exploring your cultural similarities, and the intriguing differences in your backgrounds?
EMDR-Couples & Trauma
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing-EMDR-is a trauma therapy. We occasionally use this as a couple intervention, when infidelity, or some other kind of trauma is part of your story.
Discernment Counselling
Are you considering divorce or separation but unsure that’s the right path? Discernment Counselling offers the opportunity to pause, take a breath, & consider the long term consequences.
From 4 Locations (all sessions are online)
Online video sessions are hosted on a secure Canadian platform built to comply with Canadian health care privacy regulations.
North York: 146 Brighton Ave., North York, ON M3H 4E2 ⎜ Sari Burkes, MSW, RSW
Georgetown/Brampton: 9 Golden Way, Georgetown, ON, 0B2 ⎜ Yasmeen Rafiq, MSW, RSW
Richmond Hill: 8763 Bayview Ave., Unit 4, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3V1 ⎜ Lori Canlas De Pala MSW, RSW, RP
Kingston: 554 Bath Road, Bath, ON K0H 1G0 ⎜ Irene Oudyk-Suk, MSW, RSW, RP ⎜ effective summer 2021
Couples Therapy is an Investment
You want effective, cost efficient counselling. There’s been an explosion of research in the last twenty years into adult love relationships. We know what happens in the brain when love goes well and when it goes wrong. Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, or EFT, is based on this research.
EFT boasts a 75% success rate in clinical studies
ICEEFT (The International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy) is the certifying body for EFT therapists
Couples In Step therapists are EFT therapists. Each Couples In Step therapist has completed an EFT externship and has a goal of EFT certification within 3 -5 years of joining Couples In Step. The EFT training process is rigorous and standardized by ICEEFT.
Couples Therapy: Intensive Counselling & Couples Retreats
3-Day Intensive? Retreat? Which is Best For Us?
3-Day Intensive Couples Counselling
Typically very distressed couples come to a 3-Day Couples Counselling Intensive. The 3-Day Intensive is not a group program. You, your partner, and the Couples In Step therapist, Irene Oudyk-Suk, are the only ones present. The 3-Day Intensive takes place over 3 consecutive days, usually a Sunday – Tuesday, at the Couples In Step office in North York, Toronto.
Covid-19
During Covid-19 the 3-Day Intensive therapy option will be online via video therapy and modified to fit your unique circumstances.
Couples In Step Retreats
Couples In Step offers online and in-person retreats. There are three options: an emotional connection focus (Hold Me Tight®), a touch and physical connection focus, and a retreat for couples beginning their relationship (Lasting Connection™).
Some couples come to a retreat wanting to deepen their relationship. Some want to rediscover the connection they once had. For some, a couples retreat is an alternative to couples therapy. You do not need to speak in the group if you do not wish to.
Between 7-14 couples attend a retreat. Couples are sometimes anxious about the group nature of a retreat. There is ample private couple time and you are not required to be an active participant during the larger group times. The larger group is for the facilitator, Irene Oudyk-Suk, to provide instruction you then apply to your relationship in the private couple time.
Hold Me Tight® is a registered trademark to Sue Johnson.
Discernment Counselling
Are you considering divorce or separation but unsure that’s the right path for you? That’s a hard place to be! Here’s where Discernment Counselling can help.
Discernment Counselling offers the opportunity to pause, take a breath, and carefully consider the long term consequences of divorce/separation.