Karen Hirscheimer, BA, MA

Couples Specialist

   Welcome

   If you are experiencing a relationship challenge, we can help you through it. We specialize in couple counselling in Toronto and  offer professional and caring assistance

 Our private, attractive offices are conveniently located at 2171 Avenue Road just south of the 401. We recognize that you may want assistance as soon as possible. Call us at 416.487.4411 and we will be pleased to look after you.

  We understand that taking the first step towards addressing your relationship concerns is not always easy. We are here to make it as comfortable as possible for you to get back on track.

How Does Our Couple’s Therapy Help?

  Our couple’s counselling offers a safe, neutral setting which enables you to explore complex and sometimes very painful or distressing issues in a contained and constructive way.    

  We understand that confronting issues is a difficult task, and that you and your partner may feel anxious and uncomfortable about coming to counselling. Sometimes partners have different feelings about or expectations of counselling - that, for instance one partner may be more enthusiastic or at ease with the situation than the other.

  Couples often find it easier to speak to each other and to say things they need to say in front of the therapist. Being able to let your guard down and feel safe with your partner opens the door for intimacy and connection to take place.  And this connection supplies the lifeblood for a healthy relationship.

  Our approach is safe and non-judgmental. The therapist offers a third point of view not in order to decide who is right or wrong but in order to help you and your partner to see your situation differently. Our therapy offers a new, proven relationship framework to help you and your partner find solutions for your particular dilemmas and circumstances. Some of the many relationship issues we help with are listed below.

When to Begin Couple’s Therapy

  It’s really best to deal with relationship issues early on. Over time, constant fighting and hurt feelings cause wear and tear on the fabric of the relationship. As time passes, recovery becomes more difficult. When you or your partner do not have effective tools to resolve conflict and hurt feelings, the hurt soon turns into resentment.  Left unattended, intimacy and caring begins to erode, even to the point where you feel like roommates instead of intimate partners. You may also begin to feel terribly alone, even though you are living in a close relationship.
 
  The good news is it’s never too late to begin the healing process. Uncomfortable and dysfunctional relationship patterns can be addressed. Therapy can help you and your partner remove the blocks to connection and assist you in re-establishing the intimacy you once felt with your partner.

Must both partners attend?

  No. While working together as a couple is generally the preferred approach, even if your partner is uncomfortable with counselling and is reluctant to attend, you can still benefit by working with a therapist alone.  Often, when one partner changes, the whole dynamic of the relationship changes too.

Is there any obligation if I call?

  Absolutely not. Please feel free to call and chat about how counselling can help your situation.  If it’s right for you, it’s easy to book a convenient session during the day, evenings or weekends to begin the process of building a relationship that you have always dreamed about.

Relationship Issues You Can Resolve in Therapy

The following are some of the issues that we can help you with:

• Trust issues
• Moodiness, anxiety and depression
• Parenting challenges
• Blended families
• Household responsibilities
• Coping with each other’s extended family
• Money issues
• Life transitions
• Dealing with loss
• Overly critical or judgmental climate
• Lack of intimacy
• Controlling or needy partner
• Not feeling understood or valued