Invest in the Relationship You Want to Live In
At Couples Growth Studio in Calgary, I help partners move from disconnection and conflict toward clarity, intimacy, and resilience. My approach blends three evidence-based frameworks:
The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy — guiding couples from stuck patterns into growth and differentiation.
Gottman’s research — decades of data on what makes relationships succeed or fail.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) — helping partners understand the “parts” of themselves that show up in stress, conflict, or vulnerability.
This combination provides couples in Calgary and across Alberta with a structured, practical, and compassionate way forward, whether your relationship feels distant, chaotic, or is just starting out.
Most couples I work with fall into one of three groups:
Disconnected Couples
“We love each other, but lately we feel more like roommates than partners.”
Disconnection creeps in quietly. Work, kids, and daily routines take over. Conversations shrink to logistics. Affection fades. Sex feels mechanical or disappears altogether.
This doesn’t mean love is gone. It means your connection needs attention. Gottman’s research shows that small choices to “turn toward” each other matter most. The Developmental Model highlights how avoiding conflict or intimacy in different ways can widen the gap. IFS helps uncover the protective parts, such as the one that buries itself in work or the one that avoids tension at any cost.
In therapy, I help couples slow down, see each other more clearly, and rebuild their connection. Together, we move from parallel lives to a relationship that feels alive, intimate, and engaging.
Couples in Crisis
“We’re stuck in painful cycles of conflict, anger, or mistrust.”
Crisis often feels like chaos: explosive fights, long silences, or the aftermath of betrayal. For some couples, separation already feels close.
These moments are frightening, but they can also be turning points. Gottman’s research shows it’s not conflict itself that ends relationships, but it’s how couples handle it. The Developmental Model explains why you get locked into repeating cycles, such as pursue/withdraw or attack/defend. With IFS, we work with the protective parts that fuel these cycles —anger, fear, and perfectionism—so they stop taking over.
My work with crisis couples in Calgary is about building safety and clarity step by step. The goal isn’t quick fixes, but lasting change: interrupting destructive patterns, restoring trust, and helping you decide your future from a place of stability rather than panic.
Building a Strong Start
“We want to invest in our relationship before problems take root.”
Many couples seek therapy not because things are broken, but because they want to keep their foundation strong. You may be newly committed, preparing for marriage, or adjusting to the early years of parenting.
A strong start means building habits now that prevent resentment later. Gottman’s work emphasizes creating a culture of appreciation, friendship, and shared meaning. The Developmental Model helps you define yourself while maintaining a sense of connection. IFS allows you to notice and care for the parts that may resist closeness or carry old family patterns.
In sessions, we clarify your shared vision, practice conflict resolution skills before they’re needed, and explore ways to maintain intimacy as life changes. For Calgary and Alberta couples, this is a proactive path toward building resilience, fostering playfulness, and cultivating lasting intimacy.