Marriage Counselling in Mississauga
Marriage counselling with a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist, for couples who still love each other but feel further apart every year. In person in Port Credit or online anywhere in Ontario.
You Know How This Fight Ends Before It Starts
Something small sets it off like a comment about the dishes, a phone out at dinner, a plan one of you forgot. Within a minute you're arguing about everything that came before it, and it ends the way it always does, with one of you getting louder and the other going quiet.
Or maybe the fighting stopped a while ago. You talk about the kids, the bills and who's picking up what, and it feels more like running a household together than being married. You can sit in the same room all evening and still feel lonely.
Underneath it, you both want to know you matter to the other person. It keeps coming out as criticism or distance, so neither of you feels heard. You're not ready to give up on each other, and that's usually when couples call me.
WORKING WITH ME
Marriage Counselling for Couples Who've Been Stuck for Years
I'm Sherriden Brown, and a lot of the couples I see have been married for years before they call. My work is emotionally focused therapy, and I'm certified in it, which meant supervised work with couples well past the basic training.
I'll tell you what I see. If I think the marriage has more in it than you can feel right now, I'll say so. If I think the two of you want different things, I'll say that too.
MY PROCESS
How Marriage Counselling With EFT Works
We start by mapping what happens between the two of you, step by step, until you can both catch it while it's happening. Most couples are surprised by how predictable it is once it's laid out.
Emotionally Focused Therapy works on what drives it. Criticism is often a way of asking whether you still care, and pulling away is often a way of trying to keep the peace. I help each of you say the need underneath, and help the other one hear it. That's the part most couples can't manage at the kitchen table in the middle of a fight.
If an affair is part of what brought you here, I also offer
infidelity counselling.
What Your Future Could look Like
What Your Marriage Could Feel Like Again
You bring up the thing that's been bothering you, and it doesn't turn into four days of silence. Your spouse hears it and actually takes it in.
When one of you is upset, the other turns toward it. Some couples end up closer than they were before things got hard.
A few get clear that the marriage has run its course, and they end it with more care than they thought possible.
THE PRACTICAL DETAILS
Seeing a Marriage Counsellor in Mississauga
What most couples want to know before the first call.
Fees and Insurance
Sessions are $230 for 50 minutes. OHIP doesn't cover psychotherapy, but most extended health plans do, and I direct bill all the main insurers.
In Person or Online
My office is at 92 Lakeshore Road East in Port Credit, a short walk from the GO station. Online sessions are available anywhere in Ontario.
Starting With a Free Call
The first conversation is 15 minutes and free. One of you can call, or both of you together.
Still Deciding Whether to Call?
You don't need to be sure you're ready, or that your spouse is. The call is a chance to tell me what's going on, ask whatever you want, and see whether I'm the right fit for you.
FAQs
Questions About Marriage Counselling
The questions couples most often ask me before we start, answered as plainly as I can.
Does marriage counselling work?
The research says it often does. A 2019 review of 33 controlled trials found emotionally focused couples therapy led to clear gains in relationship satisfaction that were still there six months later. I can't promise an outcome for your marriage, but I'll be honest with you about what I'm seeing as we go.
What happens in the first session?
We talk about what's been happening, how your arguments usually go, and what each of you wants from counselling. You don't need to know what to say, and nothing gets decided in that first session.
How long does marriage counselling take?
It depends on what you're bringing in, so I don't set a number of sessions in advance. We check in regularly on how it's going, and you decide together when you're ready to stop.
My spouse won't come. Can I start on my own?
Yes. Many people start alone, and changing your side of the pattern changes how it runs. Some spouses join later. If you don't feel safe with your partner, couples counselling isn't the right place to start, and I'll help you find the right support.
Will you take sides?
No. My job is to help you both see what happens between you, and neither of you is the villain in it.
Is it too late for marriage counselling?
Usually not. How long things have been hard matters less than you'd think. It's harder when one person has already decided to leave and hasn't said so.
What kind of therapist is best for marriage counselling?
Look for someone trained specifically in couples therapy. I'm a Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist. EFT relies less on teaching scripts, which are hard to remember in the middle of a real fight, and works on what's driving the fight instead.