Couples Therapy and Counselling for Better Communication, Trust and Connection

Couples therapy sessions last 50 minutes and cost $220. Payment is due at your appointment. We offer direct billing whenever possible, depending on your insurance plan.

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about insurance, direct billing, payment and cancellation policies.

Many extended health insurance plans cover sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist. You may have coverage through your employer, your partner's plan, personal insurance, a college or university student health plan or another source.

Before your first appointment, ask your insurer:

• Does my plan cover services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist?

• How much or what percentage is reimbursed per session?

• What is my annual coverage limit, and how much remains available?

• When does my annual coverage reset?

• Is direct billing available under my plan?

Knowing these details can help you plan your appointments and understand any costs you will need to pay yourself. 

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions for more helpful information about appointments, insurance, policies and what to expect.

The following insurance plans and benefit programs may cover sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist:

If your insurer is on this list, it does not guarantee coverage or direct billing. Before your first appointment, confirm with your insurer whether your sessions are covered and how much they cover.

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions for helpful answers about getting started, appointments, policies and what to expect.

Our private psychotherapy services are not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), Ontario's publicly funded health insurance program.

Depending on your eligibility, coverage may be available through the following programs and benefits:

• Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB): Mental health counselling coverage for eligible First Nations and Inuit clients.

• Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP): Temporary health coverage that may include mental health counselling for eligible refugees, refugee claimants and certain other groups.

• Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC): Psychotherapy coverage for eligible Veterans through approved benefits.

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Eligible serving or former members may have coverage through their RCMP health benefits or programs administered by VAC.

Our therapists are registered providers with these programs. Each program has different rules about who qualifies, how much it pays and whether approval is needed before sessions begin. Depending on your coverage, you may need to pay part of the session fee yourself.

Please get in touch with us before your first appointment so we can discuss the program you plan to use and any arrangements needed.

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions for helpful answers about appointments, payment, policies and what to expect.

Couples counselling is open to partners, whether you are dating, living together, engaged, married, or in a committed relationship without those labels. We welcome partners of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, cultures and backgrounds.

You may want to strengthen your connection, explore recurring difficulties, or understand what each of you needs moving forward. Your therapist will take time to understand your relationship, values and goals without assuming what your partnership should look like.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, safety, choice and respect are central to our trauma-informed approach. We work collaboratively to create space for each partner to feel heard, discuss concerns, and participate at a pace that supports thoughtful, meaningful conversations.

Couples therapy can be helpful at different stages of a relationship. You may want to strengthen communication, feel closer, or navigate a change together, even if your relationship feels generally stable. Becoming parents, experiencing bereavement or loss, or struggling with intimacy- including differences in how often each partner wants sexual connection—can bring you to counselling.

Therapy offers an opportunity to understand recurring patterns, communicate more openly, and work toward greater trust and emotional connection. Meaningful change takes time, effort, and willingness from both partners.

If you are considering separation or divorce, counselling can also provide space to explore your concerns and clarify what each of you wants moving forward. You do not need to have decided against seeking support.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, we offer compassionate, collaborative support to help you move forward with greater clarity and respect, whether your goal is to strengthen your relationship or to explore its future thoughtfully.

After your free consultation, if we agree that we are a good fit to work together, we will schedule your first couples therapy appointment. Once it is booked, you will receive digital intake forms with instructions for each partner. These usually take about 20 minutes to complete.

Please complete the forms at least one day before your appointment. This gives your therapist time to understand your backgrounds and reasons for seeking support, and to prepare for direct billing where available under your insurance plan.

During your first session, your therapist will review consent, confidentiality and practice policies, including how privacy is managed when working with both partners. You will have space to ask questions and discuss what you need to feel comfortable participating.

Through conversation and gentle exploration, your therapist will begin to learn about your relationship, its strengths, current challenges and what each of you hopes will change. Together, you will identify meaningful goals that can evolve as therapy progresses. You do not need to have everything figured out or resolve your concerns in the first session.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, safety, choice and respect are central to our trauma-informed approach. We aim to make getting started as smooth and stress-free as possible, creating space for both partners to feel heard, respected and supported.

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions for helpful answers about getting started, appointments, fees, insurance and what to expect.

It is understandable that partners may feel differently about starting therapy. Your partner may worry about being blamed, about sharing private experiences, or about whether counselling will help. A gentle conversation about what you hope to gain, along with space to hear their concerns, can help you understand each other’s perspectives.

Your free consultation can be especially helpful if your partner feels hesitant or nervous. Meeting the therapist, asking questions, and hearing how sessions work may help put them at ease. It gives both of you an opportunity to discuss concerns and decide whether the therapist feels like a good fit, without committing to ongoing therapy. Participation should be voluntary and without pressure.

If your partner chooses not to attend, individual therapy can offer space to explore your feelings, relationship patterns, boundaries, and choices. It can support your well-being, although it does not replace working together as a couple.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, safety, choice, and respect are central to our trauma-informed approach. We take time to understand each partner’s concerns and support you in making an informed decision about getting started.

Couples therapy offers space to explore concerns about emotional and physical intimacy, differences in sexual desire or frequency, and dissatisfaction or disconnection in your sexual relationship. These conversations can feel vulnerable, especially when you worry about hurting your partner or being misunderstood or blamed.

Your therapist can help you discuss your needs, preferences and boundaries with greater openness and care. Together, you can explore how stress, life changes, bodily changes, parenting, past experiences and relationship patterns may affect intimacy, without treating either partner's level of desire as right or wrong.

Our trauma-informed approach centres on safety, consent and choice. You will not be pressured to share details before you feel ready or to engage in sexual activity. If concerns involve pain or changes in sexual functioning, your therapist may recommend a medical assessment or support from a qualified sex therapist alongside couples counselling.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, we offer compassionate, inclusive support to help you understand one another and work toward a connection that feels respectful and meaningful to both of you.

Disagreements about chores, money, parenting, work demands or screen time can leave partners feeling unheard, unsupported or disconnected. Often, the conversation goes beyond the practical issue—it may also reflect needs for fairness, appreciation, security or connection.

A Gottman-informed perspective encourages curiosity about what matters to each partner beneath the disagreement. Your therapist can help you raise concerns gently, listen to understand, recognize when a conversation is becoming overwhelming, and return to it with greater calm.

Together, you can explore expectations, share responsibilities more thoughtfully, and develop agreements that respect both partners’ needs. Some differences may require ongoing conversation rather than a single solution. The goal is to manage them with greater understanding and care.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, we offer compassionate, trauma-informed support to help you move from recurring conflict toward collaboration, making space for both partners to feel heard and valued.

Infertility and IVF can place emotional and practical strain on a relationship. Partners may experience hope, grief and uncertainty differently, making it harder to know how to support one another.

A Gottman-informed approach focuses on strengthening your friendship and connection as you navigate these pressures. Your therapist can help you listen to understand, express needs gently and ask what kind of support your partner wants—whether that is comfort, practical help or simply being heard.

Together, you can explore how to approach difficult decisions, manage conflict and maintain closeness beyond appointments and treatment. The goal is to make room for both partners’ experiences without expecting you to feel or cope the same way.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, we bring compassion, safety and respect to these conversations. Counselling supports your emotional well-being and relationship alongside the medical care your fertility team provides.