Couples Counselling in Burnaby, Coquitlam & Vancouver
Registered Clinical Counsellor–led couples therapy that helps partners reconnect, communicate, and rebuild trust — grounded in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
Couples counselling at KidStart is led by Joanne Kwong, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #27879) trained in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) — the most research-supported approach to relationship repair.
Most couples do not arrive because the relationship is over. They arrive because the same argument keeps happening, because they feel more like roommates than partners, or because the stress of work, money, or raising children has slowly pulled them apart.
Whether you are newly struggling or have been stuck for years, counselling gives you a structured, safe place to understand what is really happening between you — and to change it. We serve couples across Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster, and Greater Vancouver, in person and online.
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Why Couples Come to Counselling
Distress in a relationship rarely comes from one big event. More often it is the slow accumulation of unspoken needs, missed bids for connection, and conflicts that never fully resolve. Couples counselling makes those patterns visible so you can break them together.
- The same argument on repeat, with no resolution
- Feeling unheard, criticized, or shut out
- Drifting apart — more like co-parents or roommates than partners
- Rebuilding trust after a betrayal or breach
- Parenting stress, especially raising a child with extra needs, spilling into the relationship
- Navigating a major transition: a new baby, a move, illness, or loss
- Wanting to communicate without it turning into a fight
Emotionally Focused Therapy: The Most Researched Couples Approach
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) was developed in Canada by Dr. Sue Johnson and is the most empirically validated model of couples therapy available. It works by helping partners understand the emotions driving their conflict cycle, then rebuild a secure emotional bond.
The research is unusually strong for a talk therapy. Studies show roughly 70–75% of couples move out of relationship distress after a course of EFT, and around 90% report meaningful improvement. Those gains tend to last, because EFT changes the underlying attachment pattern rather than just teaching communication scripts.
Joanne pairs EFCT with Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy and a trauma-informed lens — so counselling is paced to feel safe, never blaming, and centred on the bond between you.
What Couples Counselling at KidStart Looks Like
Counselling is structured, not open-ended venting. EFT moves through recognisable stages, and your counsellor guides you through each one.
1. Free Consultation
A short, no-pressure call to understand what you are hoping to change and confirm couples counselling is the right fit.
2. Assessment
The first one or two sessions map your relationship history, strengths, and the specific cycle that keeps pulling you into conflict.
3. De-escalation
You learn to recognise your negative cycle in the moment and step out of it, so conflicts stop spiralling.
4. Restructuring the Bond
With the cycle calmer, you practise reaching for each other and responding — the heart of how trust and closeness are rebuilt.
5. Consolidation
You apply your new patterns to old problem areas and build a relationship that can repair itself without the counsellor in the room.
Have Questions? We're Here to Help.
Every child's journey is different. Book a free consultation to discuss your child's needs with our team.
When Parenting Strains the Relationship
KidStart works with families every day, so we see how much parenting can test a partnership. Canadian research found parents reported close to double the pre-pandemic rate of moderate-to-severe psychological distress, with the load falling hardest on mothers and on families managing additional needs.
When a child needs therapy, appointments, advocacy, and worry, couples often pour everything into the child and nothing into each other. Counselling helps you protect the relationship that the whole family stands on — so you parent as a team instead of drifting into separate corners.
Couples Counselling Across Burnaby, Coquitlam & Greater Vancouver
Our clinic is at #220 – 3355 North Road in Burnaby, on the Burnaby–Coquitlam border near Lougheed Town Centre and the Millennium Line SkyTrain — easy to reach from Metrotown, Brentwood, North Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster, and Port Moody.
Couples counselling is offered in person at the Burnaby clinic and by secure video across British Columbia, so distance and busy schedules never have to be the reason you put it off.
- Free 15-minute consultation — no referral required
- In-person in Burnaby or secure online sessions anywhere in BC
- Evening appointments available on select weekdays
- Provided by a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) — often reimbursable through extended health benefits
- Sessions in English, Cantonese, or Mandarin
Meet Your Counsellor
Couples counselling at KidStart is provided by Joanne Kwong, who brings more than 17 years of clinical experience and trains specifically in relationship and attachment work.
- Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #27879), BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
- Master of Social Science in Counselling, University of Hong Kong
- Trained in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) and Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy
- Trauma-Informed Practice Certificate (2026) — sessions are paced to feel safe
- Fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin
- In-person in Burnaby and secure online sessions across BC
Have Questions? We're Here to Help.
Every child's journey is different. Book a free consultation to discuss your child's needs with our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does couples counselling cost, and is it covered by insurance?
Couples counselling at KidStart is a private-pay service, and many extended health benefit plans reimburse sessions provided by a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) — check your plan for "Registered Clinical Counsellor" or "RCC" coverage. Your exact session fee is confirmed at your free 15-minute consultation, and no referral is required to begin.
Does couples counselling actually work?
For most couples who engage with it, yes. Using Emotionally Focused Therapy — the most researched couples approach — roughly 70–75% of couples move out of relationship distress and about 90% report meaningful improvement. Results depend on both partners participating, but the evidence base is strong and the gains tend to last.
Do both partners need to attend?
Couples counselling works best with both partners in the room, because the focus is the relationship between you. If your partner is hesitant, you are welcome to begin individually, and many partners join once they see it is a safe, non-blaming space.
How long does couples counselling take?
Many couples notice their conflicts de-escalating within the first several sessions. A typical course of EFT runs over a few months, though this varies with your goals and history. Your counsellor will review progress with you regularly.
We are not married — can we still come?
Absolutely. We work with dating, common-law, married, and co-parenting couples at any stage, including partners deciding whether to stay together.
Is what we say kept confidential?
Yes. Sessions are confidential within the legal and ethical limits all Registered Clinical Counsellors in BC follow. Your counsellor will explain those limits in your first session.
Can we have sessions online?
Yes. Joanne offers both in-person sessions at the Burnaby clinic and secure video sessions for couples across British Columbia, including evenings on select weekdays.
Related Reading for Parents
In-depth guides to help you understand your child's behaviour and what support looks like.
Reconnect — Start With One Conversation
You do not have to wait until things reach breaking point. Book a free consultation with our Registered Clinical Counsellor and take the first step back toward each other.