From the Therapist’s Chair: What Couples & Family Therapy Can (and Can’t) Do
Not all family therapy looks the same. And no one arrives at the process without a story, sometimes many stories. Some come in already clear on what hurts. Others arrive hoping I can somehow fix someone else in the room.
But here’s the thing I always try to hold:
Therapy is a process, not a magic wand. It’s a space to explore, witness, and sometimes renegotiate the patterns we carry in our relationships.
What Therapy Can (and Can’t) Do for Families & Couples
If you’ve ever wondered:
“Would family therapy help, or just make it worse?”
“Is couples therapy only for people on the brink?”
“Can therapy actually help our dynamic?”
You’re not alone. These are common and valid questions.
Let’s start this month by grounding ourselves in what couples and family therapy can (and can’t) actually do.
Working with Emotion Waves in the Therapy Room
This week’s Tend to it Tuesday post explored how somatic therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) pair beautifully to support emotional regulation — not through suppression, but by staying with the wave.
As a therapist, I see this integration play out in real time: when clients realize they don’t have to "get rid of" an emotion to feel better — they just have to stay present with it, safely.
Emotion is a Wave — Not a Problem
This September, we’ve been exploring how somatic therapy complements talk-based models. We’ve touched on Internal Family Systems, CBT, and DBT. Today, we close out the series with a focus on Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) and the way the body helps us ride emotional waves without getting swept away.
Using Somatic Therapy to Support DBT in the Therapy Room
DBT offers powerful, life-changing skills — mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness — but for many clients, there’s a catch:
“I know the skill… but I can’t use it when I need it most.”
As a therapist, I’ve heard this again and again. And I believe them. Not because the skill isn’t effective — but because the nervous system needs to feel safe enough to use it.
Feel It, Don’t Fight It
This week in our September series, we’re exploring how somatic therapy complements the structured, skills-based model of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).
You don’t have to choose between skills and sensations.
Sometimes, it’s the combination that helps you stay afloat.
When CBT Isn’t Enough: Integrating the Body Into Thought Work
From the therapist’s chair, I want to talk about how I’ve seen this pairing support clients — and myself — in ways that feel both practical and profound.
CBT is a tool I’ve used for years — personally and professionally.
It’s structured, evidence-based, and deeply empowering. It offers a way to notice and shift thought patterns that might be keeping us stuck.
And in moments of overwhelm or emotional spirals, it can feel like a lifeline.
Thinking Isn’t the Only Tool
This September, we’re exploring how somatic therapy complements traditional talk therapy models. Today, we’re focusing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — one of the most widely researched and applied approaches in modern psychotherapy.
Using Somatic Practices to Support IFS in the Therapy Room
This week’s Tend to it Tuesday explored the powerful integration of somatic therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Today, I want to reflect on what it means from the therapist’s perspective to work with clients who are building relationships with their internal parts through the body.