Crossroads
Counselling & Psychological Services
How Couples Therapy Can Help
How Couples Therapy Can Help – A guest insight from Sydney Walker, Crossroads Practicum Student Therapist.
Breaking the Cycle: Transforming Relationship Patterns to Cultivate Deeper Connections
My name is Sydney, I am thrilled to be joining the Crossroads Counselling team in September to complete my practicum placement for my master’s degree. My background is working as a clinical researcher for the IWK’s Centre for Research in Family Health. During my time as a practicum student, I will be offering affordable services to couples. I have training in the two major modalities for working with couples; the Gottman Method and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). These evidenced-based approaches are well-regarded for their effectiveness in helping couples improve communication, deepen emotional bonds, and navigate challenges together. My goal is to create a safe and supportive space where clients can explore their concerns, gain insight into their dynamics, and work towards positive changes.
Why reach out for couples counselling?
Many couples come to therapy after finding themselves caught in familiar loops of misunderstanding and frustration. It is not uncommon to fall into patterns that lead you to feel disconnected, despite your best efforts to be on the same page with your partner. These patterns can manifest in various ways such as repeated arguments over the same issues, difficulty finding common ground, or feeling like you’re speaking different emotional languages. Over time, these patterns of unresolved conflict can lead to resentment and emotional distance between partners.
How is couples counselling helpful?
Couples therapy provides a safe environment to address and resolve conflicts constructively. Often, we get so wrapped up in defending ‘our side’ or being ‘right’ that it impairs our capacity to truly listen and empathize with our partner’s perspective. We can inadvertently trigger our partners by certain actions or words that touch on sensitive areas or past experiences. A couple’s therapist can mediate conflict and observe the relational patterns where partners are becoming ‘stuck’. Maladaptive relational patterns often stem from early childhood, where we first learned about what to expect in relationships. By understanding the origins of these patterns, couples can work towards restoring a sense of closeness and connection in their relationship.
What is The Gottman Method?
The Gottman Method is based on over 40 years of research completed by Dr’s John and Julie Gottman. The Gottman’s had a research facility called the ‘Love Lab’ where they observed couples’ interactions and studied them in real-time (see more https://www.gottman.com/love-lab/). Through this work, they theorized what separates the ‘masters’ from the ‘disasters’ in relationships. Their findings have identified crucial predictors of relationship success and failure. The Gottman method has been able to predict the probability of divorce with 90% accuracy (https://www.gottman.com/about/research/). Research has consistently demonstrated that couples undergoing therapy using the Gottman Method report improvements in their relationship satisfaction and communication (Davoodvandi et al., 2018).
How does the Gottman Method enhance my understanding of my partner?
During my time as a practicum student, I will be offering couples the unique opportunity to take the Gottman Relationship Checkup, a valuable assessment developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman. This assessment serves as a comprehensive tool to evaluate various aspects of your relationship. Through a series of questionnaires, we’ll explore key areas such as friendship, intimacy, conflict management, and shared goals.
What makes the Gottman Relationship Checkup unique is that it provides personalized feedback based on your responses. This feedback highlights your relationship strengths and identifies specific areas that may benefit from improvement. As we analyze the results together, we will explore any underlying issues such as communication patterns, emotional responsiveness, or the presence of destructive behaviours like criticism or contempt.
The Gottman Relationship Checkup is only available to the public through therapists who have completed specialized training in the Gottman Method. By participating in this assessment, you and your partner can gain deeper insights into your relationship dynamics and receive targeted interventions designed to enhance communication, foster intimacy, and build a stronger partnership.
If you are wondering how couples therapy can help, I invite you to take this step towards understanding each other better and creating positive changes in your relationship. Together, we can work towards achieving your relationship goals.
Here is an example of the results your therapist will be able to see after completing the Gottman Relationship Checkup: https://checkup.gottman.com/clinician/demo/analysis?partner1_flag=true
References (& helpful links)
Davoodvandi, M., Navabi Nejad, S., & Farzad, V. (2018). Examining the Effectiveness of Gottman Couple Therapy on Improving Marital Adjustment and Couples’ Intimacy. Iranian journal of psychiatry, 13(2), 135–141.
https://vimeo.com/161656743 [Video]
Disenfranchised Grief – When People Just Don’t Get It
A guest insight from Crossroads Associate Therapist, Mallory Wilson.
Have you ever experienced a loss but felt like people around you just didn’t get it. Perhaps you felt like they discounted the loss or how impactful it should be in your life? When we lose a pet, an embryo/pregnancy, are grieving someone who hasn’t yet passed, the grief we feel is real and significant. Sometimes others have a hard time relating.
The term ‘disenfranchised grief’ was coined by Dr. Kenneth J. Doka in 1989. It describes the idea that a person’s grief may not fit into society’s attitudes or norms. A person’s loss may unfortunately not be viewed as significant, or people may be made to feel that they do not have a ‘right’ to grieve. Disenfranchised grief can present in individuals feeling they need to ‘get over’ their loss, encouraged to stay strong or to show certain emotions over others. Dawid P Mouton (2024) emphasizes how grief-denying practices or ignoring the existence / impact of grief may influence a person’s ability to regain a balanced lifestyle.
When you are experiencing this type of loss and reaction, counselling can help. Through counselling, individuals are provided with an open, non-judgemental environment that is essential to the grieving process. Education on supportive avenues to process their grief in a healthy way, such as creating rituals or writing a letter to your loved one, can be beneficial.
Especially when you feel alone in your grief, it is important to recognize the situation and get support. All grief is valid, and each person deserves the support to process grief in their own unique way.
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For more background on this research, please check out
Is a Practicum Student Therapist a Good Option for You?
At Crossroads we strongly believe in the value of having practicum students on staff. Besides the enthusiasm they bring to the team, it is important to be providing opportunity and investing in the next generation of therapists within our province, Nova Scotia. By including them on the Crossroads team, we are able to mentor them (called supervision) and provide them valuable feedback as they navigate new scenarios and approaches to counselling. A question you might be asking may be, is a practicum student therapist a good option for you?
Let’s explore this question.
- Practicum student therapists are in the process of gaining the education required to be a certified therapist. In many cases, they are working to complete their Master of Counselling Psychology degree.
- Practicum students at Crossroads are supervised by a registered psychologist. They are provided support to ensure that they are utilizing their professional techniques and ethics.
- Sessions with a practicum student therapist cost much less. Students need to complete a specific number of counselling hours to complete their degree and certification. This provides a great opportunity to offer services at a significantly reduced rate both to ensure they get their hours and to help people who face financial pressures have the opportunity to participate in therapy. At Crossroads, the base hourly rate for practicum students is $25/hr. This has proven to be a great option for families without medical coverage.
Practicum Student Therapists at Crossroads
Currently Crossroads has 1 practicum student therapist, Julia Slaunwhite. Beginning in September, Sydney Walker, who has provided our administrative support, will join the team as a practicum student therapist. Sydney brings a focus on couples counselling which will include the introduction of couples Gottman Assessment. Both Julia and Sydney are expecting to transition to being Registered Counselling Therapist – Candidates on the Crossroads team once finished their degrees.
Rebecca MacLean has recently completed her practicum and degree and has joined the team as a Registered Counselling Therapist – Candidate. This has been a win for her, her clients and Crossroads.
If you are interested in setting up a session with a practicum student therapist, please contact us and indicate your interest.
A Congratulations and Special Welcome
In Summer 2023, Rebecca MacLean joined the Crossroads team. Not as an associate, but as our first practicum student. Rebecca was working on her Master of Counselling Psychology degree from Yorkville University. Over the time of the practicum, Rebecca was supervised by Crossroads’ Founder and Principle Psychologist, Amy Wiens.
Well, we are happy to announce and congratulate Rebecca on both completing her Master’s degree as well as joining the Crossroads team as an Associate Therapist. Rebecca specializes in providing therapeutic care to children and young adults beginning at age 7 and up.
As with each of our counsellors, Rebecca is now seeing clients at our new home location, 128 Appaloosa Run.
To find out more about Rebecca MacLean, please view her profile page.
Contact us today to book an appointment with Rebecca.
Welcome to Kirsten Spasyouti!
The Crossroads team extends a warm welcome to our newest Associate, Kirsten Spasyouti. Kirsten Spasyouti is a Registered Counselling Therapist – Candidate with extensive experience in working with autistic and ADHD individuals and their loved ones, taking pride in providing a neuro-affirming and trauma-informed space for her clients. Taking a collaborative and holistic approach, Kirsten supports her clients in helping to create a care plan that is best suited to them by pulling from various forms of therapy in order to create a well-rounded and individualized approach. Kirsten brings experience in various forms of child therapy and therefore supports individuals starting from the age of 5 and older.
To find out more about Kirsten, please view her profile page.
Contact us today to book an appointment with Kirsten.
Crossroads is Growing!
When we launched Crossroads in 2017 we had a vision. The vision was of a thriving practice making a difference in the lives of people in the community by providing the best in mental health counselling.
We had humble beginnings. On day 1, it was just Amy, renting a small office in the local business centre. As clients, doctors and other community leaders gained awareness of our practice we began to grow both in the number of people who were contacting us looking for appointments as well as the number of associates who made up the team.
Around 2020 we began searching for a building to be a home for the practice. We knew it needed to be in the Hammonds Plains / Bedford area to continue to serve this community and those close by. As well, we wanted it to have a designed look and feel with great sound proofing. How clients feel when they walk in the door and as they are in session sets the environment for the best in mental health care.
In late 2023 we found the building that we were searching for, thanks to some great work from a friend and Realtor, Sarah Schlender. Early in 2024 we began extensive renovations with Habermehl Contracting to follow through on the design and confidentiality requirements that we had for the building.
As the building was being renovated we also began searching for additional team members. With a client waiting list that was full and a community to serve, it was important that we find great psychologists, therapists and counsellors to help meet the demand. We are happy to say that we have found several who have joined the team and will begin seeing clients over the upcoming months.
Through the low points and high points the vision of the thriving mental health practice with an amazing designed facility was always clear. As we move in and get settled into the new facility to start May 2024, the vision of providing the best in mental health counselling is becoming a reality.
New Associate, Mallory Wilson
Crossroads is happy to introduce our new Associate, Mallory Wilson. Mallory is a Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate – RCT – C and graduate of Yorkville University’s Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP) program. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology along with her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. Her experience includes the St. John’s Women’s Centre, Marguerite’s Place, the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre and End Sexual Violence NL.
Mallory brings a background in Cognitive Behavioural Theory (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Theory (DBT) and Emotion-Focused Theory (EFT) approaches.
For clients working through issues of grief, palliative care, and/or end-of -life for a loved one, Mallory brings a passion and focus on grief counselling.
Mallory’s schedule availability includes some evenings and Fridays.
To find out more about Mallory Wilson, please check out her profile.
Contact us today to book an appointment with Mallory.
New Associate, Nicole Daley
We are happy to welcome Nicole Daley, M.A., to the Crossroads team! Nicole joins us as a registered therapist having completed the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP) program at Yorkville University.
Nicole’s therapeutic approach is both integrative and collaborative, with a focus on creating a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental space for her clients. Her approach utilizes a strength-based approach and draws upon various therapeutic modalities including Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy and Mindfulness. She works with clients who are experiencing various challenges including anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, stress, relationship difficulties, and low self-esteem.
To find out more about Nicole, please check out her profile.
Contact us today to book an appointment with Nicole.
New Therapist Practicum Student Associate – Julia Slaunwhite
We are excited to announce that Julia Slaunwhite, B.A., a graduate student from Yorkville University, will soon be joining the Crossroads team. Julia is a therapist practicum student.
The rates for booking a student as a counsellor can be more affordable for those with limited insurance coverage.
Julia has received training in Emotionally Focused Therapy. Once she has completed her practicum, she will be joining the team as an associate. Julia’s full profile.
New Youth / Child Therapist Associate – Mark Ramsay
Great news! Mark Ramsay, M.Sc. is joining Crossroads as an Associate. Mark is a Registered Counselling Therapist – Candidate (RCT-C). Among his areas of focus, Mark is a youth / child therapist.
His experience includes providing counselling / psychotherapy to different client populations and age groups including children, adolescents, and adults, particularly those working through palliative care / grief issues.
Find out more about on his profile.