Brianna HarrisonEvery couple goes through a rocky phase in their relationship. And while it’s a personal affair, we’d definitely love to help you straighten things out.
In today’s review, we’ll take a look at the best marriage counseling services in the city. Go through our list so you can find the right place to nourish and renew your relationship.
The Cost of Marriage Counseling in Toronto
See, it’s quite costly, but it’s nothing compared to the price of a broken marriage. To put things in perspective, if you think your marriage doesn’t work anymore, remember that divorce can easily cost you $20,000.
Here’s another cost to divorce that often gets shrugged off – psychological stress. According to a study, the stress from a divorce is only second to the stress from the death of a spouse.
Hey, this isn’t to scare you from getting a divorce. But really, it means it might be wise to consider marriage counseling first before you loosen the knots you tied on your wedding day.
Top Marriage Counseling in Toronto
To find the best marriage counseling services in the city, we looked for the following:
1. Ellis Nicolson & Associates
Ellis Nicolson & Associates boasts 20 years of experience in providing marriage counseling services, focusing on helping couples deepen their emotional connection and break unhealthy relationship patterns. Led by Ellis Nicolson and a team of registered psychotherapists and marriage and family therapists, the practice specializes in offering Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for relationships.
We like that their practice specializes in EFT, a well-established and empirically validated modality for couples. EFT is rooted in attachment theory and has shown significant success in transforming unhealthy relationship dynamics into positive, connected interactions.
Furthermore, couples are informed about the typical time frame for change to occur in EFT, ranging from 10-20 sessions. The flexibility of offering both bi-weekly and weekly sessions accommodates the diverse needs of different couples, recognizing that some may progress more quickly than others.
While EFT is highly effective, some couples may benefit from a more integrative approach that incorporates multiple therapeutic modalities. Ellis’ team is trained in multiple modalities that allow for a tailored approach to best help your individual and relationship needs.
Overall, Ellis Nicolson & Associates’ marriage counseling services stand out for their specialized focus on Emotionally Focused Therapy. The practice’s commitment to tailored approaches, proven results, and a supportive therapeutic environment make it a compelling choice for couples seeking professional assistance to enhance their relationships.
Pros
- Diverse Therapeutic Approaches
- Specialized Training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Broad Spectrum of Specializations
Cons
- Rates of services unavailable online
2. Rana Khan
Our experience with Rana Khan, the marriage counselor, was truly transformative. His counseling services were comprehensive, providing us with valuable insights and practical strategies to strengthen our relationship. Efficiency was evident in his ability to quickly identify key issues and offer effective solutions.
The quality of Rana Khan’s counseling sessions exceeded our expectations. He created a safe and supportive environment where we felt comfortable discussing sensitive topics. His guidance was insightful and compassionate, helping us navigate challenges with confidence.
In terms of cost, Rana Khan’s counseling services offer excellent value. His rates were reasonable compared to other counselors we researched, and the positive impact on our relationship made it a worthwhile investment. We found his fees to be transparent and fair.
Our interactions with Rana Khan were always productive and constructive. He actively listened to our concerns and provided personalized advice tailored to our specific needs. His approach was collaborative, empowering us to work together towards a healthier and happier relationship.
Communication with Rana Khan was clear and consistent. He was responsive to our inquiries and flexible in scheduling sessions to accommodate our busy lives. We appreciated his professionalism and dedication to our well-being throughout the counseling process.
Overall, we highly recommend Rana Khan as a marriage counselor. His services, efficiency, quality, and cost make him an invaluable resource for couples seeking support. We are grateful for the positive impact he has had on our relationship and feel optimistic about our future together.
Pros
- Responsive staff
- Affordable pricing
- Clean and neat facilities
Cons
- No promos at the present
Customer Reviews
“As a clinician Rana has helped navigate me into thinking in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise thought of. He directs you and guides you rather than leading you towards a certain thought. They end up fitting like a perfect puzzle piece and ‘clicks’ ! I am grateful for his insight and mode of therapy! It took me over 5 years and numerous attempts to find someone who gets it.”
“a clinician and as a person, Rana is quite skilled in offering others the space that is needed in order to begin to mobilize change. As a colleague, I have seen how he creates a supportive and empathic relationship with the clients that he works with – ensuring that they feel safe, heard, respected, and validated. Working with Rana means working with a gifted human and skilled clinician.” — Jason Carrasco
3. Couples Counselling Toronto
With their perfect 5-star rating on Google Reviews, it’s hard not to notice Couples Counselling Toronto.
The man behind this place is Damian J. May, who is a clinical social worker with 30 years of experience. With his board skills and experience, he can be deemed an expert in marriage and family counseling.
During his career, he has already performed over 2,000 assessments. And the long list of positive comments we got from his past clients can easily vouch for his talent.
In his area of practice, he specializes in communication, cross-cultural challenges, in-law conflicts, values differences, and more. He can also help couples in a long-distance relationship as well as those parenting strife.
Sessions with him usually last for about 50 minutes and cost $180. The overall journey will take about four to six weeks with him, depending of course, on your case.
Pros
- 30 years of experience
- Performed 2,000 assessment
- Flexible schedule and availability
Cons
- Doesn’t accept debit or credit card payments
Customer Reviews
Practical and effective approach to counseling
My partner and I were really struggling with daily communication and connecting in a meaningful way. Damian helped us learn simple strategies to deal with issues both small and large in manageable and effective ways. We went from feeling at odds with eachother to feeling like a team again. We really appreciate the practical no nonsense approach that Damian brought to our struggles. – V.M.
Equips couples with lifelong skills
My husband and I found Damian through the amazing Google reviews and we couldn’t agree more. He has helped us take a look in the mirror to evaluate our behaviours/habits and equipped us with lifelong skills to resolve any conflict. He has helped us safe our marriage which we thought was impossible eight weeks ago. Thank you Damian! – Parminder Kaur
4. Ellen Star Couples Counselling & Therapy
Ellen Star is another great option for couples looking for an experienced counselor. Since 1987, she’s been helping couples lead fulfilling married lives.
With over 25 years of experience, she’s an expert on individual and couples counseling. And we believe you’ll have a meaningful journey with her comprehensive approach to counseling.
The first stage is an assessment where you get to the core of your issues and desires. Then, you’ll move into counseling frequency where you’ll determine the amount the sessions you need and for how long.
While counselors do have their own unique styles of therapy, we reckon that hers is the simplest to follow. On top of that, in the interviewing stage of counseling, she taps into three major areas that we believe are pillars of a good marriage.
This intervention includes conflict resolution, relationship, and development or individual and shared objectives. Finally, to tie these stages, she employs a relapse prevention method to go over the relapses in behavior you’ve experienced throughout the counseling.
Her areas of practice concentrate on conflict resolution, sexual therapy, and family dynamics. She can also help couples with their fertility problems as well as issues of infidelity or affairs.
Many past clients praise her for her ability to save marriages in a judgment-free environment. Plus, she’s easy to reach out to and is always welcome to accommodate clients, anytime.
Pros
- Comprehensive approach to counseling
- Wide range of specialties
- 25 years of experience in private counseling
Cons
- Issues about raising rates
Customer Reviews
Highly effective marriage therapist
I was in an extremely challenging period in my relationship and needed professional help; I ended up seeing Ellen for individual counseling. I feel truly blessed to have found Ellen to help us through our toughest times and help us celebrate and appreciate our brightest ones. Ellen’s compassion, humor, kindness, courage, intelligence and non-judgmental nature make her a highly effective marriage therapist. I whole-heatedly recommend Ellen Star Counseling, Toronto to individuals and couples. – Monte Ganesan
Helps couples get through tough times
Ellen Starr is a great marriage counselor. She is a very good listener and has a great deal of experience dealing with couples therapy and marriage issues. She has helped us get through some difficult issues and we’re very grateful. We would highly recommend her services. – Ham K.
5. Counselling2Wellness
Counselling2Wellness (C2W) provides a wide range of services for couples, teens, kids, and families. They also offer courses and programs for various wellness and health goals.
Their counseling process involves a free 20-minute phone consultation where you get to speak about your main concerns. This is always a great bonus in our book because it helps clients realize if the therapist is a good fit for them.
Like other places on our list, you have an option to take the sessions either in-person or online. Fortunately, this one still accepts in-person sessions, but with limited availability due to COVID-19.
As for their models, they use various approaches to address unique needs. This ensures that they can address your needs with the right methods and techniques.
Their models include psychodynamic and solution-focused, cognitive-behavioral, sensorimotor, and more. Depending on your case, it can be any or a combination of these methods to deal with your problems.
The founder of C2W, Hannah Esmaili, is a social worker and psychotherapist with 12 years of experience. Though only having half of the experience of the other therapists in our lists, we found her skills to be just as good.
In fact, many of the former clients we’ve spoken with consider her a pivotal tool in their marriage. Other clients even have been seeing her for a couple of years for other services as she’s gained their trust over time.
Her expertise lies in solving marital conflicts and other forms of marital distress. So if that’s a place you want to touch in your marriage, you can check this out.
Pros
- Wide range of services
- Free 20-minute phone consultation
- Online sessions available
- Experienced in various approaches to counseling needs
- Online booking available
Cons
- Rates aren’t available
Customer Reviews
Reconnects couples through difficult times
Me and my wife were going through difficult times, our arguments were getting worse and things didn’t look so good for our marriage. Lezlee has been helping us talk about the issues without getting heated, we are working at reconnecting again. – Dan S.
Understanding, welcoming and patient
Hannah has been truly helpful in supporting me through my challenges for the past 2.5 years. She’s understanding, welcoming, and patient. I have done the most important work in my journey so far with her and have learned a lot about myself! – Sonya Deol
6. Lisa M Kelly
Lisa M. Kelly is a Registered Psychotherapist with experience in relationship issues and other related concerns. She is also a Certified Gestalt Therapist who practices in-person and online.
Out of all the therapists on our list, she’s the only one with experience in gestalt therapy. If you’re curious about this method, it focuses on making individuals more aware of sensations.
So, rather than focusing on past experiences, this therapy focuses on the present. And if that’s the road you want to take to manage your marriage, then you might want to look into this place.
With her experience and training, she’s already an expert in dealing with various issues. These include communication, conflicts in values, contrasting love languages, and lack of expressiveness.
She offers a free 15-minute consultation over the phone so you both can assess the situation. If you wish to proceed, each session lasts for 120 minutes and the entire cycle will need about four to eight sessions bi-weekly.
For couples therapy, she charges $130.97 per hour. But since each session takes two hours, it will cost you $296, HST included.
Pros
- Free 15-minute phone consultation
- Trained on gestalt therapy
- Online counseling available
- Average rates
Cons
- Limited availability
Customer Reviews
Offers a wealth of insights
Lisa offered me a wealth of insight into my relationship. She was consistently sincere, professional and friendly. If you are looking for a deeper understanding of your partner, of yourself, or for help communicating, I feel that Lisa would be a great choice. – Howard Ayee
Provides quality therapy services
As a colleague of Lisa Kelly’s in the wellness profession, I highly recommend her. I’ve seen her goal of providing quality therapy services grow over the last few years into a thriving couples counselling and psychotherapy practice. I believe Lisa’s clientele has flourished because she is extremely professional, passionate about helping her clients, and has earned a reputation for creating an open and friendly atmosphere. If you’re looking to gain skills for effectively handling difficulties, Lisa is a great choice! – Michelle Currie
7. Couple Therapy Toronto
Couple Therapy Toronto offers a range of counseling services for couples, adults, teens, and families. They also have a big team of therapists on board who can cater to your unique needs.
One of their best counselors is Nat Roman, who is a Registered Marriage & Family Therapist and a Registered Psychotherapist. He has roughly 20 years of experience, with in-depth training in Nonviolent Communication (NVC).
Another notable therapist is Yasmin A. Razek, who is a Marriage & Family Therapist. Some of her training models include emotionally-focused and solution-focused approaches.
Their services are centered on improving certain aspects of a marriage such as habits and beliefs and relationship patterns. They can also help you develop intimacy and relationship skills to further nurture your relationship.
Pros
- Multi-awarded counseling service
- Free phone consultation
- Many therapists on board with various specialties
- Online therapy available via phone or online video
- Comprehensive online appointment setting process
- Website offers access to various resources on counseling
Cons
Customer Reviews
Helps create healthy changes in lives
I worked with Yasmin in a therapeutic context with individuals and couples. She clearly demonstrates her passion in session for helping clients create healthy changes and positive outlooks on their lives. Yasmin exemplifies skills of a highly qualified therapist, understanding, and genuineness in her work. She helps clients connect to otherwise untapped and uncomfortable emotions in a safe and guided manner. I highly recommend her! – Reem Elkaramany
Clear, insightful, and compassionate
I have known Nat Roman for the last fifteen years and he is one of the best Meditation Instructors I have ever experienced. His instruction and guidance is clear, insightful, and most importantly, compassionate. I would highly recommend working with him. – Faradee Rudy
FAQs About Marriage Counselling in Toronto
If you decide to try and give your relationship another go after counselling, you may want to send your partner something nice as a token of affection every now and then. Or you may even want to renew your vows!
In either case, here are some more resources worth checking out:
