Specializing in Couples, Marriage Relationship Intensive Counselling Therapy in the Edmonton Area
Rebuild Trust, Repair Communication & Rediscover Your Connection.
Caring, confidential, professional counselling and extended intensives to help you move past conflict and heal your relationship in Edmonton.
Your relationship is hanging by a thread.
You love each other, but love isn't enough right now. If any of these feel familiar, you are not alone;
And you are not too late:
- Stuck in the same painful fighting cycle over and over again. You want to stop the patterns destroying your relationship
- Feeling emotionally shut down and living like roommates. Wondering if the warmth and closeness will ever or can ever return.
- Trying to heal from the devastating pain of infidelity or the slow erosion of trust that has been happening in the relationship. You need a safe space to ask the hard questions, to understand why, and to begin together to do the deep work of repair.
- One last, concentrated attempt to save your relationship before calling it quits.
- Weekly therapy reduced 50 minutes increments isn't enough time to scratch the surface. You want faster, deeper change
How We Work Together
Three options to support your relationship
For couples who want steady, focused support at a regular pace. Because deep relationship concerns often need more time than a standard 50-minute session allows, our couples sessions are designed to create more space for meaningful progress.
Regular session options
Option A: 75–90 min. sessions, weekly or bi-weekly
Option B: 2-hour accelerated sessions, weekly or bi-weekly
Couples Intensives offer private, focused support in a half-day, 1-day, or 2-day format. These longer sessions create uninterrupted time to address root issues, deepen understanding, and build momentum without losing the thread between appointments.
Intensive options
Option A: Half-Day Intensive, 3 hours
Best for: gaining clarity and momentum around one pressing issue.
Option B: 1-Day Intensive, 6 hours
Best for: reducing conflict, strengthening teamwork, and creating a healthier baseline.
Option C: 2-Day Intensive, 12 hours
Best for: deep repair, affair recovery, and years of built-up distance or unresolved pain.
Individual
Sessions – Online and In-Office
50 minutes$166.50
Couples’ Sessions – Online and In-Office
75 minutes$249.75
90 minutes$299.70
2 Hours$399.60
More about Couples Intensives
- In-person or virtual
- Integrated Couples therapy approach
- Homework & Resources
After the Affair (Infidelity)
After infidelity, life can feel chaotic. Shock, anger, confusion, and painful questions are common.
- Why?
- How could it happen?
- How did I miss it?
- Can I stay, and is it wise to try?
- Did I cause it to happen? What was my part in this?
- Is it really possible to put the past behind us?
- Can I ever trust my partner again?
For the partner who was unfaithful, there may be shame, regret, and hope for a chance to repair the relationship.
For the one who has cheated, he or she knows that they don't deserve it, but still hoping will my partner give me a chance to make things right.
Infidelity recovery is hard work, but honest, guided conversations can help couples understand what happened and begin rebuilding trust.
Dealing with infidelity is never easy. Repair after an affair is hard work, and many of the deepest questions can only be answered by the partner who had the affair.
A safe therapeutic space helps both partners face difficult questions without becoming overwhelmed or causing further harm.
The partner who had the affair may struggle to talk openly because of shame, regret, or fear of causing more pain.
Yet honest, guided conversation often brings relief. Clear answers can help the hurt partner understand what happened, process the pain, and begin healing.
Recovering from an Affair (Infidelity)
Affair recovery is possible. With the right support, many couples find a way forward.
Couples counselling can guide repair. Work with a therapist who understands affair recovery, trust repair, and the deeper issues beneath the crisis.
Recovery is difficult but meaningful. Dr. Ottawa guides couples through a focused process of deep repair.
“If we allow ourselves, this can be one of the most important, life changing work that individuals in their lifetime can do. It will bring peace of mind and well-being for you your relationship and for all those who are touched and impacted by”
You can take charge of your life and improve your situation
Meet Dr. Ottawa Easingwood
Marriage and Couples Relationship Therapist serving the Edmonton Area
Dr Ottawa holds a master’s degree, and a Doctorate Degree in Counselling. Founding New Start Counselling in 1994, she specializes in marriage and couples counselling, relationship therapy. ”It is my pleasure to see relationships thrive and moving forward in their lives”
NEWSTART’s Couples First Approach: caring, confidential, compassionate counselling.
Every couple is unique. We tailor counselling to your relationship while focusing on clear, practical steps forward.
We Get Right to Work
- When couples feel stuck or in conflict, timely support matters. We begin addressing your concerns in the first session.
We Are Serious About New Starts
- New Start Counselling helps couples move from conflict to teamwork.
- Together, we build a stronger foundation for repair, renewal, and lasting change.
Couples Sessions and Intensives
- Standard 50-minute sessions often leave couples frustrated at getting at those deeper concerns
- Our standard 75–90 minute sessions create more time for focused, productive progress.
- Two-hour sessions offer deeper, more concentrated support for ongoing counselling.
- For deeper work, Couples Intensives and Affair Recovery Intensives offer a half-day, 1-day, and 1–2 day formats with uninterrupted time to unpack concerns and move forward.
MPCC – Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling
Three Best Rated Couples Counselling. In the Edmonton Area- Advanced Couples Training Developmental Model
CCPCPR – Professional Counsellor and Mental Health Therapist
What to Expect in Couples Intensives and Affair Recovery
Focused Couples Intensives in 1½ to 2 days
A Couples Intensive gives you focused time to address root issues, understand patterns, and begin practical change without the stop-and-start pace of weekly sessions.
Each intensive is private, personalized, and tailored to your relationship, whether the focus is communication, conflict, trust, marriage recovery, or affair recovery.
Private Couples Intensives with Dr. Ottawa, including resources and follow-up homework
What's covered
Focused work on what matters most to you.
Your intensive is shaped by your questionnaires and focused on the concerns, patterns, and goals that matter most to your relationship.
- Communication - Learn healthier ways to speak, listen, and respond.
- Repair betrayals - Address broken trust and begin rebuilding emotional safety.
- Cycles of Fighting - Learn how to stop and fight constructively
- Stuck patterns - Move from rigid positions toward more adjusted shared solutions.
- Clarity - Clarify what each partner feels, needs, and wants moving forward.
- Differences & tension - Understand triggers and learn to hold differences with more care.
- Reconnection - Rebuild warmth, closeness, friendship, and connection.
What to expect
From consultation to follow-up. The intensive helps you understand patterns, repair disconnection, and practice healthier ways of relating.
1 ½ Days or 2 Days
Start with a joint consultation to discuss your situation, goals, schedule, format, and cost.
Step 2 - Personalized intensive planning
Your intensive is tailored using the consultation and questionnaires.
Step 3 - The 1½- to 2-day intensive
Work through communication struggles, disconnection, trust concerns, and unresolved conflict.
Step 4 - Integration & reflection
Review insights and begin applying new skills in daily life.
Step 5 - Continued support
Follow-up support is available to help you maintain progress.
Find Where is your relationship right now?
The 5 Stages of Relationship Growth
Healthy relationships are not always easy. Most couples move through natural stages of growth, and struggle often means the relationship is developing, not broken.
STAGE 1 - The Honeymoon
"We can't get enough of each other."
Everything feels exciting, easy, and full of possibility. Differences fade while chemistry, closeness, and hope take centre stage.
This stage builds the emotional bond couples later draw on when challenges arise.
STAGE 2 - The Power Struggle
"Why are you changing?"
As differences emerge, couples may argue, withdraw, or feel misunderstood. This stage teaches partners how to navigate conflict without losing themselves or attacking each other. Though uncomfortable, it is an important step toward healthier communication and deeper understanding.
STAGE 3 - Rediscovering Yourself
"I love you… but I also need to find myself again."
As the relationship matures, both people begin reclaiming parts of themselves outside of the relationship. Personal identity, independence, friendships, interests, and individual needs become important again.
This stage can feel like distance, but it is really about staying connected while each partner keeps a healthy sense of self.
STAGE 4 - A More Mature Connection
"We're finally learning how to work together."
As couples grow emotionally, they become less reactive and more understanding of each other's differences. Conversations begin feeling safer, calmer, and less emotionally explosive.
Partners become more accepting, curious, and respectful. Emotional safety grows, and the relationship begins to feel like a true team again. This is where many couples begin feeling more like teammates again.
STAGE 5 - Deep Partnership
"We can be fully ourselves and still deeply connected."
In this stage, couples develop a healthier balance between closeness and individuality. They are better able to handle stress, repair conflict, and support one another without losing themselves in the process.
The relationship feels more secure, resilient, and grounded in trust, friendship, honesty, and mutual respect. This stage reflects a deeper kind of love: one that is no longer based only on chemistry or fantasy, but on emotional maturity, honesty, mutual respect, and genuine partnership.
Frequently Asked Questions
We use proven, evidence-based methods tailored to your relationship's specific needs. Our primary approaches include:
- EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy & Tapping): To help couples identify emotional triggers, rebuild connection, and stop destructive fighting cycles.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing): For individuals and couples working through acute distress, affair recovery, or past trauma affecting their relationship.
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy): Practical tools to reframe negative thought patterns and improve day-to-day communication.
- Gottman-Informed & Developmental Methods: Research-backed principles to foster friendship, constructive conflict resolution, and lasting teamwork.
- Standard Couples Counselling: Steady, weekly or bi-weekly 75–90 minute sessions designed to create continuous progress and lasting habits.
- Couples Intensives: Private, immersive formats (Half-Day 3h, 1-Day 6h, 1½-Day 9h, or 2-Day 12h) designed for couples in acute crisis, recovering from infidelity, or needing rapid breakthroughs without the stop-and-start pace of weekly appointments.
We believe in complete transparency with our pricing:
- Couples Intensives:
- Half-Day Intensive (3 Hours): $700.00
- 1-Day Intensive (6 Hours): $1,400.00
- 1½-Day Intensive (9 Hours): $2,100.00
- 2-Day Intensive (12 Hours): $2,800.00
- Standard Couples Sessions: 75-min ($249.75), 90-min ($299.70), and 2-hour accelerated sessions ($399.60). Individual sessions are 50-min ($166.50).
- Aligned with Alberta Guidelines: Our rates reflect standard professional clinical rates in Alberta ($220–$250/hr), providing senior specialist care without inflated private retreat markups.
- Insurance & Direct Billing: Direct billing is available for many major insurance plans, and sessions may be covered under extended health benefits.
Yes. Alongside relationship therapy, Dr. Ottawa provides customized individual programs, including:
- Pre-Marriage Preparation Classes
- Anger Management Programs
- Court-Ordered Relationship & Conflict Classes
- Domestic Violence & Abuse Education Classes
Expect a productive working session from day one, not just information gathering. We explore what prompted the session, identify your core goals, and begin addressing communication patterns immediately. You will leave with a clear assessment and practical tools to start stabilizing your relationship.
Standard 50-minute sessions often leave couples frustrated because time runs out just as deeper concerns emerge. Our 75–90 minute formats allow both partners adequate time to be heard, de-escalate tension, and achieve real progress in every appointment.
- For Couples Counselling: We offer a free 10-minute scheduled phone consultation to discuss your situation and ensure we are the right fit for you.
- For Couples Intensives: We offer a free 25-minute joint consultation with both partners to explore your goals, discuss format options, and recommend the best intensive schedule.
We require 48 hours notice for cancellations or rescheduling. Because your appointment time is reserved exclusively for you, missed appointments or cancellations with less than 48 hours notice are subject to the full session fee.
Get started – Contact Us
Find your way back to each Other.
Book a free, 25-minute consultation to talk through what’s happening, what you’ve tried, and whether intensive counselling is the right next step.
Get Started or call 1 780-991-5117
Private & confidential · Edmonton, AB · In-person or virtual