Virtual-only counselling starting Feb 16 · Alberta-wide · Learn more
Virtual Couples Counselling Across Alberta
Professional counselling support delivered through secure virtual sessions across Alberta.
Brintnell Psychology offers virtual couples counselling in Alberta for adults seeking support with relationship concerns. Sessions are held online through secure video conferencing, allowing partners to attend from the comfort and privacy of their own space.
Couples counselling provides a structured, confidential environment to explore communication challenges, emotional disconnection, conflict patterns, or changes within a relationship.
Couples therapy is currently available virtually across Alberta with Melissa Linkson, RSW, and Charlotte Emerick, RSW. The counselling process is collaborative, evidence-informed, and tailored to each couple’s unique circumstances.
Virtual Couples Counselling in Alberta
Virtual couples counselling allows partners located in Alberta to access professional counselling support without attending in person. Online sessions can be a flexible option for couples with busy schedules, different locations, or a preference for remote care.
All sessions are delivered by our registered counsellors using secure, privacy-compliant video conferencing.
What Couples Counselling Can Support
Couples seek counselling for many different reasons.
Counselling may provide space to explore topics such as:
- Communication difficulties or recurring conflicts
- Emotional distance or changes in connection
- Relationship stress related to life transitions
- Trust concerns or boundary discussions
- Differences in values, expectations, or goals
- Parenting disagreements
- Financial conflict
Counselling does not assume a specific outcome.
Instead, sessions focus on understanding relationship dynamics and supporting reflection, dialogue, and insight.
Individual concerns such as anxiety, stress, or major life transitions can also be explored alongside couples work when appropriate.
How Couples Counselling Works
Your Counselling Journey
Understanding the Relationship Context
Counselling often begins by learning about the relationship from both partners’ perspectives.
Each person is given space to share concerns, experiences, and what led them to seek counselling.
This stage also includes reviewing confidentiality, boundaries, and the counselling process.
Exploring Interaction Patterns
Sessions may involve exploring communication styles, emotional responses, and recurring interaction patterns within the relationship.
This exploration supports greater awareness of how partners relate to one another during moments of stress or conflict.
Considering New Perspectives
Couples counselling may include discussing evidence-informed approaches and perspectives that help partners reflect on communication, emotional needs, and relational patterns.
Topics are explored collaboratively, based on the couple’s priorities and readiness.
Ongoing Reflection & Review
The counselling process is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains relevant and supportive.
Couples may choose to continue sessions, adjust frequency, or pause counselling depending on their needs and circumstances.
Counselling is a collaborative and flexible process. These steps describe common elements of couples counselling, rather than a fixed or linear path.
Evidence-Informed Approaches Used in Couples Counselling
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Focuses on emotional safety and attachment in relationships
- Supports partners in exploring emotional responses and relational needs
- Emphasizes emotional safety and connection during counselling conversations
- Draws from established psychological research on adult attachment and relationships
- Often used when couples wish to explore patterns of disconnection or recurring conflict
Gottman Method
- Informed by longstanding research on relationship dynamics
- Provides a framework for exploring communication patterns and conflict styles
- Encourages reflection on interactions such as criticism, defensiveness, and withdrawal
- Uses structured conversations to support awareness and understanding
- Applied flexibly based on the couple’s goals and preferences
Imago Relationship Therapy
- Explores early relational experiences and their influence on adult relationships
- Encourages partners to reflect on unconscious expectations and patterns
- Emphasizes understanding each partner’s perspective
- Uses guided dialogue to support intentional communication and reflection
- Often used to support deeper exploration of relationship dynamics
These evidence-informed approaches are commonly used in virtual couples counselling in Alberta and are selected based on clinical judgment and client preference.
Counselling approaches are adapted based on each couple’s needs and discussed collaboratively.
No single approach is presented as superior, and methods may change over time.
Meet Our Couples Counsellors
Our couples counselling services are provided by Registered Social Workers and Canadian Certified Counsellors with training and experience in relationship-focused counselling.
Each counsellor brings a thoughtful, evidence-informed approach and works collaboratively with couples to support reflection, communication, and understanding.
You can view individual counsellor profiles to learn more about their background, areas of practice, and availability.
Charlotte Emerick
Registered Social Worker (RSW)
Charlotte works with couples who wish to explore relationship challenges, drawing on evidence-informed approaches such as Gottman-informed and emotion-focused therapy. Her counselling style emphasizes collaboration, reflection on communication patterns, and sensitivity to family dynamics and neurodiversity.
Melissa Linkson
Registered Social Worker (RSW)
Melissa supports couples, parents, and families as they explore relationship dynamics during life transitions and periods of stress. Her work emphasizes reflection, self-understanding, and consideration of personal and cultural values, informed by her background in hospital-based social work.
Virtual Couples Counselling in Alberta
Virtual couples counselling offers a flexible way to access therapy services while remaining at home or another private location. Sessions are conducted through secure video conferencing and are available to couples located anywhere in Alberta.
Considerations for virtual counselling may include:
Location flexibility: Attend sessions from home, your office, or another private space
Accessibility: No need to travel to an in-person clinic
Scheduling options: Sessions that may fit more easily into busy routines
Continuity of care: Ability to attend sessions while travelling or living in different locations
Privacy: Secure, privacy-compliant video platforms are used for all sessions
Frequently Asked Questions
Ideally, both partners participate in couples counselling. In some situations, one partner may choose to attend an initial consultation to learn more about the process. This can be discussed during a consultation to determine appropriate next steps.
Couples counselling is conducted from a neutral and balanced perspective. The counsellor works to ensure both partners have space to be heard and understood, while maintaining professional boundaries and ethical standards.
Some couples seek counselling while navigating decisions about their relationship. Counselling can provide space for structured conversation and reflection, regardless of the direction a couple is considering.
There is no standard timeline for couples counselling. The number and frequency of sessions vary depending on each couple’s circumstances, goals, and preferences, and are discussed collaboratively throughout the process.
Confidentiality and its limits are reviewed at the beginning of counselling as part of the informed consent process. In couples counselling, confidentiality applies to the therapeutic relationship as a whole, with legal and ethical exceptions, such as risk of harm, discussed clearly in advance.
In couples counselling, individual experiences may be discussed as they relate to the relationship. If it becomes clear that one partner may benefit from individual counselling, this can be discussed as part of the process. Any recommendations are made collaboratively and based on individual circumstances.
Yes. Couples counselling is available to adults in a variety of relationship structures. Services are offered without assumptions about relationship type, marital status, or goals.
Direct billing may be available depending on the provider and insurance plan. Click here for more information on direct billing.
The information above is provided for general purposes and does not replace a consultation with a registered psychologist.
Why Couples Choose Us
Our counsellors are registered to provide services in Alberta and bring professional training and experience in couples counselling
We draw on counselling approaches informed by research and clinical practice.
We work to ensure both partners feel heard, respected, and supported throughout the process.
Evening and weekend appointments may be available, depending on counsellor availability.
Secure virtual sessions are available across Alberta. In-person sessions are planned to return in June 2026 at our Cy Becker clinic in Edmonton.
Many extended health plans cover counselling services. We’re happy to provide information to support insurance reimbursement.
Take the First Step
Starting couples counselling can feel uncertain, and that’s a common experience. Reaching out for support is an opportunity to explore your concerns and consider next steps in a thoughtful, collaborative way.
Begin with a free 15-minute consultation. This brief conversation is an opportunity to ask questions, learn more about our services, and determine whether couples counselling with our team may be a good fit for your needs.
Available in Edmonton and throughout Alberta via virtual sessions. Evening and weekend appointments available. In-person sessions coming June 2026 at our new Edmonton clinic in Cy Becker. Individual experiences with counselling vary, and outcomes cannot be guaranteed.