What is Couples Therapy with Long Way Home?
Support for couples navigating what most people avoid talking about.
Couples therapy is a supportive space where partners can explore and address issues within their relationship. It involves guided sessions with a therapist who helps facilitate communication, resolve conflicts, and improve emotional connection.
Some relationships get tested slowly, over time. Others are cracked open by something big—like a terminal diagnosis, the death of a loved one, or a shift in roles that neither of you were prepared for.
If you’re here, something hard has already happened. Or it’s about to.
I work with couples who are navigating grief, death, and dying—together. These are the conversations most people don’t know how to have. But you’re not most people. You’re here, which tells me you’re ready to face something difficult as a team. And I can help with that.
When One of You Has a Terminal Illness
How to support one another
Whether the diagnosis is recent or you’re already in the thick of it, this is a destabilizing time. You might be trying to hold on to your relationship while everything else feels like it’s falling apart.
Maybe one of you has already taken on a caregiving role.
The dynamic has shifted. The future is uncertain. And no one tells you what to do with all the feelings you’re both carrying—fear, resentment, deep love, anticipatory grief.
You might be asking:
- How do we stay connected through this?
- What can we do now to avoid regrets later?
- How do we talk honestly about what’s coming?
- How do we care for our kids while dealing with this ourselves?
My role is to support you both emotionally and practically.
This could mean helping you make space for honest conversations, planning for death (if that's on the horizon), or working on legacy-building and continuing bonds. If you're navigating MAiD or planning a vigil, this is also a place to talk about that—openly and without judgement.
You don’t have to carry this alone, or pretend everything is fine for each other.
You can show up here exactly as you are.
When Grief Has Strained the Relationship
Do this together - build a stronger, loving connection
Sometimes a loss hits your relationship sideways. One of you shuts down. The other feels alone in it. The way you each grieve starts to feel incompatible.
Maybe there’s more fighting, less understanding, or a silence that wasn’t there before.
Couples I work with in this situation often say:
- “I don’t feel supported by them.”
- “We used to be close, but now we feel like strangers.”
- “We’re grieving the same loss, but it’s like we’re doing it alone.”
This space is for both of you to find your way back to each other.
To talk about what’s gone unsaid. To rebuild connection, trust, and a shared sense of meaning—where possible.
Sometimes this involves individual grief work within the relationship. Other times, it’s about learning how to stay in it together, even when the loss has changed you both.
What to Expect
At Long Way Home, our Couples Therapy is designed to navigate the complexities of your relationship when facing loss and end of life. With extensive experience in fostering understanding and connection, we offer tailored strategies to guide you toward lasting solutions.
Most sessions are done together, with occasional individual time if needed. I don’t offer quick fixes—and I’m not here to sugar-coat what’s happening.
I’ll guide you through conversations that might be brutally honest and challenging, but necessary. My approach is relational, grief-informed, and grounded in the reality that life and death reshape love.
This work may include:
- Exploring meaning, legacy, or spiritual connections (dreams, signs, shared symbols)
- Vigil or ritual planning
- Navigating shifting roles (like becoming a caregiver)
- Building a way to stay emotionally connected, even through uncertainty or pain
Explore Couples Therapy Options in Toronto
In-Person Sessions
Cultural Sensitivity
Online Accessibility
Unlock New Pathways to Relationship Harmony
This is your sub-headline
Enhanced Communication Skills: Our therapy sessions empower couples with the tools to express themselves clearly and listen actively, fostering a deeper understanding and connection.
Strengthened Emotional Bonds: By addressing underlying issues and patterns to promote empathy, couples can rebuild trust and rekindle the emotional intimacy that binds them together.
Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness: We honor and integrate the unique cultural backgrounds of each partner, nurturing a respectful and harmonious relationship dynamic.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
Couples therapy isn’t just for “saving” a relationship. Sometimes, it’s about showing up for each other in the time you have left.
Sometimes, it’s about finding your way back after loss.
Either way, if you’re in the Toronto area and looking for grief-informed, emotionally honest couples counselling—I’d be glad to work with you.
Psychotherapy
Life can be messy, and we get that talking about the tough stuff isn’t always easy. Therapy can be hard! Whether you’re dealing with a specific problem that needs a quick solution or you want to delve deep into more complex issues, we’ve got your back. With us, you’ll find a safe and warm space to lay it all out—your deepest concerns, joys, and struggles—no judgment, just genuine understanding and support.
Here are some things that we support: * Grief and significant losses * End-of-Life and aging * Trauma * Relationship Issues * Self-Esteem * Life transitions * Identity * Existential & Spiritual Care * Psychedelic and holotropic discussion & integration
Finally, mental health is important to us. A sliding scale is offered to make mental health accessible. Don’t be shy to ask us about this option.
Monica Lau
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