Life Collective Counselling

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Life Collective Counselling Life Collective Counselling provides holistic psychotherapy to individuals, couples and families.

Our services include counselling for mental health, life transitions, addictions and s*xual health.

You're not imagining it. Summer really is harder on couples.Relationship researchers consistently flag July and August a...
10/09/2026

You're not imagining it. Summer really is harder on couples.

Relationship researchers consistently flag July and August as some of the highest-conflict months of the year. More togetherness, disrupted routines, kids home from school, vacation planning stress, financial pressure, heat, and quiet expectations about what summer "should" look like all land at the same time.

We see it in our practice every year. The couples who walk through our door in the middle of summer usually aren't in crisis because something is broken. They're in a season that puts every unresolved tension under a magnifying glass.

That distinction matters. What you're feeling right now is likely situational, not a verdict on your relationship. The snappier tone at dinner, the argument about the trip, the sense that you keep missing each other. Those are signals worth listening to, not proof that you're failing.

If summer has been heavier than you expected, you don't have to wait until things "get bad enough" to talk to someone. Couples counselling works just as well as a pressure release valve as it does a repair tool. πŸ’›

Our team is here in Edmonton when you're ready. Reach out anytime through the link in our bio.

Two years. The same argument about dishes.By session three, this couple wasn't fighting about dishes anymore. They were ...
10/07/2026

Two years. The same argument about dishes.

By session three, this couple wasn't fighting about dishes anymore. They were finally talking about what the dishes actually meant. Feeling unseen. Carrying more than their share. Wondering if their partner still noticed them at all.

Most couples wait an average of six years before reaching out for support. Often because they don't know what to expect walking through the door.

So here are 4 things worth knowing before your first session:

1. You don't need a crisis to come. Wanting to feel closer is reason enough.

2. Both partners don't have to agree on everything. You don't even have to agree on why you're there. That's part of the work.

3. The first session is just a conversation. No homework, no hot seat. We get to know you, you get to know us, and you decide if it feels like a fit.

4. Progress isn't always linear. Some weeks feel like breakthroughs. Others feel quiet. Both are moving you forward.

If you've been circling the idea of couples therapy for a while, this is your gentle nudge. You're allowed to come in curious, unsure, or somewhere in between. We'll meet you there. πŸ’›

She sat through six sessions before asking whether her therapist had ever worked with s*xual trauma.She had assumed it w...
10/05/2026

She sat through six sessions before asking whether her therapist had ever worked with s*xual trauma.

She had assumed it was rude to ask. It is not rude. It is exactly the right question.

Somewhere along the way, most of us picked up the idea that therapy is something that happens 𝘡𝘰 us. That the therapist holds all the cards, and our job is to show up, be agreeable, and hope it works. That asking questions might seem ungrateful, or difficult, or like we're bad clients.

You are allowed to ask. Actually, you are encouraged to.

Here are six questions you have every right to bring into the room:

β€’ Do you have specific training in s*xual trauma (or grief, or OCD, or whatever you're carrying)?
β€’ Have you worked with clients who share my background?
β€’ Can you explain why you're recommending this approach?
β€’ What does a typical session look like for this issue?
β€’ I'd like to try a different therapist. Is that okay?
β€’ I don't think this is working for me anymore.

Our team includes 13+ therapists with distinct specializations, from s*xual trauma to LGBTQ+ identity, religious trauma, and mismatched libido. No single therapist covers everything, and pretending otherwise doesn't serve you. Asking questions helps you land with the right person, doing the right work, in a way that actually fits your life.

A good therapist will welcome these questions. A good therapist will answer them honestly, and will not be offended if the answer means you choose someone else.

You are the client. This is your process. You get to shape it. πŸ’›

Most people spend years hoping their partner will just figure it out. The words exist. You are allowed to say them.If na...
10/05/2026

Most people spend years hoping their partner will just figure it out. The words exist. You are allowed to say them.

If naming what you need in intimacy feels impossible, you are not broken and you are not asking for too much. A lot of the couples we sit with arrive without language for this part of their lives. Not because they don't care, but because no one ever taught them it was okay to speak it out loud.

Summer tends to surface this. More time together, more expectations, more quiet moments where the gap between what you want and what you can say gets louder.

So here are some sentences you are allowed to borrow:

"I need more time before I feel ready for that."
"I don't know what I want yet, and that's where I am."
"This doesn't feel good, can we try something different?"
"I need to feel emotionally close before I want to be physical."
"I've been carrying shame about this for a long time."
"I want to talk about this in therapy, not just at home."

You can say any of these to a partner. You can bring any of these into a session with us. You do not have to have it all figured out before you speak. That is what the room is for. πŸ’›

If you have been carrying something quiet for a while, we would be honoured to help you find the words for it.

The couples who make the most progress in s*x therapy aren't the ones with the "biggest" problems.They're the ones who w...
10/02/2026

The couples who make the most progress in s*x therapy aren't the ones with the "biggest" problems.

They're the ones who walk in knowing what they actually want to say.

That's the quiet insider truth. S*x therapy isn't a test you pass or fail. It's a conversation, and like any meaningful conversation, a little preparation goes a long way toward feeling grounded instead of exposed.

Before your first session, try this:
✿ Notice what you want to say (even the parts that feel too tender to name yet)
✿ Name one thing you hope changes, even if it's small
✿ Be honest with yourself about what feels hard to talk about

You don't have to have the perfect words. Your therapist will help you find them. You're allowed to say "I don't know how to describe this yet." You're allowed to pause. You're allowed to change your mind mid-sentence.

After each session, the momentum lives in the small moments:
✿ Reflect on what surfaced (a car ride home, a walk, a journal entry, whatever feels right)
✿ Try the exercises at your own pace, without pressure to "get it right"

Progress in this work often looks less like a breakthrough and more like your shoulders sitting a little lower each time you leave the room. That's the point. That's the work.

If you've been sitting on the idea of booking a first session, this is your gentle nudge. We'd be honoured to walk alongside you.

You're not imagining it. Desire has felt distant lately, and somewhere in the back of your mind, a scary question keeps ...
09/30/2026

You're not imagining it. Desire has felt distant lately, and somewhere in the back of your mind, a scary question keeps surfacing: does this mean something is wrong with us?

Almost every time we hear that question in s*x therapy, the answer is no.

Low desire is rarely a verdict on your relationship or your attraction to your partner. More often, it's your nervous system waving a flag about something else entirely. Stress. Burnout. Parenting load. Body image. A season of life that has left very little room for anything beyond survival.

Swipe through for 3 things low desire is actually telling you, and what tends to shift once those underlying pressures get some real attention. πŸ’›

If any of this sounds like your relationship right now, you're not broken and you're not alone. Reach out anytime. This is exactly the kind of conversation we're here for.

Summer has a way of surfacing things.More time together, fewer routines to hide behind, maybe a road trip that reminded ...
09/28/2026

Summer has a way of surfacing things.

More time together, fewer routines to hide behind, maybe a road trip that reminded you how differently you two pack a car. Sometimes it is lovely. Sometimes it is a quiet nudge that you have been running on autopilot for a while.

Most couples only check in on their relationship when something is already wrong. It does not have to work that way.

Swipe through for three questions we often explore in couples sessions. They are not a test. Think of it as a temperature check you can do together over coffee this weekend:

β†’ Do you feel heard lately?
β†’ When did you last have fun together?
β†’ What goes unsaid between you?

Whatever comes up, it is information, not a verdict. Strong relationships are not the ones without problems. They are the ones where both people keep showing up to the conversation. πŸ’›

If one of these questions lands a little harder than the others, that is worth listening to. Our couples therapists in Edmonton are here whenever you are ready to talk it through.

RSW. RP. CCC. CST. You've seen these letters on a therapist's profile, and if you're like most people, you booked based ...
09/28/2026

RSW. RP. CCC. CST. You've seen these letters on a therapist's profile, and if you're like most people, you booked based on vibe and availability instead.

That's not a failure on your part. Nobody hands you a decoder ring when you start looking for support.

So we made one. Swipe through for a plain-language guide to what those credentials actually mean, including the difference between a Registered and Provisional Psychologist, what "Clinical Specialization" signals on an RSW, and why booking with a Psychology Intern can be an excellent (and more affordable) fit.

Knowing what the letters mean puts you in a stronger position to choose the right therapist for you, not just the first available appointment. πŸ’›

In almost every long-term relationship, one partner wants s*x more than the other. It's so common it has a name: the des...
09/25/2026

In almost every long-term relationship, one partner wants s*x more than the other. It's so common it has a name: the desire gap.

Most couples read it as rejection or proof they're incompatible. It's usually neither.

Desire isn't a fixed setting. It shifts with sleep, stress, hormones, safety, and life stage. When one partner's nervous system is running on empty, intimacy doesn't feel accessible, and that isn't withholding. It's physiology.

The harder part is the cycle that forms around the gap. One pursues, the other withdraws, and both end up feeling lonelier than before.

Swipe through for three reframes that help couples talk about desire with less pressure, and reach out when you're ready to work through it together. πŸ’›

You've been in therapy for months, doing the work, and things at home still feel stuck.Or the opposite: you and your par...
09/25/2026

You've been in therapy for months, doing the work, and things at home still feel stuck.

Or the opposite: you and your partner keep having the same fight, and no amount of "communicating better" seems to shift it.

Here's what often gets missed. Individual therapy and couples therapy aren't interchangeable. They address different layers of what's hurting.

Individual therapy tends to help most when the struggle lives inside you. Anxiety, old trauma, shame, low self-worth, the patterns you carry into every relationship you've ever had. The kind of pain that would follow you even if your partner were different.

Couples therapy tends to help most when the dynamic between you is the source. Recurring conflict cycles, emotional distance, a breakdown in trust, feeling like roommates. The kind of pain that lives in the space between two people.

Sometimes you need both, running side by side. And needing either one isn't a sign that you've failed at love or at yourself. It's a sign you're paying attention.

If you're unsure which fits your situation, that's something we can help you sort out on a first call. No pressure to have it figured out before you reach out. πŸ’›

Address

8925 51 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 12pm - 8pm
Thursday 5am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+17806199438

Website

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