Couples Therapy
Individual Therapy
Family Therapy
Couples Retreats
EFT Supervision

Couples Therapy

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is an attachment-based, experiential model. EFT is a clinically researched and proven process to help couples suffering from distress. It is based on a now well understood map of adult love and attachment. The foundation of a secure bond with our loved one is trusting that he/she will be emotionally Accessible, Responsive and Empathic to us. Distress in couple relationships originates in perceived threats to the security of the attachment. EFT has a 70-75% major turn-around from distress to recovery (and a 90% significant improvement rate) through working with a trained therapist over a course of 10-20 sessions, something no other approach to couple therapy has ever achieved. 

Upset couple in a kitchen; a woman stands with arms crossed looking away while a man sits on the counter looking down.

What to expect

We will begin with meeting all together as a couple to explore what is happening in your relationship that is keeping you in distress or disconnected. We will meet together at least once for an assessment of where you are in your relationship currently. We will then meet individually with both partners for one session each to establish a connection and learn more about your family backgrounds and histories. We will gather together again where our couples work will begin, and we will establish, collaborate, and clarify the main goals for our work together. 

In our work with couples, we help you to explore, strengthen, and repair your emotional bond while prioritizing safety for both partners. We help track and reflect repetitive negative interactional patterns moment by moment, while creating a foundation for safe expression of the vulnerability that drives the negative cycle. We all get stuck in these patterns because we dare to love and be loved, because we matter. This approach helps partners restructure the way they communicate, restores safety and connection, and fosters secure attachment through transformative conversations that solidify and deepen the emotional bond. In this work you will learn to better understand your own vulnerabilities, needs, and emotional patterns. You will practice expressing yourself more clearly and directly, develop the ability to take in comfort and affirmation from important people, and strengthen your sense of balance and resilience. This early self-awareness becomes the foundation for meaningful personal growth. 

Goals and Anticipated Outcomes 

You will learn to identify the cycle that has led to disconnection and isolation and learn to change the steps that are keeping you both from getting your attachment needs met. You will find the safety to be vulnerable, soften, and open to giving and receiving care from each other.

You will tap into your deeper needs and longings and learn to communicate them and respond to them in each other. By the end of therapy we hope to have reset your way of being with each other so that when difficult times come along, you can use them to grow and deepen your relationship.  You will be able to feel safe and secure in your relationship and to tune in to early signs of relapse/distance. Coming back to the “conversations” from time to time will help in this process. There is always the opportunity to return for a session every so often if extra support is needed. 

For more information about EFT, please visit: http://www.iceeft.com

A couple lying on autumn leaves looking affectionately at each other with noses touching, representing intimacy and connection.

Individual Therapy

EFIT is an attachment-based, experiential, humanistic model of therapy. It is anchored experientially in the body and emotions and is particularly effective for clients with a history of trauma (abuse or emotional neglect), emotional disorders (depression and anxiety). These challenges shape one’s process of their internal emotional world and interpersonal relationships. EFIT is also well-suited to support individuals through relationship challenges, grief and loss, life transitions, shame and self-esteem issues. EFIT helps you reconnect with your true self so you can move through life with greater emotional clarity, resilience, and a sense of freedom.

Silhouette of a person sitting alone on a bench with their head in their hands, overlooking the water, representing isolation, grief, or sadness.

What to expect

We help individuals navigate their inner worlds, bringing a deeper understanding into why we think, feel, and do what we do that blocks us from our relationship with ourselves and others. Together we will explore your experiences, gain understanding of the patterns you have been modelled and developed that were once adaptive and now impede more authentic connection to yourself and others. We will be alongside you to create a safe, supportive environment while we work to uncover and heal past wounds, grow in emotional balance, and live more fully inside yourself and with important others. 

Goals and Anticipated Outcomes 

In this work you will learn to better understand your own vulnerabilities, needs, and emotional patterns. You will practice expressing yourself more clearly and directly, develop the ability to take in comfort and affirmation from important people, and strengthen your sense of balance and resilience. This early self-awareness becomes the foundation for meaningful personal growth. 

By the end of treatment, you should feel more confident in navigating relationships, moments of conflict, and more able to identify and assert your genuine authenticity and needs. You should have a better understanding of yourself as a personalized template for continued growth, along with an increased capacity to manage everyday stress and major life events with greater steadiness and clarity. 

A woman sitting in a meditation pose on a yoga mat in a green park, representing mindfulness and self-care.

Family Therapy

Are you in pain because of conflict or distance from your teen, your mother, father, sister, brother?  Do you miss the closeness you once had or long for a safe connection that has always seemed so out of reach?Are you stuck in the pain of old wounds and have given up hope of ever healing them and just withdrawn?  Do you find yourselves staying superficial when you are together and ending up feeling empty and unsatisfied.  Lost and confused about how it got like this?

Older father looking with concern at his adult son, who sits turned away with arms crossed, representing a family disagreement or communication breakdown.

Why are family relationships so important and why can they be so painful?

Family relationships are attachment relationships. We need a few precious others in our lives from cradle to grave. We depend on these relationships to deal with fear and stress and to feel that we belong.Human beings have an inherent, universal need for a safe haven and secure base where a parent is experienced as emotionally accessible and responsive so that this person can be depended upon. Caregivers (ie. parents) have a reciprocal universal need to be competently protective and nurturing so that their young can grow and go. Children, even adult children, need the “older and wiser” ones to turn toward.

Parenting Teens: What about those confusing, stormy adolescent years?

Human dependency creates a relationship that is a source of comfort and strength for parents and their teens. Being able to tune-in to our own emotions and being able to send clear emotional signals are two essential characteristics of a secure bond. This emotional tuning-in allows teens to send clear emotional signals about the care they are looking for (which often looks like I need you to care enough about me to give me some space but when I call, you will come) with their care-seeking intent (when you reject me I get scared and angry so that when you do call for support I can over react or freeze up). This ability to unblock the caregiving instinct and the reciprocal ability for teens to open up and receive this care are achieved as attachment emotions are accessed and shared.In this work you will learn to better understand your own vulnerabilities, needs, and emotional patterns. You will practice expressing yourself more clearly and directly, develop the ability to take in comfort and affirmation from important people, and strengthen your sense of balance and resilience. This early self-awareness becomes the foundation for meaningful personal growth. 

Top-down view of a family toasting drinks over a dinner table full of food, representing community and celebration.

Announcing Hold Me Tight this Spring!

A Workshop of Connection for your Relationship

Facilitated by: ICEEFT Certified EFT Supervisor and Therapist Mary Luard RP MSW RSW

June 13/14, 2026 9:00-6:00 p.m.
United College, University of Waterloo, Ontariobased onHold Me Tight:  Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Loveby Dr. Sue Johnson

A smiling older couple sitting on a park bench together; the man has his arm around the woman, depicting long-term companionship.

What to expect?

Presentations to the group and DVD’s of three Canadian couples with Dr. Sue Johnson, founder of EFT,  alternating with Seven Private “Conversations” with your partner (therapists available as needed)

Discover the “dance” that keeps you locked in unhappiness and distress

Experience new conversations and the ability to repair and reconnect, repair hurt feelings, take down the walls of self-protection

You’ll discover the art and science of staying in love is quite simple once you have a reliable road map

Learn how to stay available, responsible and emotionally engaged, the A.R.E. of safe and lasting connection

Contribution to the group sessions welcome but not required

Go to Podcast about a “Hold Me Tight” couples retreat  …Dr. Michelle Gannon and Dr. Sam Jinich, California EFT therapists)

A cost effective and focused way of working on your relationship as thousands of others are doing throughout North America and abroad (a gift to your relationship!)

A smiling older couple sitting on a park bench together; the man has his arm around the woman, depicting long-term companionship.

Who Should Attend?

  • young, middle aged and older couplescouples early in relationship

  • couples in long term relationship

  • couples in second marriages/blended families

  • same-sex couples

  • couples in therapy or never in therapy

  • a single person who wants relationship education!

A smiling older couple sitting on a park bench together; the man has his arm around the woman, depicting long-term companionship.

The Cost?

$875.00 CDN per couple – pay $150 deposit to hold your spot (e-transfer to freshbeginningsforcouples@gmail.com) upon registration
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Early bird $825.00 until April 20, 2026
‍Covered by most insurance/benefit plans

Full payment due May 15, 2026

(16 hours of Relationship Nurturing!)

All workshop materials/professional support

Please note: Cancellation more than 3 weeks prior 50% refund/Cancellation less than 3 weeks prior $100 refund/Cancellation less than 1 week prior no refund
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Consider an economical choice for accommodation: https://uwaterloo.ca/united-college/guest-rooms-conferences/guest-rooms

Facilitator:Mary Luard   MSW,  RSW,  RP
ICEEFT Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist and Supervisor
519-500-4268

Testimonial

(From a Reluctant Male Participant):
“I would love to see a 3 or 4 day workshop!…”
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“Having time to focus and commit only to this process was such a gift to each other and our marriage. We were finally able to put down our fears and defences and really “see” and understand each other and finally “feel” our connection together. We really chose each other again. I feel like we should renew our vows as I would 100% choose to marry him again.”
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“Definitely hard to put into words, but mainly that there’s so much I didn’t know about how everything in a relationship is connected with a traceable attachment, etc. I/we have read books, articles, went to individual and couples therapy, etc. but none of them broke everything down to the core the way Hold Me Tight did.”

I will be telling all of my adult children that it would help them BEFORE things get out of hand! Thank you again. You have given me so much hope. I am leaving here SO SO HAPPY!

Register Today

Register Today

EFT Supervision

Mary is ICEEFT Certified as a Supervisor in EFCT (Couples), EFFT (Families) and EFIT (Individuals).  She leads three EFCT supervision groups and one EFIT supervision group. They go all year every 4 weeks, 3 hours each. Participants show recordings of their work and we create a safe space to learn this beautiful (and challenging) model.
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Some supervisees are interested in pursuing Certification and some are focused on simply growing their skills and experience in EFT. Information about the Certification process is found here:  https://iceeft.com/eft-certification/

A circle of diverse hands resting on the floor, symbolizing unity, support groups, or community connection.

What to Here are some thoughts about EFT supervision

Welcome to my supervision practice. I am honoured you chose me to companion you in your learning process. My goal of our work together is to deeply support you in learning the model of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and to help you grow and develop as an EFT Therapist and/or EFT Supervisor.

The process of EFT supervision is isomorphic to the process of EFT therapy. As your EFT Supervisor, my relationship with you gives you opportunities to learn and live EFT, just as your relationship with your couples helps them grow their connection with themselves and each other. The relationship is also bilateral.Your relationship with me grows and changes me, and impacts my work and the people close to me. In the end, we are both trying to make the world a safer, more connected place.  

‍For more information about the days/dates and times of the four groups and individual work with me, please press Contact and let me know you want to connect.

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