In Aurora, Ontario’s serene landscapes and vibrant community offer a backdrop that can sometimes overshadow the challenges of everyday life. From balancing family commitments to the pressures of work, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers invaluable tools for managing intense emotions and building resilience. At Ontario Therapy, we help residents navigate these complexities with empathy and expertise.
Naomi Barnes, MA, RP (Registered Psychotherapist)
Founder & Clinical Director, Ontario Therapy
With a specialization in DBT therapy and relationship counseling, Naomi helps partners overcome disconnection, conflict avoidance, and communication breakdowns. Her advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and the Gottman Method equips her to guide couples towards deeper intimacy and mutual understanding.
For three years, Matt and Laura have called Fairy Lake Park their nearby escape from daily stresses. Yet, despite this picturesque setting, they’ve grown increasingly isolated from each other. The natural connection that once defined their relationship now feels strained or non-existent. Matt has repeatedly turned down Laura’s attempts at reconnection.
Emma and David have been in their Stonehaven home for eight years but lately feel like they’re living separate lives. Emma often finds herself talking to a stranger when she comes home from her Aurora job, as David is either absorbed in his phone or offers solutions rather than listening. Last week’s argument brought them to a new low.
Do these scenarios sound familiar? The struggles you face aren’t due to personal shortcomings but are common patterns that skilled therapy can address and change.
We provide specialized relationship counseling for couples across Aurora, including Stonehaven, Gorham, Summerhill Estates, Eagle Street, Woodlands—addressing:
Constant arguing, feeling unheard, conversations that escalate into fights, or partners who have stopped talking about anything meaningful
Affairs, emotional infidelity, broken promises, lies about money, or rebuilding after major betrayals that have shattered the foundation
Mismatched desires, physical connection problems, feeling like roommates rather than lovers, or navigating sexual trauma's impact on the relationship
New parenthood, job changes, moving, illness, loss, or major life events that have created distance between partners
Navigating step-parenting, ex-partner dynamics, custody conflicts, or different parenting philosophies creating relationship strain
Engaged couples wanting to build strong foundations, address potential problem areas, and develop conflict resolution skills before marriage
Whether you’re enjoying the trails of Riverwalk Commons or grappling with the stress of York Region’s fast-paced lifestyle, our approach helps partners reconnect intentionally and skillfully.
Much like Aurora itself offers various facets to its residents, relationship dynamics demand a specific kind of understanding. Most therapists see individuals and also do couples work, but Naomi’s background in psychodynamic therapy provides critical insight into unconscious patterns that undermine relationships, while her DBT training equips her with practical tools for change.
Aurora’s suburban landscape presents unique challenges—long commutes, the pressures of raising families amid competition, and seasonal shifts affecting mental health. DBT therapy is especially beneficial as it arms individuals with skills to manage intense emotions and maintain balance in their daily lives.
Our Aurora clinic is specially designed for couples work—with comfortable seating allowing partners to face each other or the therapist as needed, complete privacy and soundproofing, and a calming environment that fosters open dialogue rather than defensive reactions. Get directions from your neighborhood:
Many couples attempt to resolve their issues through individual therapy, self-help books, or advice from friends and family. While these methods have value, understanding relationship dynamics requires insight into how partners unconsciously trigger and soothe each other—something that can only be achieved with specialized training.
Sessions 4-12: Skill Building and Pattern Change
You’ll learn effective communication techniques, practice de-escalating conflicts in real-time, understand your partner’s attachment style, and begin breaking negative cycles before they escalate.
Sessions 12-24: Deeper Healing and Intimacy
Once basic skills are established, we delve into deeper wounds—exploring how past relationships impact the current partnership, rebuilding physical and emotional intimacy, and creating new positive patterns and shared experiences.
Sessions 1-3: Assessment and Stabilization
We map your relationship patterns, understand individual histories, identify triggers and strengths, and establish ground rules for productive communication. If there’s an active crisis or betrayal, we focus on immediate stabilization.
Sessions 24+: Integration and Maintenance
Many couples opt for ongoing monthly sessions to maintain progress and address new challenges as they arise. We focus on long-term relationship skills, preventing regression, and celebrating the growth achieved together.
Virtual sessions can be particularly effective for relationship work—you’re in your own comfortable space, there’s no travel stress that can increase pre-session tension, and you can practice new communication skills in the environment where you’ll use them daily.
If you’re both committed to working on the relationship, dbt therapy addresses the dynamic between you more effectively than individual work alone. However, active addiction, domestic violence, or severe mental health crises usually need individual attention first.
One person can start the process. Often, when a reluctant partner sees their loved one learning new skills and approaching conflict differently, they become curious about participating. We can also coach you on how to invite your partner in ways that feel safe rather than threatening.
This is often the question beneath the question. Couples therapy helps you make this decision from a place of clarity rather than hurt or fear. Some relationships do end, but usually after both partners have tried everything and can separate with respect rather than bitterness.
Many couples have had experiences with therapists who weren’t specifically trained in relationship dynamics, took sides, or moved too quickly without building skills first. Our approach may be very different from what you experienced before.
Relationship problems have their own costs—potential separation, individual therapy for both partners, impact on children, missed work due to emotional distress. We offer sliding scale options and payment plans because your relationship is worth investing in.
Compatibility is partly about fundamental values and life goals, but it’s mostly about skills. Many couples who feel incompatible actually have different communication styles, attachment needs, or conflict approaches that can be learned and adapted.
Most couples notice some improvement in communication within the first few sessions. Deeper changes in intimacy and trust typically take 3-6 months of regular work. Couples dealing with betrayal or major life stressors often need longer.
A skilled couples therapist remains neutral while helping both partners feel heard. We identify patterns rather than blame individuals, teach skills in real time, and create a safe space for vulnerable conversations that usually can’t happen at home.
A skilled couples therapist remains neutral while helping both partners feel heard. We identify patterns rather than blame individuals, teach skills in real time, and create a safe space for vulnerable conversations that usually can’t happen at home.
Your journey begins with a 90-minute session exploring your relationship history, current challenges, and individual goals. We identify patterns not working for you and develop a personalized approach to address your unique situation.
DBT Therapy Near Aurora: DBT Therapy in King City · DBT Therapy in Whitchurch-Stouffville
Other Services in Aurora: Anxiety Therapy in Aurora · Trauma Therapy in Aurora · Pain Psychotherapy in Aurora
We also provide Dbt therapy in Newmarket, King City, Bradford.
