Marriage & Couple Co-Therapy
Louise Dorfman & David Rubinstein
We are a married couple who have been together over 52 years. As individual couple therapists, as co-therapists, as parents and grandparents, we have acquired a rich source of theoretical and practical knowledge to help couples develop secure-functioning and emotionally-committed relationships. Since opening our practice over 26 years ago, we have worked for the most part as a husband-and-wife couple co-therapy team focusing on 3-day Couple Intensives for both married and non-married heterosexual and same-sex couples. We now practice individually as Couple Therapists, but still join together from time to time to offer virtual Couple Intensives and in-person Couple Intensive Retreats.
I view the purpose of relationships as an opportunity for each partner to develop as a loving individual in the context of connecting deeply with his or her partner.
For several years now, I have been integrating into my practice the couple therapy approach of Dr. Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, founder and developer of the Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy ® (PACT). PACT integrates mind and body functioning and gives couples the tools to create a safe and secure long-lasting relationships. Currently, I am a Level 11 PACT Therapist.
Prior to opening our Couple Enrichment practice, I worked as a therapist and co-therapist in several Toronto area clinics. I have facilitated workshops on Active Parenting relationship-building for couples. My M.A. in Counseling Psychology is from The Alfred Adler Institute of Chicago. I also have an M.A. in Sociology (specializing in Mental Health) from McMaster University.
In addition to specializing in Couple Counselling Intensive Retreats as a co-therapist with my wife Louise, I maintain a couple/marriage therapy practice of my own where I see couples weekly or bi-weekly for one-and-a-half to two-hour sessions. I also offer one-therapist-only 3-day Intensives online or at our office in Ottawa, Ontario.
Call 877-897-2333 ext 1 (David) ext 2 (Louise) to speak with one of us personally.
As a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), I bring many different experiences and skills to my work as a therapist. For 26 years, I have worked primarily as an Intensive Marriage and Couples co-therapist with my husband David. Our couples practice is focused on seeing one couple at a time. We also host couple workshops online with 6-8 couples. I find that the energy and interaction among participants in these workshops is exhilarating and offers great learning opportunities for all.
My Masters degree in Counselling Psychology is from Yorkville University. While completing that degree, I worked with groups of women survivors of sexual, physical and emotional abuse at Family Transition Place in Orangeville, Ontario. This experience has been very beneficial in understanding the issues that some of our couple clients and my individual clients bring to therapy. Prior to that, I co-facilitated a drug addiction program offering group counselling for recovering alcoholics.
At the beginning of my career, prior to working as a psychotherapist, I presented workshops on parenting skills, corporate communications skills, and career planning strategies. During that time I was certified as a Life Skills Coach, Journal Writing Instructor, and Myers Briggs Certified Practitioner (Myers Briggs Type Indicator™).
I have received training in various psychotherapeutic approaches focusing on couple relationships. For 15 years now, I been integrating into my couples counselling practice the couple therapy approach of Dr. Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT. Dr. Tatkin is a clinician, researcher, teacher, and developer of A Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy® (PACT). I am a Level 11 PACT practitioner. (For more information about my Couple Therapy practice, you can reach out to me via Phone or Text at 877-980-2333).
Additional Services
Individual Counselling – Women’s Issues
Although I still see clients regularly as a couple therapist, I devote half my time to individual counselling, focusing on women’s issues. Through private, in-person or online videoconference sessions, I help my clients gain a deeper understanding of how their early childhood experiences unconsciously frame the way they see the world. Together we develop ways to build self-esteem, strategies to communicate more effectively, and coping mechanisms to deal with traumatic loss. I focus on helping them create healthy and secure-functioning relationships with family, partners, friends, employers and colleagues. I work online, using a secure videoconferencing platform.
There are many opportunities working as an Individual therapist to use my experience as a Couple therapist. I can help women understand the principles necessary to maintain safe and secure relationships with their partners. But these principles can also apply to their relationships with family members, friends and colleagues. Because I work with many clients who are struggling with stress, anxiety, and past trauma, I have been introducing Energy Psychology — Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and Intention Tapping™ (IEP) in my Individual practice. Tapping is a specific healing method that complements and augments traditional psychotherapy. It is an evidence-based practice that is effective in treating anxiety, depression, phobias and PTSD. It is also a powerful tool that can be self-taught to address long-lasting or ongoing stressors that show up in daily life.
Vibrant Beyond Sixty
I am particularly interested in helping women facing late-in-life challenges as they transition into their retirement years. Many are exploring their purpose in life at this time, and others are facing complex decisions around end-of-life that will impact both them and their families. I help them go through this period with calm, clear-headedness, and appreciation of the beauty of life, so that they can face what seems daunting to them while in a place of love, joy and compassion.
In addition to my role as a Couple and Individual Therapist, I am creating an online community dedicated to the spiritual and emotional growth of women in their 60’s, 70’s , 80’s, and in some cases, even beyond. Here, women from all over the world share their knowledge and life experiences, building a circle of friendship, and encouraging others to lead creative, healthy and productive lives. Vibrant Beyond Sixty podcasts and blogs will provide a platform for women to share their stories, offer wisdom, and inspire others to live lives to the fullest while aging gracefully.
Find out more about my Individual Counselling practice for women by calling 613-212-0080 or by visiting Vibrant Beyond Sixty.