I'm Aimee Côté, a bilingual systemic therapist in Chatou near Saint‑Germain‑en‑Laye. I help couples, families, and individuals find healthy, satisfying ways of relating.
An empathic and growth-oriented therapist, I'll support you in realizing your goals — whether they are to enjoy more functional and satisfying relationships, a smoother home life with children, or removing barriers to personal fulfillment.
If you have questions about how therapy can be helpful for your unique situation, please reach out by voice, text, or email.
Whether you arrive alone, as a couple, or with the whole family, the work begins by understanding the system you're moving inside.
When the same disagreements keep returning
When conflicts repeatedly arise, couples can become caught in patterns that seem to take on a life of their own. Together, we slow down these cycles, understand what lies beneath them, and develop new ways of connecting and communicating.
When one family member struggles, the whole family feels it
Family therapy helps family members better understand and support one another. Through this process, healing and stronger relationships can emerge.
A space to think and feel out loud, without fear of blame.
Sometimes, the strategies we use in love, work, and life no longer seem effective. Individual therapy offers a place to explore what is happening and find new ways forward.
I completed my MS in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of New Hampshire in 2009. Marriage and family therapy, also known as systemic therapy, differs from other types of psychotherapy in that it focuses on interactions between people who, together, form a system. Systemic therapists consider the client in the context of his or her family or other close relationships. Oftentimes, clients feel stuck in a dynamic that keeps repeating, despite their best efforts. Together, we'll slow things down and look at what is keeping you stuck, helping to shift the dynamic to one that's more positive.
The therapy approaches I favor tend to be very "client-centered." That means that I put the client's goals first, rather than imposing my ideas on them. I make suggestions, but they must feel right to the client, and ultimately, the choice is theirs.
I am here to guide you and your loved ones, not to "fix" you, because you are not broken. You possess a wealth of resources and strengths that I'll help you uncover.
A family is a system — when one part struggles, everyone responds. We trace those patterns instead of pinning blame on a single person.
Your goals lead. I'll make suggestions, but they have to fit your life. The choice is always yours.
I work in both English and French. Intercultural couples and international families are a particular focus.
Especially with kids, I look past the behavior to what the nervous system is communicating about safety and stress.
I welcome individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and queer. You'll be in a safe space where you define the therapeutic goals.
I support clients and families with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and other types of neurodivergence.
Systemic therapists or MFTs see families as dynamic systems of people and relationships. Like other types of systems, even mechanical ones, families try to maintain balance or equilibrium. When changes arise, the system quickly tries to re-balance itself. A common example of this is the thermostat in your home. The system is at equilibrium when it's at the set temperature on the thermostat. When the temperature drops, the heating system kicks on. When the thermostat senses the home has reached the right temperature, the heat shuts off. Equilibrium is back.
We can apply this idea to a family confronting a problem. If one family member is struggling with depression, for example, other family members may alter their emotional state or behavior to get the family back into balance. Some ways are more conducive to mental health than others. For instance, in one family, people might reach out to the depressed individual to offer support. But in another family, members might respond by also becoming depressed as a way to share the burden. As you can imagine, this probably won't be effective at restoring harmony. When the family's response to a problem drives the system further out of balance, this is when therapy can be helpful.
Choosing what type of therapist to see can be daunting. In this video, Prof. Martin Drapeau of McGill University describes 4 basic types of therapy.
"You are not broken. You possess a wealth of strengths and resources that I'll help you uncover."
“Aimee helped my partner and I find a way out of the patterns that we had been stuck in for years. I have tried a lot of different therapies and never encountered such an effective approach. We came closer together, stopped having explosive fights, and felt like we were falling deeper in love. We found a way to reach out to each other instead of pulling away and haven't had a major fight in over a year now. Because of the tools Aimee helped us develop, we are now able to show up and be emotionally responsive to each other's needs. I honestly can't recommend working with her enough.”
The 15‑minute discovery call is the easiest way to see if we're a fit — it's free and no commitment. If you'd rather write or call, the channels below all reach me directly.
