Couples therapy, also known as marriage or couple counselling, is a form of therapy that aims to help couples resolve issues, improve their communication, and strengthen their relationship. It involves sessions with a trained therapist who provides a neutral and supportive environment for couples to discuss their concerns, conflicts, and challenges.
The primary goals of couple counseling include:
Improving Communication: Therapists help couples learn effective communication skills, teaching them how to listen actively, express their feelings, and understand each other better.
Resolving Conflicts: Couple conflict is inevitable because you trying to relate to another human being who has their own likes/ dislikes; preferences, wants and needs. Whilst what you had in common brought you and bonded you together, the ways we are different, our thoughts, feeling and day to day behaviours can end up being the bane of our existence. Couples often face conflicts and gridlock stemming from various sources such as differences in values, beliefs, or communication styles. Research says it’s not the prevalence of conflict that will be the source of it’s demise, but the way people conflict. In therapy we work with couples to identify the 4 main conflict dynamics to avoid.
Rebuilding Trust: Issues like infidelity or breaches of trust can significantly strain a relationship. Counselling provides a space to address trust issues, talk safely about the hurt and pain caused, rebuild trust, and work towards atonement and healing.
Enhancing Intimacy and Connection: Therapists assist couples in connecting emotionally and physically, fostering intimacy, and igniting or reigniting the bond that brought them together.
Developing Healthy Relationship Patterns: Counselling helps couples understand unhealthy relationship patterns and develop healthier ways of relating to each other.
Couples therapy can benefit relationships at any stage, whether couples are experiencing specific challenges or seeking to strengthen their connection. The success of counselling often depends on the commitment of both partners to actively participate and engage in the process.
HOW MONIQUE WORKS WITH COUPLES
The process typically involves both partners attending an initial session together, followed by sessions together. At times other individual sessions might be necessary. At no stage does Monique take on either partner as an individual client and individual work is to meet the needs of the couple. Monique will engage the couples she works with in facilitated discussions and provide information, tools and techniques to help the couple listen and understand each other’s perspective and ultimately develop better ways of relating with each other around long standing or important issues.
Monique provides a safe and judgement free space where each person in the couple are encouraged to bring their whole selves into the room, including their beliefs, feelings, vulnerabilities and their strengths.
During the process of couples counselling, conversations can become filled with emotion, and at times heated, however any demonstration of abusive behaviour in sessions directed toward each other will not be tolerated.
Couples therapy is offered In-person from Monique’s clinic in Essendon North, or via Zoom. It is recommended that each party is in the same room if sessions are held via Zoom, except where parties are in long distance relationships.
FEES
Couple Counselling
$300 per /50 mins session
Focussed Couple Counselling
$600/ 120 mins session
Marathon Couple Counselling
3-day In-house Intensive $6000
Masterclass Sessions for Groups - Enquiries Welcome.
Medicare does not provide a rebate for couples counselling
