It's not too late
Most couples also wait too long to reach out for professional support. By this time, there’s often disconnection, animosity, misunderstandings, criticism, and dislike for one another. Does that mean you can't turn it around? No! But it's going to take commitment, effort and honesty from both of you to get back to a good place.
​​
You may be experiencing some of the following issues in your relationship:
​
-
A feeling of disconnection, like roommates just rolling through the motions of daily life, passing like ships in the night.
-
You don't talk about anything deeper than work, the kids, chores, and weekly schedule.
-
The 'spark' is gone and intimacy is lacking or non-existent.
-
You can't remember the last time you laughed or had any fun together.
-
You're having persistent issues resolving conflict, stuck in communication patterns that feel impossible to change and you never feel like you're being heard.
-
You may have no conflict at all which might seem like a good thing, but it's just because you're just avoiding talking about any issues you have.
-
You don't feel like you're on the same page and don't understand each other anymore. Things used to be so easygoing and now you just don't see eye to eye on anything.
-
There has been a betrayal in the relationship and the trust and respect have been lost.
​
If you're struggling in your relationship, you are not alone. Most of us weren't modelled how to navigate relationship challenges, resolve conflict and communicate well. We're just figuring it out as we go and operating from our past experiences and behaviour patterns which aren't always helpful.
It's time to
-
​Rebuild your connection, friendship and intimacy.
-
Learn to handle conflict in a healthy way, repair after fights and find compromise.
-
Bring back 'teamwork', fun and shared meaning to the relationship.
-
Get you communicating on a deeper level, understanding each other's inner world, emotions and past experiences.
-
And also look at what is working in the relationship (it's easy to overlook what works when it feels like a lot isn't working).
The Therapy Process
To create change, we need to do something different from what we are currently doing. This can be challenging when you’re unsure of the next step. I support clients to work on their emotional connection and understanding of negative cycles that cause distress in their relationship, their friendship, intimacy, communication and conflict, plus practical strategies that they can take with them and use between sessions, drawing from Emotions Focused Therapy, The Gottman Method, and other modalities as needed.
There are no quick fixes, couples therapy requires both parties to be vulnerable, take responsibility and make some changes. It isn't easy, but it can connect you on a deeper level and transform both the relationship and how you feel in it.
​​​
Read more about on the predictors of relationship breakdown as per Gottmans' research on my blog post: Are the Four Horsemen running wild in your relationship?
Sessions & Fees
I need to understand where you've been, how you've gotten where you are, and why. This usually takes two to three sessions. While most of the work we do will involve both of you together, I'll also have an individual session with each of you to learn more about your childhood, teen years, and past relationships. From there, we can start working on the appropriate interventions in the areas you are finding most challenging so you can start working to reshape the patterns and rebuild your connection.
Fees:
Joint sessions (90 minutes) $200 for the initial session, $180 for ongoing sessions.
Individual sessions (60 minutes each) $120
​
In-person sessions are at Aberglasslyn, NSW (Hunter Valley).
​
Online sessions are available if you aren't in the area or prefer the comfort of your own home. ​​​​