Couples
You always pictured your relationship would be flourishing as you became a family. You saw yourself being supported and held by your partner as you start your journey toward being a parent. But it’s so different to what you expected…
You may be losing touch with one another, leaving you to feel alone and isolated. You may be arguing or fighting more than usual. You may have different expectations of your roles, so you feel like you’re doing it tougher. You may be disagreeing on what’s best for your child. Or maybe there’s added pressure of finances, work, or extended family in the mix, so tensions are running high. And you’re tired.
Whether it be preparing for bringing your first child into the world, or navigating the early months with a newborn, or adjusting to brining another baby into the home, it can be really tough when you feel like you’re at odds with the person who you count on.
I get it. And I know you want it to be different.
What is perinatal focused couples counselling?
Couples or relationship counselling is a therapeutic approach to helping partners overcome the issues and challenges that are affecting their relationship.
Relationships take work, particularly in the perinatal stage. Whether it be before, during or after pregnancy and birth it is important to consistently put in effort and nurture your relationship by communicating your needs, wants, and desires with your partner, and listening to them when they do the same. Couples counselling provides an opportunity to explore your relationship in a safe, non-judgemental, unbiased environment; gain an understanding of factors that may be influencing your situation; then work towards moving forward with tools and strategies to improve your relationship.
Who is perinatal focused couples counselling for?
Couples counselling is for those that want to restore and strengthen their relationship, particularly in the perinatal and parenting phase, through focusing on:
• Supporting you in building intimacy and trust
• Learning to communicate better
• Fostering mutual respect
• Building deeper connections
• Processing and healing from trauma and grief
• Managing stressors, conflict and expectations of parenthood
• Strategies for effective decision-making as partners and parents.
This approach is particularly beneficial for couples in the perinatal stage seeking support to grow and nurture a healthy and resilient relationship.
Note, our couples counselling is not suitable for heavy/volatile conflict or domestic violence situations.
Our approach
The idea of coming to couples counselling can be daunting. There may be fear that you will be judged or pinned as the ‘bad guy’. Or that I will side with your partner and shame you. Or you may fear expressing yourself in front of your partner. Or you’ll fight the whole time. I get it. I truly do. It’s not easy to do this work.
It’s because of these fears that Caroline, our exceptional, experienced couples therapist, works through The Gottman Method of relationship counselling. The Gottman Method is an approach to couples therapy that includes a thorough exploration of your relationship and integrates research-based interventions that work. Caroline focuses on strengthening your relationship, not assigning blame. The goals of your work with Caroline may be to disarm conflicting verbal communication; increase intimacy, respect, and affection; remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy; and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship. All so important when it comes to sustaining a healthy relationship while juggling parenthood.
Fees
Couples counselling has 3 phases which involves 4 appointments to be scheduled initially:
Phase 1: Couple assessment session where we explore the development of your relationship and the issues presenting.
Phase 2: One individual session for each of you.
Phase 3: Initial couple counselling session where you begin to focus on restoring and strengthening your relationship.
From then on you will continue all sessions as couple sessions.
Initial session – 60 minutes $200
Subsequent sessions – 60 minutes $175
60 minutes $165
Fees are payable in full prior to the appointment.
Make an appointment
Couples counselling sessions with Caroline are available in our Highgate WA rooms and online Australia-wide, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
To book your initial appointment, either book directly through the following calendar link (counselling appointments only), or complete the form below it to submit an enquiry and I will contact you directly: