Intimate relationships form part of the foundation of our sense of purpose, security, and overall well-being. At Life Supports, we acknowledge that relationships are not always smooth sailing. As we navigate childhood and adulthood, it’s common to pick up unproductive narratives and behaviours that play out unfavourably in our relationships. When this happens, we can be left feeling hurt and isolated. The important thing to remember is that change is possible. An effective relationship counsellor can help you change these narratives by providing a supportive space to express your feelings, needs, upsets, and desires. Together, with you and your partner, your therapist will work to untangle and explore the events and personal narratives that have shaped your experiences and help you develop skills that can enhance the health of your relationship and intimacy.
Your sessions' primary focus is finding new and constructive ways to reconnect with yourself and your partner. To do this, our therapists will introduce Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques, which are present-focused therapies focusing on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions. In this solution-centred approach, you can expect your sessions to include the following steps:
Relationship counselling can be helpful for a wide range of individuals and situations. Most commonly, couples seek out therapy to address stress and conflict, deal with a broken down relationship, re-establish trust after infidelity, or find new ways of expressing feelings and expectations to each other. Therapists can also work with you to address the following:
Entering your first relationship counselling session will be all about your therapist getting to know you and your partner. The session will begin with introductions, helping your therapist learn who each of you is, your relationship journey, and your past experiences. Be prepared to take turns answering questions and actively listening to each other.
These first few sessions are explorative, focused on unravelling your histories and identifying the individual patterns and behaviours contributing to misunderstandings and conflict in your relationship. Your counsellor will work with you and your partner to pinpoint your relationship's strengths and weaknesses and integrate techniques to facilitate positive change.
After your first counselling session, you may finish feeling a mixed bag of emotions. This is normal. Therapy can be hard work at the best of times. Give yourself the time and space to process the feelings that come up. Remember, change happens not only in the therapy room but in the time spent processing and applying what you’ve learned to everyday life.
A counsellor can facilitate honest, empathetic, and practical conversation and teach partners techniques for healthier communication. In your sessions, your counsellor will encourage you to practise active listening, assertive expression, and emotional regulation. This will help you and your partner better understand each other's perspectives and communicate your wants and needs more clearly.
Counselling sessions are designed to address the key issues underlying the lack of intimacy, connection, and trust in relationships. By encouraging couples to use empathy to accept and understand one another, therapy improves the chances of cultivating a meaningful and lasting connection.
We help you and your partner find new ways to overcome misunderstandings and conflicts. Together with your counsellor, you’ll unravel the patterns and behaviours causing dysfunction in your relationship, learn techniques to address problems and find mutually beneficial solutions.
Appointments currently available
Open 8am to 8pm weekdays and 9am to 5:30pm weekends