Couples Counselling
Strengthen Your Connection, Build a Better Future Together
What to Expect from Couples Counselling
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What We Focus On
Communication Tools: Learn practical strategies to listen, express yourself, and be truly heard.
Conflict Management: Develop skills to navigate disagreements with care and respect.
Rebuilding Trust: Address challenges like infidelity or emotional disconnection.
Strengthening Intimacy: Foster deeper emotional and physical connection.
Navigating Life Transitions: Support during big changes like parenting, career shifts, or personal struggles.
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Our Approach
Just like visiting a doctor when something doesn’t feel right, we take time to fully understand what’s happening before diving into solutions. The first three sessions are reserved for a thorough assessment to get a clear picture of your relationship. This includes joint sessions to hear your story, individual consults to explore each person’s perspective, and observing communication patterns. From there, we provide a relationship report with personal insights, observations, and practical suggestions to guide your path forward.
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What You’ll Walk Away With
Couples counselling isn’t just about fixing problems—it’s about building a stronger, more connected partnership. Through our work together, you’ll gain practical tools to improve communication, manage conflict, and rebuild trust. You’ll also develop a deeper understanding of each other’s needs, strengthen intimacy, and create a shared vision for the future. Whether your relationship is feeling strained or you’re simply looking to grow as a couple, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Every Relationship Deserves Understanding
Relationships can be tough, and sometimes you need a little extra support to navigate the challenges life throws your way. Whether you’re struggling with communication, trust issues, conflict, or life transitions, couples counselling can help you reconnect, heal, and grow as a team.
At Althea Collective, we use proven approaches like the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Family Systems Therapy to help couples:
Improve communication and understanding.
Rebuild trust after infidelity or difficult experiences.
Manage conflict in healthier, more effective ways.
Strengthen emotional and physical intimacy.
Create shared goals and a stronger foundation for the future.
No matter where you are in your relationship journey, we’re here to walk beside you and provide the tools, support, and guidance you need to thrive as a couple.
Once the assessment phase is complete, therapy focuses on building skills and addressing key concerns using evidence-based approaches like the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Family Systems Therapy.
We also incorporate Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills to support emotional regulation and distress tolerance—not just during sessions but also when practicing strategies at home. This ensures the tools you learn create lasting change in your day-to-day life.
We’ll work on:
Improving Communication – Learn practical tools to listen, express yourself, and truly understand one another. We’ll explore Gottman’s “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” (criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling) and replace them with healthier, more constructive communication patterns.
Managing Conflict Effectively – Not all conflict needs to be resolved. You’ll learn how to navigate disagreements constructively, manage emotional reactions with DBT-based regulation tools, and find meaningful compromises where it matters most.
Rebuilding Trust – Address past hurts, betrayal, or infidelity with guided exercises to heal wounds, foster openness, and rebuild connection in a safe, supportive space.
Deepening Intimacy and Friendship – Strengthen emotional and physical closeness by fostering understanding, appreciation, and shared meaning in your partnership. DBT strategies can also help you develop mindfulness skills to stay present and connected with each other.
Our Process
At Althea Collective, we follow a structured, research-backed process to ensure you and your partner receive the support, tools, and insights needed to move forward together. Drawing on the Gottman Method and other evidence-based therapies, our approach is collaborative, compassionate, and specific to your relationship.
Assessment Phase: Understanding Your Relationship
The first three sessions are dedicated to understanding your relationship dynamics, concerns, and strengths:
Session 1: Joint Session – We’ll meet with both of you to explore your relationship story, challenges, and goals. This session sets the stage for understanding your shared experiences.
Sessions 2 and 3: Individual Consultations – Each partner meets with the therapist one-on-one to gain deeper insight into personal perspectives, histories, and hopes for the relationship.
Gottman Assessments: We may use structured tools, such as the Gottman Relationship Check-Up, to assess areas of strength, potential conflict, and attachment needs.
At the end of the assessment, you’ll receive a relationship report—a personalised summary of insights, observations, and a suggested plan moving forward.
Moving Forward Together: Creating Lasting Change
Therapy is about more than just addressing problems—it’s about creating a partnership that feels fulfilling and resilient. As you progress through therapy, we focus on:
Strengthening friendship and appreciation (Gottman’s “Sound Relationship House”).
Developing practical tools for conflict management you can use daily.
Building a shared vision for your future together—whether that’s navigating parenting, life transitions, or simply rediscovering joy in your relationship.
Fee Schedule
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Initial Session
Initial Session (90 minutes): $240
The first session is longer to allow us to thoroughly explore your relationship story, current concerns, and goals for therapy. This is also where you will be provided with the questionnaires required in the assessment phase. These questions will need to be returned prior to your next two sessions. -
Subsequent Sessions
Subsequent Sessions (60 minutes): $200
These sessions focus on building skills, addressing challenges, and deepening your connection using evidence-based approaches tailored to your relationship. -
Additional Services
For relationship-related reports or summaries, a pro rata hourly rate of $200 applies. Report writing generally takes 1 hour, but the time required may vary depending on the complexity of the case and the duration of therapy.
What’s Involved in Report Writing:
Case Review: Reviewing session notes and treatment history to ensure a comprehensive understanding of progress and themes.
File Review: Collating all relevant case details to inform the report.
Data Compilation: Organising relevant assessments, observations, and insights gathered during therapy.
Report Writing: Creating a clear, structured document summarising progress, observations, and outcomes to date.
Auditing: Ensuring accuracy, completeness, and alignment with therapeutic processes.
Communication: Consultation with the client and, where required, correspondence with legal representatives or other relevant professionals.
Report writing may be requested for purposes such as legal proceedings, relationship progress updates, or formal documentation for other services or professionals.
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Payment Methods
Payment Types: Cash (please be mindful we are unable to offer change due to not storing cash on site), EFTPOS, Credit Card, or Bank Transfer.
Session Payments: Payments are due at the end of each session unless otherwise arranged.
Report Payments: Reports must be paid in full before they are released to the client or third parties.
FAQs
What if my partner doesn’t want to come to therapy?
It’s common for one partner to feel uncertain about therapy. While we can’t force someone to want or attend therapy, you can still begin the process on your own. Working on your goals individually can create positive changes in your relationship, and sometimes this progress encourages your partner to join later. While couples therapy works best when both people are involved, individual work can still have a powerful impact, and we will support you as much as we can along the way.
Is couples counselling only for struggling relationships?
Not at all! Couples counselling is helpful for relationships at any stage—whether you’re experiencing challenges or just want to strengthen your bond. Therapy can help you improve communication, deepen connection, and equip you with tools to navigate life’s transitions, such as becoming parents, managing career stress, or simply growing together.
Does the therapist take sides?
No. The role of your therapist is to remain neutral, supportive, and non-judgmental. We work to understand both perspectives, help you hear and understand each other, and guide you toward finding solutions together. Therapy is a space where both partners need to feel heard and validated.
How long does couples therapy take?
The length of therapy depends on your relationship needs and goals. Some couples find clarity and progress in just a few sessions, while others may need longer-term support. The first three sessions are focused on assessment and understanding your relationship dynamics, after which we’ll discuss a plan that feels right for you.
What if we’re considering separation?
If separation is being considered, couples counselling can still be an incredibly supportive space. While I am not a lawyer and cannot provide legal or separation advice, I can help facilitate:
Amicable separations where communication remains respectful and cooperative.
Parenting support to help you co-parent effectively and navigate the challenges of change.
Strategies to improve communication, whether you choose to separate or are feeling exhausted and unsure of what to do.
If thoughts of separation come from feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or disconnected, this is completely normal and understandable—especially as you take the step to seek therapy. Counselling can help you explore these feelings, rebuild connection, or gain clarity on the next steps.
Do you offer after-hours appointments?
At Althea Collective, we provide high-quality, evidence-based therapy at competitive rates, ensuring our services are accessible and transparent. We understand schedules can be tight so to accommodate busy schedules, we offer limited after-hours and weekend appointments:
Weekday Evenings (5–6 PM): An additional $25 surcharge applies.
Weekend Sessions: Available upon request with a $30 surcharge to reflect extended availability.
We understand the value of flexibility and aim to keep our fees aligned with industry standards while compensating for after-hours work. All fees, including surcharges, are communicated upfront, and we’re happy to discuss sliding scale options or payment plans for those facing financial barriers.