Ellen Goldman - Qualifed Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist

What is Couple Counselling?

A Couple Counsellor assists each partner in moving forward towards making significant, positive changes in a couple's relationship. The counsellor helps the couple to explore their feelings and work through their problems, while learning skills which will help them deal with the difficulties and challenges of their partnership in a constructive way. It is often easier to express oneself in the presence of a third party, a mediator, who can help with a couple's understanding and perception of their relationship. 

Difficulties arise in every partnership - disagreements, life changes, needs, financial considerations, children, sex, responsibilities, perceptions---and these difficulties can serve to test the relationship and the feelings within it. Having the skills to work through problems together gives the relationship strength and assists in its longevity. Communication is the crux of a good relationship. Learning not only how to talk with your partner, but how to listen is a good foundation for a caring relationship. Very often it's not what you say, but how you say it that has the most effect.

Sometimes, no matter how a couple may have tried, things just can't be made better; the rift is just too great to heal. Couple Counselling can be useful at this time, also. It can help to make the transition into separation more amicable and the solutions to be clearer.

None of this is necessarily easy, but it doesn't have to be difficult, either. It may take time, but relationships are not made; they're worked at.  

How can Couple Counselling help?

Couple Counselling can help in a variety of circumstances:

  • Provides a safe, non-judgemental place for couples to express emotions, feelings, and thoughts
  • Helps couples come to a mutual understanding
  • Helps couples make the decisions which are best for both partners
  • Helps to clarify needs
  • Explores the idea of commitment
  • Helps couples reassess their expectations of a relationship.